SEATTLE — An incumbent Democratic state representative in Washington was headed for a decisive re-election victory on Wednesday even though he died last week, results indicate. 
 
 Roger Freeman, a first-term representative from Federal Way, a city between Seattle and Tacoma, had about 53 percent of the vote, compared to about 47 percent for his Republican challenger, Jack Dovey. Freeman, 48, died last week after a battle with cancer. His death came after ballots were mailed to Washington voters, where all voting is done by mail. 
 
 "This is extremely rare," said Brian Zylstra, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office. "But there are protocols in place." Once all ballots are finalized in coming weeks, if Freeman wins the vote, Democrats still will hold on to his seat in the state House of Representatives, Zylstra said. 
 
 Democrats in Freeman's district, which spans two counties, will select three names for a temporary replacement and the King and Pierce County councils will vote to appoint one of those candidates to the seat for one year, according to state election rules. The seat would be on the ballot in 2015 to fill out the remainder of the two-year term, the rules say. 
 
 Should the Republican candidate win, he will take the seat in Olympia at the start of the next legislative session. 
 
 Roger Freeman a Democratic state representative in Washington, is seen in an undated photo from the U.S. House of Representatives. HANDOUT / Reuters 
 
 IN-DEPTH 
 
 — Reuters ||||| In August, the Federal Way Mirror in Washington State said of their close 30th District state house election, "this race may be the most interesting to watch. Two good, smart candidates who know the issues and will run a very clean race." 
 
 It was a race to watch, but not for the reason they predicted. 
 
 The incumbent Democratic state Rep. Roger Freeman — one of two black representatives in the state legislature — died at the end of October at the age of 48. Around 15 percent of the district's voters had already mailed in their ballots, and at the end of Election night he had a six-point-lead over his Republican opponent, Jack Dovey. 
 
 The death was so recent that most voters were simply unaware that it had happened, and voted for the incumbent or on a party line. Local news station KVAL spoke to one such person on Tuesday night. 
 
 Voter Steven Hinz cast a ballot for Freeman because he didn't know the candidate had died. "I did not know that," he said. "When did he pass away?" 
 
 Since Freeman would not be able to effectively serve his terms, the two counties that make up the 30th district will select a temporary legislator from three possibilities offered by local Democrats. A special election would then be held next year. 
 
 Voters elect people whose hearts no longer thump to the beat of democracy more than you'd think. Last year, Oregon voters elected a man to the Aberdeen City Council five months after he died. Missouri elected a dead man who was running unopposed to serve as county commissioner in 2010. Three weeks before the 2000 election, Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan died in a plane crash. When he won a Senate race against John Ashcroft, his widow was appointed to take his place. 
 
 Hackensack High School Principal Joseph DeFalco died after the polls had opened in 2005, and was elected to the city council for a four-year term he could not complete, or even start. In 1998, a dead woman, Jacquelyn Morrow Lewis Ledgerwood, made it to a run-off in the Oklahoma Senate's Democratic primary. 
 
 The New York Times reported at the time, ||||| UPDATE: Roger Freeman, who died last week, is leading his race for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Early results show Freeman is taking 53 percent of the vote. 
 
 FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- There's an unusual twist in the race for state house in the 30th district of Federal Way. The democratic incumbent died from cancer last week, but Rep. Roger Freeman's name is still on the ballot -- and he's still getting votes. 
 
 
 
 Freeman was battling to retain his seat in the state legislature. He was also battling colon cancer that spread to his liver and lungs. He lost that battle last Wednesday 
 
 
 
 "It's a day to remember Roger Freeman. It's a day to remember how he made us feel," said Freeman's legislative director, Martin Moore. 
 
 
 
 Jack Dovey is Freeman's Republican challenger. 
 
 
 
 "It's a tragic thing that happened," Dovey said. 
 
 
 
 Freeman's name is still on the ballot and is still getting support. Voter Steven Hinz cast a ballot for Freeman because he didn't know the candidate had died. 
 
 
 
 "I did not know that," he said. "When did he pass away?" 
 
 
 
 Even though word of Freeman's death spread throughout the community last week, obviously not everyone knows about it. 
 
 
 
 "I voted for Freeman,"said Robert Zielie, who also didn't realize Freeman was dead. 
 
 
 
 But Freeman's supporters still want folks to vote for him, because if he wins he'd be replaced by a democrat. The democratic precinct leaders would offer three potential replacements to the county councils of King and Pierce counties who would select one. If no agreement is reached, the governor gets to choose. 
 
 
 
 Dovey says he'd rather see Freeman waving signs with him. 
 
 
 
 "It's a lot easier running against the person than the party," he said. 
 
 
 
 So Freeman's campaign says vote for Roger even though he's no longer with us. 
 
 
 
 "I think that's something that he would personally want," Moore said. ||||| November 4, 2014 at 11:00 PM 
 
 Roger Freeman, a Democratic state representative from Federal Way, appeared headed for victory Tuesday despite dying six days ago. 
 
 Tuesday’s ballot results put Freeman, a first-term incumbent for the 30th legislative district that spans parts of King and Pierce Counties, ahead by six percentage points over his Republican challenger, Jack Dovey. 
 
 Freeman’s apparent victory leaves a decision for filling the vacant House seat to the King and Pierce County Councils, which must jointly appoint a Democrat to replace Freeman for one year. Freeman’s replacement will be chosen from three nominees put forward by Democratic Party officials in the 30th District. A special election would be set next year for voters to decide on a candidate to fill out the final year of the two-year House term. 
 
 Freeman, 48, a public defender and former Federal Way City Council member, died Wednesday morning after a long battle with colon cancer. He is survived by a wife and two children. ||||| Voters cast their ballots among an array of electronic voting machines in a polling station at the Noor Islamic Cultural Center, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. Two-term state Sen. Troy Balderson,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Voters cast their ballots among an array of electronic voting machines in a polling station at the Noor Islamic Cultural Center, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. Two-term state Sen. Troy Balderson, is fighting off a strong challenge from Democrat Danny O'Connor, a 31-year-old county official,... (Associated Press) 
 
 WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The Latest on primaries in Missouri, Kansas, Michigan and Washington state and a congressional special election in Ohio (all times local): 
 
 12:30 a.m. 
 
 A Washington state representative who resigned his chairmanship following allegations of inappropriate conduct is in third place in early primary returns. 
 
 Democratic Rep. David Sawyer on Tuesday trailed Democrat Melanie Morgan and Republican Terry Harder. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to November, regardless of party. 
 
 Sawyer represents a district that includes parts of Tacoma. 
 
 In June, Sawyer resigned as the chairman of the House Commerce and Gaming Committee a day after an outside investigation found he violated the chamber's policies on harassment, decorum and ethics. 
 
 Sawyer apologized and said in an email at the time that it was "clear that I messed up and that it's time for me to acknowledge some personal mistakes." 
 
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 12:25 a.m. 
 
 A Kansas official says long lines at polling places delayed election results in the state's most populous county as Gov. Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Kris Kobach were locked in a tight race for the Republican nomination for governor. 
 
 State elections director Bryan Caskey said Tuesday night that some polling places in Johnson County in the suburbs of Kansas City remained open until about 8 p.m. to accommodate people who were in line to vote when polls officially closed at 7 p.m. 
 
 He says that led local officials to delay reporting their first results, from votes cast in advance. 
 
 Johnson County has nearly 408,000 registered voters, or almost 23 percent of the state's total of 1.8 million. 
 
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 11:45 p.m. 
 
 A black Ferguson city councilman leads longtime St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch in a contest some see as a referendum on McCulloch's handling of the investigation into Michael Brown's death. 
 
 With the vote counted from nearly 90 percent of precincts, the county reported Wesley Bell leading the 67-year-old McCulloch by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin in Tuesday's Democratic primary. No Republicans are running for prosecutor. 
 
 McCulloch, who is white, is seeking an eighth term. 
 
 Bell is a 43-year-old attorney and former municipal judge and prosecutor. He was elected councilman in 2015 as protests raged over Brown's death. 
 
 Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, died Aug. 9, 2014, in a street confrontation with white officer Darren Wilson. A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict Wilson, who later resigned. Some critics accused McCulloch of skewing the investigation in favor of the officer. 
 
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 11:40 p.m. 
 
 Democrat Danny O'Connor is trying to rally his supporters as he's locked in a close race with Republican Troy Balderson in Ohio's congressional special election. 
 
 O'Connor says, "We're not stopping now." 
 
 The candidates were locked in a razor-thin contest Tuesday night. There were at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough votes to force a recount. 
 
 The Associated Press does not declare winners in races subject to an automatic recount. 
 
 Balderson, meanwhile, was celebrating, saying he's ready to get to work in Congress. He says, "America is on the right path and we're going to keep it going that way." 
 
 The winner takes the seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January to take another job. 
 
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 11:35 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is already taking credit for helping elect his favored candidate in a special House election in Ohio, though the race is too close to call. 
 
 In a tweet Tuesday night, Trump declared "a great victory" for Republican Troy Balderson over Democrat Danny O'Connor. 
 
 While Balderson has a slight lead, the race is close enough that there could be a mandatory recount. There are also at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. 
 
 Trump says Balderson had been far behind in early voting before he hosted a rally for the candidate Saturday night in the suburban Columbus district. The president says that after his speech "there was a big turn for the better." 
 
 Trump offered another prediction — that Balderson will "win BIG" in November's general election. 
 
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 11:30 p.m. 
 
 Republican Susan Hutchison has gained a top-two finish in Washington state's primary to advance to the November general election. 
 
 The former television newscaster and GOP state party chairwoman was finishing second in the voting in Tuesday's contest. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters go on to November, regardless of party. 
 
 Hutchison is the former state Republican Party chairwoman. 
 
 She is making a longshot bid to oust the Democratic incumbent, Sen. Maria Cantwell, who is seeking a fourth term. 
 
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 11:25 p.m. 
 
 Sen. Maria Cantwell has advanced to the November ballot in Washington's primary election. 
 
 The Democrat seeking her fourth term easily outpaced all other candidates. Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters go on to November, regardless of party. 
 
 Cantwell is Washington's junior senator and the ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 
 
 Cantwell will likely face Republican Susan Hutchison in November. Hutchison is the former state Republican Party chairwoman. 
 
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 11:20 p.m. 
 
 The last special election of the year for the U.S. House is too close to call. 
 
 With election officials in Ohio done counting Tuesday night, Republican Troy Balderson has a slight lead over Democrat Danny O'Connor in the special election in the state's 12th Congressional District. 
 
 But there are at least 3,367 provisional ballots left to be reviewed. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough votes to force a mandatory recount. 
 
 The Associated Press does not declare winners in races that go to an automatic recount. 
 
 The race in suburban Columbus was one of the most-watched contests in Tuesday's primaries as O'Connor tried to pick up a seat long held by Republicans. 
 
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 11 p.m. 
 
 The deadline has passed for turning in primary ballots in Washington, a vote-by-mail state. 
 
 The contest getting the most attention is a U.S. House seat Democrats hope to capture in November for the first time since the district east of Seattle was created in 1980. 
 
 Voters began receiving their state primary ballots in the mail weeks ago, and Tuesday was the last day to get them in or postmarked for mail delivery. In some of the more competitive races, results may not be known for days as most counties will update vote counts only once a day. 
 
 In Washington's 8th District, Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is retiring after more than a decade. 
 
 Republican Dino Rossi, a former state senator, is expected to advance along with one of three Democrats. 
 
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 10:40 p.m. 
 
 Missouri voters have rejected a right-to-work law banning mandatory union fees in workplace contracts. 
 
 The vote Tuesday marked a major victory for unions, which poured millions of dollars into a campaign to defeat Proposition A. 
 
 The right-to-work law originally was enacted in 2017 by Missouri's Republican-led Legislature and governor. But it never took effect, because unions gathered enough petition signatures to force a public referendum on it. 
 
 Unions argued the measure would have led to lower wages, while business groups claimed it could have led to more jobs. Economic studies showed mixed and sometimes conflicting results. 
 
 Twenty-seven other states have similar laws against compulsory union fees, including five Republican-led states that have acted since 2012 — Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Kentucky. 
 
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 10:20 p.m. 
 
 Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) and Gov. Jeff Colyer are locked in a close Republican primary race for governor. 
 
 Colyer and Kobach topped a seven-candidate GOP field in Tuesday's election. President Donald Trump tweeted a full endorsement of Kobach on Monday. 
 
 Kobach is nationally known for advocating tough policies on illegal immigration and strict voter identification laws. He served as vice chairman of Trump's now-disbanded commission on election fraud after advising Trump's 2016 campaign and the White House. 
 
 Colyer had endorsements from Kansas political icon Bob Dole and the National Rifle Association in his quest to remain in office after becoming governor in January. 
 
 In the Democratic primary, state Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka held a lead over former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and ex-Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty. 
 
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 10:15 p.m. 
 
 A veteran Kansas legislator has won the Democratic primary for governor after stressing her Statehouse experience and fending off questions about her voting record. 
 
 State Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka defeated former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, former Kansas Agriculture Secretary Joshua Svaty and two other candidates Tuesday. 
 
 The 68-year-old Kelly has served 14 years in the Senate and is the top Democrat on the budget committee. She stressed those credentials in running and suggested that she was best able to fix problems created by Republican policies. 
 
 She faced criticism from Svaty and Brewer for votes she made in representing a GOP-leaning district for looser gun laws and for some of the nation's toughest voter identification requirements. 
 
 But she also had the backing of former two-term Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. 
 
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 10:05 p.m. 
 
 Detroit-area businessman and Iraq War veteran John James has won the Republican nomination to run against Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow this fall. 
 
 James is a political newcomer endorsed by President Donald Trump. He defeated Sandy Pensler in Tuesday's primary. 
 
 Stabenow is seeking a fourth Senate term and has easily fended off past challengers, but Trump's narrow 2016 victory in Michigan has the GOP hopeful it can flip the seat. 
 
 The 37-year-old James is an executive at his family's automotive logistics companies and a West Point graduate who flew helicopters during the Iraq War. 
 
 He is Michigan's first black Republican nominee for a major statewide office in more than three decades, but he has said he only wants to be assessed on his character. 
 
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 9:55 p.m. 
 
 Gretchen Whitmer has won the Democratic nomination for Michigan governor, besting two competitors to advance to the November race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. 
 
 Whitmer, a former legislative leader, defeated chemical-testing businessman Shri Thanedar (shree TAN'-eh-dahr) and ex-Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed in Tuesday's primary. She will face Attorney General Bill Schuette (SHOOT'-ee), who defeated Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines in the GOP primary. 
 
 Whitmer was considered the favorite because of her political experience and broad support from organized labor and other key groups. El-Sayed especially courted the party's more liberal, pro-Bernie Sanders wing, as did Thanedar, who spent millions of dollars of his own money on his campaign. 
 
 The Michigan governorship is a top target for the Democratic Party. 
 
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 9:50 p.m. 
 
 U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall has won the Republican primary in the sprawling rural 1st District of western and central Kansas. 
 
 He advances to a November matchup against Democrat Alan LaPolice of Clyde in the heavily Republican agricultural district. 
 
 Marshall, a Great Bend physician, first gained national attention in 2016 for knocking off then Rep. Tim Huelskamp in the Republican primary for the seat. 
 
 Democrats did not have a candidate in 2016, but LaPolice launched a long-shot bid as an independent. LaPolice, an educator, is taking another shot at it this year running as a Democrat. 
 
 While the district strongly supported President Donald Trump in 2016, some worry tougher immigration policies make it harder to fill agricultural jobs. Marshall wants to couple border-security measures with changes in visas for guest farm workers. 
 
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 9:30 p.m. 
 
 Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has won the Republican nomination in one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate races. 
 
 Voters on Tuesday picked Hawley as expected over 10 other GOP challengers in the race for Democrat Claire McCaskill's seat. He was the only candidate to have previously won a statewide election and had considerably more money than the other Republicans in the field. He's backed by President Donald Trump. 
 
 Republicans are eyeing the now-Democratic seat as a prime pickup opportunity in a state Trump won by nearly 19 points. 
 
 A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the nation's top showdowns. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump. He is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist. 
 
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 9:25 p.m. 
 
 Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri has won the Democratic primary in her campaign for a third term. 
 
 Voters picked McCaskill on Tuesday as expected over six other Democratic challengers. 
 
 Republicans are eyeing the Democratic seat in a state that President Donald Trump won by nearly 19 points in 2016. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley was favored in an 11-candidate Republican primary for the right to face McCaskill in November. 
 
 A McCaskill-Hawley matchup is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races in the nation. McCaskill is running as a moderate in the red state. Hawley is campaigning largely on support for Trump and is attempting to paint his rival as a liberal obstructionist. 
 
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 9:20 p.m. 
 
 State Attorney General Bill Schuette (SHOOT'-ee) has won the Republican nomination for Michigan governor, defeating three other candidates vying to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Rick Snyder. 
 
 Schuette beat Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines on Tuesday. Democrats running were former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer, ex-Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed and entrepreneur Shri Thanedar. 
 
 Schuette, a former congressman, state lawmaker and appellate judge, was endorsed by President Donald Trump. He says he would cut the state income tax, like Trump reduced federal taxes. 
 
 The Michigan governorship is a top target for the Democratic Party, which is eager to make gains in the Midwest, where Republicans have dominated state governments and which helped President Donald Trump take the White House in 2016. 
 
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 9 p.m. 
 
 Polls have closed in Kansas and Michigan primary elections that are testing anew President Donald Trump's political clout. 
 
 Tuesday's races, like dozens before them, are pitting the strength of Trump's fiery supporters against the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance. The results will help determine the political landscape before the GOP defends its congressional majorities across the nation. 
 
 One of the top races is in Kansas, where Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) is trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer. Should Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governor's seat to Democrats this fall. 
 
 In Michigan, three mainstream Democrats are among those vying for a chance at retiring Republican Rep. Dave Trott's seat. The field includes Fayrouz Saad (fay-ROOZ' sahd), who would be the first Muslim woman in Congress. 
 
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 8:10 p.m. 
 
 Democrat Danny O'Connor has jumped out to a significant lead over Republican Troy Balderson in early returns in Ohio's congressional special election. 
 
 Voters on Tuesday were choosing between Balderson, a state senator, and O'Connor, the Franklin County recorder, to complete the term of a Republican who retired in January. The race is a test of voter sentiment before the general election in November, when Balderson and O'Connor will battle again for the full two-year term. 
 
 President Donald Trump campaigned for Balderson, arguing Republicans need to control Congress and casting the midterms as a referendum on himself. 
 
 A Balderson victory would buoy Republicans concerned about how Trump might be playing in political battleground states. An O'Connor win would elate Democrats hoping for a Trump backlash. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8 p.m. 
 
 Polls have closed in Missouri and are beginning to close in parts of Kansas and Michigan on a night of primary elections. 
 
 Tuesday's races, like dozens before them, pitted the strength of President Donald Trump's fiery supporters against the Democratic Party's anti-Trump resistance. The results will help determine the political landscape — and Trump's standing within his own party — just three months before the GOP defends its House and Senate majorities across the nation. 
 
 One of the top races of the night is in Kansas, where Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH'-bahk) was trying to unseat Gov. Jeff Colyer. Kobach has been backed by the president. 
 
 Should the polarizing Kobach win the primary, some Republican operatives fear he could lose the governor's seat to Democrats this fall. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:30 p.m. 
 
 The polls have closed in Ohio, where a Republican state senator backed by President Donald Trump is competing with a Democratic county official in a special election for an open U.S. House seat long held by the GOP. 
 
 Voters Tuesday were choosing between Sen. Troy Balderson and Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor to complete the term of a Republican who retired in January. The race is a test of voter sentiment before the general election in November, when Balderson and O'Connor will battle again for the full two-year term. 
 
 Trump campaigned for Balderson, arguing Republicans need to control Congress and casting the midterms as a referendum on himself. 
 
 A Balderson victory would buoy Republicans concerned about how Trump might be playing in political battleground states. An O'Connor win would elate Democrats hoping for a Trump backlash. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:15 p.m. 
 
 A St. Louis County election official blames a "comedy of errors" for some voters being turned away in one Missouri town. 
 
 The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that turnout in the St. Louis region for Tuesday's primary election was brisk, with about 35 percent of registered voters going to the polls. But there were sporadic problems, most notably at Holman Elementary School in Berkeley. 
 
 Democratic elections director Eric Fey says a Republican poll worker had to leave because of a family emergency. The other two went to lunch, apparently got lost and didn't return. 
 
 It was unclear how many people were turned away during the 45 minutes it took to get additional Republican poll workers to the polling place. 
 
 Elsewhere in St. Louis County, some poll workers mistakenly gave voters nonpartisan ballots that included only issues, not party primary races. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:20 p.m. 
 
 Battleground Ohio is deciding the year's final special election, a congressional faceoff that tests anew President Donald Trump's political clout and the appeal of his signature tax cuts. 
 
 Seventy-one-year-old retiree Gregg Schirra voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Democrat Danny O'Connor on Tuesday in Westerville. 
 
 He says, "We gave Trump a fair chance and now it's time to get the legislature working and get back on track." 
 
 At Delaware Township Hall north of Columbus, 71-year-old retiree Katheryn Terry voted for Republican Troy Balderson, saying she felt the 31-year-old O'Connor was just too young and she wasn't happy with anything about his candidacy. 
 
 She says: "I'm trying to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, and so I'm trying to be as supportive as I can, because things have turned around."
– Election results are still trickling in in Washington state (it's a vote-by-mail-only state, KOMO News reports), but it looks like voters are giving Democratic Rep. Roger Freeman of Federal Way a second term with about 53% of the vote, NBC News notes. There's just one problem: The 48-year-old Freeman died last week after a long battle with colon cancer, the Seattle Times reports. Many voters either didn't know Freeman had died or had already sent in their ballots, the Washington Post reports. "I did not know that. When did he pass away?" one voter told KVAL. "This is extremely rare," a spokesman for Washington's secretary of state tells NBC. "But there are protocols in place." Those protocols would be much simpler if voters had simply elected the very much alive Republican candidate, Jack Dovey. However, since Freeman is apparently the victor, Democrats in the district will pick three names to serve as his temporary replacement; the county councils will then vote one of those candidates in to serve for one year, with a special election next year to pick someone for the final year of the two-year term, NBC notes. Dovey, now known as the challenger beat by a deceased candidate, simply tells KVAL, "It's a tragic thing that happened." (This county candidate dropped out of the race after his dead friend supposedly voted for him.)