SEATTLE — King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay took a strong early lead in the primary race for county executive Tuesday night, outpacing fellow Councilmember Claudia Balducci by more than 10 percentage points.

Early returns showed Zahilay with 40.6% of the vote, compared to Balducci’s 30%. The remaining 30% was split among other candidates, who will fail to advance to the November general election, barring a substantial upset in the coming hours and days.

“It is clear that our campaign decisively won the primary,” Zahilay said Tuesday night.

Zahilay, who chairs the County Council, has made cost of living, homelessness, transportation, and public safety central to his campaign. He is endorsed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Adam Smith,

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