MARYSVILLE – A local campaign for state representative that turned negative last week could end up in court.

In the race for the 44th District, which represents a portion of Marysville, challenger Jeff Sax released information about 20-year-old sex and child abuse records against incumbent John Lovick.

Lovick beat Sax in the primary 57 percent to 43 percent. The general election is Nov. 6.

After numerous investigations, charges were never filed against Lovick. Last week, daughter Sabrina Lovick Combs denied her father harmed her and called on Sax to take down the site, called The Lovick Files (www.TheLovickFiles.com). Lovick, 67, has threatened to sue his Republican opponent for defamation, along with invasion of privacy regarding his daughter, if the records are not removed from the website.

Lovick is a Democratic member of the House, appointed in June 2016 to fill the spot vacated by Hans Dunshee. Lovick previously served in the House from 1999-2007, was Snohomish County sheriff and on the Snohomish County Council. From 2013-15, he was Snohomish County executive. Lovick lost to Dave Somers in the 2015 election.

Sax, 56, of Snohomish, is a land use consultant and former Snohomish County councilman. The accusations came out after an ugly divorce. Lovick’s ex-wife accused him of sexual misconduct toward their daughter. Lovick has provided statements from his daughter and son, Jeff, in which they recant the allegations.

In releasing the information, Sax said he came upon the reports while doing “opposition research.” He was looking for issues he disagreed on with Lovick. But when he found the documents: “I was sick to my stomach. No one has seen these files in 20 years because they have been hidden from the public…” He said he did not take lightly the release of the information. He knows he will face retribution.

“There is no doubt that Mr. Lovick will attack me viciously for making these files public, after he has kept four investigations into his alleged behavior with children a secret for so long,” Sax wrote.

He added he regrets the information “will undoubtedly bring up painful memories for the survivors of Lovick’s alleged abuse. It hurts me deeply that holding him accountable will remind them. That is why we have done everything we can to redact the names of victims in the documents to protect the privacy of survivors.”

In response, Lovick says in an email, “This is truly an example of politics at its worst.”

He also released statements from Jeff and Sabrina.

Jeff, himself a law enforcement officer, says, “The investigation of his father was conducted with all due care by the proper authorities and closed.”

He then criticized anyone who would release such information for political gain. “I say now that I unequivocally recant any statement I may have made against my father ​that you might find in any of those documents. These documents detail allegations, just that, never proven and without merit. “I know it never happened. I never believed any of it, and neither should anyone else. ​People should have the guts enough to be honest with themselves and consider the source of this information and why it has come to light now.”

In her six-page statement, Sabrina says her mother was behind the accusations.

“My biological mother never recovered from the divorce… She has determined that she is a victim and takes no responsibility for her life choices or actions.”

Sabrina continues: “As a child, I was unaware of most of these lies. But as a young adult, I was able to unravel all of them and obtain a clearer understanding of what happened during the years after the divorce.”

She said the accusations are false.

“When all the facts of my life are added up I am an accomplished individual despite what my mother did to try to manipulate, verbally abuse and neglect me and because of how my father who supported me.”

In an addendum, she added other information about a letter she wrote when she was 14 “being used by the Republican Party to further damage the reputation of my father. “…I will say, that anyone closely looking at the letter can see that my biological mother wrote it or inserted it after I signed it.” Among her final statements, Sabrina says: “The hardest part of this whole public record review is the requirement for me to relive some of the most-difficult days of my life. It’s upsetting to have people think my father did these disgusting things to me.”