A strong showing in Clark County propelled incumbent Steve Madsen to a narrow victory over Patricia Stepp in the race for a Woodland School Board position, pending a hand recount that will take place Monday.

A final tally of votes in Cowlitz and Clark counties had Madsen winning by eight votes — 1,157 to 1,149. That’s a 0 .34 percent difference, triggering Monday’s automatic recount, a Cowlitz County Elections Supervisor Carolyn Myers said Tuesday. State law mandates automatic recounts when the difference is 0.5 percent of less.

The Woodland School District falls within both Cowlitz and Clark counties. Stepp, who pledged to oppose any future efforts to close the Yale Elementary School, won the Cowlitz County vote with 1,017 votes to Madsen’s 996. However, Madsen prevailed in Clark County, receiving 161 votes to Stepp’s 132.