The disappointment can be heard in Richard Hildreth’s voice.

Pacific’s mayoral election remains in limbo as votes continue to be counted at a painfully slow pace.

Hildreth’s bid for a third term in office hangs in the balance, clouded by an aggressive write-in campaign designed to oust the incumbent.

Until the state general election is officially certified Nov. 29, the wait lingers, the outcome very much in doubt.

“It’s a very unusual situation. I don’t think anybody anticipated this,” Hildreth said of the preliminary returns, which find him trailing the write-in candidates by 4 percent.

The uncertainty has been especially tough on Hildreth’s coworkers.

“Staff is most upset,” he said.

The early numbers do not support the mayor, but the latest numbers has Hildreth closing the gap.

With nearly 43 percent of the all-mail-in ballots received by late Wednesday afternoon, Hildreth had 366 votes or 33 percent of the count. Challenger John C. Jones, the City Council president, had 296 votes or 27 percent of the vote, according to King County Elections. However, write-in candidates had received 421 votes, 38 percent, of the ballots.Only 1,129 ballots of the 2,591 registered voters in Pacific were tallied as of Wednesday.

In Pierce County, Hildreth has 15 of the 19 votes cast. Jones has the other four votes.

It is unknown how many write-in candidates the vote represented and won’t be determined until the election count draws to a close, according to King County Elections. If it’s determined that a write-in vote could decide the outcome of the race, election officials will re-examine the ballots, identify and tally whom the votes specifically were cast for.

Until then, candidates and residents of Pacific may not know who the write-in votes are for, or whether they are for one or several candidates bidding for office.

“It’s still too close for my comfort,” Hildreth said of the early numbers, “but we’ll find out once all the votes are counted and find out who the write-ins were counted for.”

Cy Sun, a Korean War veteran and Hildreth critic who claims there is corruption in City Hall, formally cast his name as a write-in candidate, according to King County Elections. He has aggressively gone door-to-door in his pursuit of the office.

Sun could not reached for comment.

Hildreth claims a smear campaign – orchestrated and financed by disgruntled business owner Jerry Eck – is to blame. Eck, like Sun, has long questioned Hildreth’s ethics and performance in office.

“When someone puts in an estimated 10 grand the last three weeks of the election … it’s going to have an effect,” Hildreth said of Eck’s anybodybutrich.com push.

Hildreth says the negative campaign twisted the truth. He defends his record. He was cleared of any charges involving the improper use of a City-issued credit card. He has defended his insistence on being involved in emergency management training and preparedness.

He maintains he has run an honest and open office.

“We have had six strait clean audits as well as closed many fiscal loopholes, which has increased accountability,” he said.

Still, Hildreth has had his detractors. After eight years, they want a new person in office.

While Hildreth is glad the election has past, he finds the waiting game difficult and frustrating. The campaign was his toughest to endure.

“I’ve moved forward with other stuff,” he said. “I’ve got the budget to get out. I’ve got all these other things I’m working on.”

Hildreth is willing to wait and accept the outcome.

“I put this in God’s hands back in September,” he said.