It is supposed to be over. The elections took place a week and a day ago. But, in the Pacific Northwest uncertainty lingers. Yesterday's headline at the Seattle Times read "King County absentees push Gregoire's lead to 8,700 votes." It appeared the Democratic candidate might shed light on the motif for the inauguration. Today's headline for The Mercury News said "Republican Pulls Ahead in Wash. Gov. Race." Now it appears that Dino Rossi may be ordering cocktail napkins featuring elephants. And, so it has gone since Tuesday. Each time a candidate seemed to have momentum, a new round of vote counting changed that perception. Yesterday, Christine Gregoire was bolstered by an encouraging count of absentee ballots from urban King County, the Times reports.

OLYMPIA — The absentee-vote trend in King County bounced back in Democrat Christine Gregoire's favor yesterday, helping her extend her lead in the seesaw race for governor.

Gregoire, the state's three-term attorney general, now holds an 8,700-vote edge over Republican former state Sen. Dino Rossi.

She is likely to prevail in King County, where she established yesterday's lead, and about a half-dozen other metropolitan counties. The long-term Washington attorney general has a high degree of name recognition and is considered popular among that constituency. But, the absentee ballots from more rural areas, where the Republicans are more competitive, could end her hopes.

Republican candidates who did well nationally can credit George W. Bush's coattails and the surprising surge of opposition to gay marriage, expressed by voting for constitutional amendments in 11 states. Neither was able to sweep the GOP's candidate into the governor's mansion in Washington. Today, Rossi had something to smile about, a 2,000-3,000 vote lead over Gregoire.