For a second consecutive day, Girmay Zahilay has extended his lead over Claudia Balducci, inching closer to becoming King County’s first new elected executive in 16 years.

Zahilay led with 51.7% of the vote after Thursday’s ballot counts, compared to 47.1% for Balducci. Zahilay had led by 1.7 percentage points on election night, a margin that has gradually grown the last two days. He now leads by 4.6 points.

The county counted about 75,000 votes Thursday, but still has about 225,000 left to count, said Halei Watkins, a spokesperson for King County Elections.

Zahilay, 38, who was born in a Sudan refugee settlement and emigrated to the Seattle area at age 3, would be the youngest person ever to lead Washington’s largest county and the first immigrant and refugee. If he holds on to win, hi

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