Saltz Leads Lipton in Richland Council Race
Kyle Saltz holds a preliminary lead over Mary S. Lipton in the special election to fill a Richland City Council seat.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Preliminary results show Kyle Saltz receiving 6,492 votes, or 54%, to Mary S. Lipton's 5,457 votes, or 46%, in Tuesday's Richland City Council special election. The Benton County Auditor will update results at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Why it matters
The special election determines who fills the remainder of a Richland City Council term after the seat's previous holder died during the 2025 campaign season. The outcome will shape the makeup of the seven-member council for the rest of the term.
Preliminary returns show Saltz with 6,492 votes and Lipton with 5,457 votes, a 54% to 46% split. These are unofficial figures, and the Benton County Auditor will release an updated count at 4 p.m. Thursday.
The players
Kyle Saltz
Saltz is a military veteran who works for the Hanford Patrol and will serve out the balance of the Position 4 seat if he is confirmed.
Mary S. Lipton
Lipton is a biochemist at the Pacific Northwest National Lab and a faculty member at WSU Tri-Cities who is running in the special election.
Benton County Auditor
The Benton County Auditor oversees vote counting and will release the updated results for the special election.
The details
Saltz and Lipton advanced from a five-way August primary to Tuesday's special election to fill the balance of the Position 4 seat. The council appointed Todd Samuel as an interim member in the open position, but Samuel was eliminated in the primary.
Timeline
2025: Donald Landsman won the Position 4 seat while deceased.
August 2026: A five-way primary eliminated Todd Samuel and advanced Saltz and Lipton.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Special election held; Saltz leads preliminary results.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: Benton County Auditor updates results at 4 p.m.
Political Context
The special election follows the death of Donald Landsman, who won the Position 4 seat in 2025 while deceased. The vacancy led the council to appoint Todd Samuel as an interim member before the seat went to a public vote.
Richland residents will see a new council member seated to finish Position 4's term once the result is certified. The seat's occupant will vote on local matters for the balance of the term.
The takeaway
Preliminary totals can shift as late ballots are counted, so the 4 p.m. Thursday update is the figure to watch before drawing conclusions about the race.
What happens next
The Benton County Auditor will release updated results at 4 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Further reading
For more on how local races are decided, browse Elections coverage across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tri-City Herald.
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