...in Pierce County.

If Pierce County is really the bellwether that some people have predicted, well, have fun analyzing this:

The Auditor's Office posted the final results from last month's primary and the numbers for the governor's race are really, really close.

Democrat Chris Gregoire received 72,388 votes, or 47.47 percent. Republican Dino Rossi received 72,258, or 47.38 percent.

The razor-thin margin might be one reason Gregoire keeps showing up here. She was scheduled to participate in a test of Puyallup's emergency communications system today.

Yesterday, her schedule included a stop at Bates Technical College's annual opening day get-together in Tacoma.

And she's due back in Tacoma for an appearance Saturday evening at the Music & Murals Festival at People's Park.

Statewide, Gregoire is still running about 2 percentage points ahead of Rossi at approximately 48 percent to 46 percent. Check out the numbers here.

The Secretary of State has until next Tuesday to certify the primary returns.

Bob Lawrence, a Republican national delegate from Washington's 6th Congressional District, said he is surprised by the coverage of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"It's not so much about her leadership skills or her knowledge but peripheral issues," Lawrence said by phone today from St. Paul where he is attending the Republican National Convention.

Lawrence said he watched a CNBC interview of Palin, before John McCain announced that she was his running mate, and came away impressed.

"She was articulate and knowledgeable about energy issues," he said.

Lawrence and the rest of the Washington delegation ate lunch today at Rossi's Steakhouse & Tavern in downtown Minneapolis.

Of course, Dino Rossi made a telephonic appearance. Bryan Bissell at PolitickerWA blogged about it here.

According to Bissell,

Rossi told the delegates that he wished he could be there, but was busy working for votes back in Washington state.

Besides, he said, "I am kind of hoping you guys are all voting for me already."

For those who may be interested, our sister paper in Anchorage has assembled several of its old articles on Gov. Palin in one location.

Check it out here.

Jane Milhans, an alternate delegate from Pierce County, said she's looking forward to hearing Palin speak tonight at the Republican National Convention.

Milhans echoed complaints that I've seen and heard from several media outlets.

"Listening to the media bash her, it seems inconsistent," Milhans said. "No one would ask Barack Obama if he could raise his kids and handle his job."

Deryl McCarty, the Pierce County Republican Party chairman and an alternate delegate, told me yesterday that John McCain's choice of a running mate energized people in Pierce County.

People who were luke-warm about McCain suddenly wanted to help out the campaign, he said.

"You wouldn't believe the number of calls I got," McCarty said.

"It's historic," McCarty added. "Our (the Republican party's) first woman. We needed one who showed she she could lead. And a Westerner is not a bad thing."

Jane Milhans, a Republican national alternate delegate from Pierce County, called me this morning to fill me in on what she's been doing and to offer a few observations from the convention in St. Paul.

I'll write up a summary of our conversation soon.

But first, this tidbit: Near the end of the call, I could hear noises in the background and Milhans saying, "Hey, you're in may way, buddy."

There was a little more rustling in the background, and then Milhans -- who was walking back to her hotel as we spoke -- told me what was going on. "A lady just attacked me with her banner," she said. "Or maybe it was a guy.

"The protesters have been pretty rude."