POULSBO — Democrats Sherry Appleton and Christine Rolfes maintained commanding leads this week in the Washington State House of Representatives 23rd District races following Tuesday’s General Election.

In the 23rd District Position 2 race, challenger Christine Rolfes, a former Bainbridge Island City Councilwoman, held a more than 3,000 vote lead over incumbent Republican Bev Woods of Kingston.

Rolfes had 55 percent of the initial vote to Woods’ 45 percent.

“It was a difficult race, and I worked really hard,” Rolfes said after the initial results were announced. “It feels really good and I’m surprised, I’d say, by the margin of victory.”

Her emphasis on health care and public education were two keys to her success en route to Olympia, Rolfes said.

“Those are two things I ran on, and I think they resonated with the voters,” she said.

Rolfes served six years on the council and was also the city’s representative to the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council. She is also a member of the Kitsap County Public Facilities District.

While Rolfes was buoyed by the initial results, Woods wasn’t ready to concede the race Tuesday night.

“Let’s face it. I don’t know if I can catch up, but we’ll wait and see tomorrow,” Woods said Tuesday night. “I feel good about what I have done for the district.”

Woods said she ran a clean and positive campaign, but she feels she was caught in the nationwide backlash against the Republican Party.

“I go out with my head held high,” Woods said. “I don’t think it has as much do with me as it does with what’s going on across the country.”

After the election Poulsbo City Councilwoman Connie Lord publicly thanked Woods for “baling out the city more than once” and credited her with ensuring that the State Route 305 widening project was fully funded.

With six and a half years in the state Legislature, Woods is currently the ranking Republican of the House Transportation Committee. She has been appointed to the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee, the Governor’s Task Force on Adults with Disabilities, the Joint Transportation Committee and the Puget Sound Regional Transportation Policy Board.

For Appleton, the initial results were a welcome sight as it appeared she was headed to a second term in Olympia.

By Thursday Appleton had 22,471 votes to challenger Earl Johnson’s 12,548 for a commanding 65 percent to 35 percent lead.

“It feels very good to be recognized by that kind of majority,” Appleton said. “It’s such a bittersweet victory because I wish my husband could be here.”

Appleton’s husband, Ron Appleton, lost his battle with cancer in late August, but Appleton credited her campaign staff for carrying the baton during her absence.

“My goal is to go back and get the payday lending bill passed, do something about the Growth Management Act for Bainbridge Island,” Appleton said. “I want to work very hard for health care and fourth, and most importantly, I want to protect the Puget Sound for my granddaughter and all grandchildren.”

Appleton was first elected to the House in 2004 and served on the Poulsbo City Council from 1985 to 1993. She currently serves on several House committees and is the Democratic Caucus representative to the Puget Sound Partnership, which is working to preserve the health of the Puget Sound.