Washington: Ld8

Votes are still coming in via the U.S. Mail causing leads to shrink and expand all over the state.

In the governor's race, Dino Rossi has cut Chris Gregoire's lead by a point after two more days of returns, from a four point deficit to what is now 48.8 percent for Gregoire and 45.7 percent for the Republican. He has also erased Gregoire's lead in the two Eastern Washington counties she once held, Spokane and Asotin.

The House Democratic Campaign Committee, the arm of elected state Representatives that  works to increase the size of their caucus, recently gave Richland Democrat Carol Moser a contribution of $20,000 in her bid to replace the retiring Rep. Shirley Hankins (R-Richland) in the 8th Legislative District, the Tri-City Herald's Chris Mulick reports.

"That was a nice gift, wasn't it?" the candidate told Mulick.

Republican Skip Novakovich, a Kennewick businessman, has said that he will formally announce his candidacy for retiring Rep. Shirley Hankins' seat in the 8th District in the coming weeks.  

He joins Rick Jansons, Brad Klippert and Steve Simmons in the race. Novakoviach, who had worked on many of Hankins' campaigns in the past, was critical of their decision to  toss their hats in before she officially decided to retire last week.

After months of teasing the press about whether or not she would run for re-election to at 13th term, the Tri-City Herald reports that Rep. Shirley Hankins has announced that she will indeed retire. During the last legislative session Hankins was the third longest serving member in the House.

Her exit leaves four candidates in the race for the 8th District seat, Republicans Brad Klippert, Steve Simmons and Rick Jansons, and Democrat Carol Moser.