With more ballots counted, these are Whatcom County election results Wednesday

Whatcom County Democrats held their leads in races for the 42nd Legislative District House and Senate, as they neared a historic shift in a traditionally conservative region after a second round of ballot totals were released Wednesday evening, Nov. 9.

Races in the 42nd District, which includes much of downtown Bellingham, the city’s northern neighborhoods, and the rest of northern and eastern Whatcom County, were closely watched in the midterm election.

Republicans were seeking to reclaim the House seats and keep the Senate in a traditionally red district that has trended more blue in recent election cycles.

In the 42nd’s Senate race, state Rep. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, was still leading state Sen. Simon Sefzik, R-Ferndale, by 51% to 49%, but Sefzik had gained a few hundred votes.

But both Sefzik and Shewmake told The Bellingham Herald that the race was still too close to declare a winner.

“Returns still look good! All the voters deserve to be heard of course,” Shewmake said in a text message.

Sefzik said that recent local voter trends have proven difficult to read.

“We narrowed it a little bit. You never know what’s going to happen with those later returns,” he said.

Ballots were taking longer to count in the general election because of a crush of last-minute voters and the lingering effects of last week’s windstorm, which knocked out power and damaged fiber-optic lines that are crucial to the ballot-verification process, Whatcom County Auditor Diana Bradrick said.

Results released about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday include ballots from official drop boxes Tuesday night and those that arrived in the mail Wednesday.

Ballots that arrive Thursday, Nov. 10, and later will be counted if they were postmarked by 8 p.m, Tuesday. Nov. 8.

Another release of ballot totals was scheduled for about 5 p.m. Thursday, and the Auditor’s Office website said that there were 23,200 ballots yet to count.

Election turnout

Some 106,324 ballots had been returned through 5 p.m. Wednesday in Whatcom County for a turnout rate of 66%, according to the Washington Secretary of State’s Office and the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office websites.

Statewide turnout was 56%.

Whatcom County had 157,634 active registered voters, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office.

On the ballot in Whatcom County were races for U.S. Congress and the state Legislature, secretary of state, state Supreme Court, and statewide advisory measures, two local tax initiatives, District Court judges and other local positions and measures.

U.S. House and Senate

Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray defeated her Republican challenger Tiffany Smiley, 57% to 43% in statewide results to earn a sixth 6-year term.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen defeated his Republican challenger Dan Matthews, 61% to 38% in the 2nd Congressional District. After new maps were recently drawn, the district now includes all of Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties and the western part of Snohomish County.

Larsen thanked his supporters in an emailed statement Wednesday, Nov. 9.

“Because of you, I will have the opportunity to continue protecting and building upon the successes of the current Congress: to lower prescription drug costs for seniors and deliver lower copays for seniors using insulin; to protect Social Security and Medicare; to fund law enforcement and expect accountability; to fight climate change; and to ensure the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps us build a cleaner and greener transportation system for everyone,” Larsen said.

40th Legislative District

Only the two House members were on the ballot in the 40th Legislative District, which includes the southern half of Bellingham and the rest of southwestern Whatcom County, the western part of Skagit County and all of San Juan County. House seats have two-year terms.

▪ In the House position 1 race, state Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, defeated Shannon Perkes, a Republican from Skagit County, by 72% to 28%.

▪ In the position 2 race, state Rep. Alex Ramel defeated union official Trevor Smith by 76% to 21%. Both are Democrats from Bellingham.

Ramel declared victory in an emailed statement Tuesday night.

42nd Legislative District

Both House seats and the Senate seat were on the ballot in the 42nd District.

▪ State Rep. Sharon Shewmake was leading state Sen. Simon Sefzik by 51% to 49% for the district’s state Senate seat with a four-year term.

▪ Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, was leading Republican challenger Tawsha Dykstra Thompson of Lynden by 52% to 48% for the House Position 1 seat, a two-year term.

▪ Bellingham Democrat Joe Timmons was leading Republican Dan Johnson of Laurel by 51% to 49% for the House Position 2 seat, a two-year term.

Child care tax

Prop. 5, a countywide property tax measure to fund child care, preschool and other programs and services for children and families, was failing by 49% to 51%, a slightly closer margin than on Election Night. It required a simple majority for approval.

EMS tax

Prop. 6, to renew an existing countywide property tax levy for emergency medical services, passed by 64% to 36%. It requires a simple majority for approval.

Prosecuting attorney

Prosecuting Attorney Eric Richey was unopposed. Richey had 96% of the vote.

District Court judge

District Court Judge Angela Anderson was unopposed for the Whatcom County District Court judge position 1 seat. Anderson had 98% of the vote.

Jonathan Rands defeated Gordon Jenkins by 62% to 37% for the Whatcom County District Court judge position 2 seat.

Public Utility District 1

Jaime Arnett was leading Eric Davidson for the Public Utility District No. 1 seat, 52% to 48%.