BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Updated Whatcom County election results narrowed the race for second place in the 42nd Legislative District state Senate primary to just 237 votes Wednesday.
Republican Erika Creydt remained firmly in first place with 17,537 votes, or 44.50%. However, Democrats Michael Alvarez Shepard and Eamonn Collins were nearly tied for the second general election position.
Alvarez Shepard held second with 10,563 votes, or 26.80%. Collins followed with 10,326 votes, or 26.20%.
Collins trailed by 762 votes Tuesday night. Therefore, he cut 525 votes from Alvarez Shepard’s advantage as Whatcom County added more than 15,000 ballots to its reported turnout Wednesday.
Ryan Bowman, who states no party preference, received 957 votes, or 2.43%.
Although Creydt leads every individual candidate, Alvarez Shepard and Collins combined for 53% of the vote. That split allowed Creydt to finish first, but it also suggests an uphill general election campaign if Democratic voters consolidate behind the candidate who advances.
Primary results cannot predict the general election with certainty. Turnout will change, voters may cross party lines and candidates must build new coalitions. Still, the combined vote offers a clearer picture of the political terrain than each candidate’s percentage alone.
Whatcom County continues to describe the count as “unofficial results.” The county reported approximately 11,000 ballots remaining Wednesday evening, with its next update expected at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Turnout Climbs to 34%
Whatcom County reported 58,077 ballots cast by 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, raising turnout from 25% Tuesday night to 34%.
The initial count included 42,746 ballots. Consequently, Wednesday’s update added 15,331 ballots to the reported turnout.
The additional votes significantly tightened the Democratic battle for the second Senate position. However, they did not change the candidates holding the top two positions in the other major county races.
The Whatcom County Canvassing Board plans to certify the primary election Aug. 18.
What Would Trigger a Recount?
Washington’s top-two primary system makes the boundary between second and third place more important than the margin between first and second.
Creydt and the second-place finisher would both advance to November. Therefore, a narrow margin between them would not trigger a mandatory recount because it would not change which candidates qualify.
However, the contest between Alvarez Shepard and Collins determines who receives the second general election position.
Washington law requires a machine recount when the certified difference between the candidate who apparently qualifies and the closest defeated candidate meets both of these conditions:
- The margin is fewer than 2,000 votes
- The margin is less than 0.5% of the combined votes cast for those two candidates
A mandatory hand recount of a legislative or local race requires both a margin of fewer than 150 votes and less than 0.25% of the two candidates’ combined vote. The 1,000-vote hand-recount threshold applies to statewide races.
Wednesday’s 237-vote margin represents approximately 1.13% of the combined Alvarez Shepard and Collins vote. Therefore, the contest did not meet Washington’s mandatory recount threshold as of Wednesday evening, despite the small numerical difference.
The recount test applies to the certified result rather than an unfinished count. Approximately 11,000 Whatcom County ballots remained, while properly postmarked ballots could continue arriving after Election Day. Election workers must also resolve eligible signature challenges before certification.
Consequently, the margin could move considerably before certification. Washington law establishes the mandatory recount requirements.
Swinburnson Leads Race for Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney
Ryan Swinburnson continued to lead the four-candidate race for Whatcom County prosecuting attorney.
Swinburnson, who states no party preference, received 21,307 votes, or 38.08%. Democrat Jesse Corkern remained second with 12,248 votes, or 21.89%.
However, Dona Bracke moved within 659 votes of Corkern. Bracke received 11,589 votes, or 20.71%, while Erik Sigmar received 10,723 votes, or 19.17%.
“Ballots are still being counted, but it is clear that people want a better, safer county,” Swinburnson said. “That takes real work and leadership.”
Swinburnson thanked his family, friends, donors, volunteers and voters before turning his attention toward the general election.
“There is a lot more work to be done before November,” Swinburnson said. “This job is far from over.”
Corkern, Bracke and Sigmar combined for 61.77% of the vote. Consequently, Swinburnson’s commanding individual lead does not necessarily translate into an easy general election.
If Swinburnson advances against one of the three Democrats, he will need to attract voters who supported candidates eliminated in the primary. The Democratic finalist will face the same challenge because party preference alone does not guarantee those votes will transfer.
Meanwhile, Corkern urged voters to verify that election officials accepted their ballots.
“Please go to VoteWA.gov and check to see if yours is one of the ‘unaccepted’ ballots,” Corkern said. “If there is a problem, you will be given instructions on how to cure the problem.”
Corkern reported 2,796 received but unaccepted ballots when he published the message. That number can change as election workers verify signatures and process additional ballots.
Larsen Builds Whatcom County Lead
Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen expanded his lead over Republican Edwin Feller within Whatcom County.
Larsen received 21,351 votes, or 37.26%, while Feller received 20,211 votes, or 35.27%. Larsen’s local advantage grew from 547 votes Tuesday night to 1,140 votes Wednesday.
Democrats Tomas Scheel and Devin Hermanson received another 9,472 and 6,230 votes, respectively. Combined, the three Democratic candidates captured 64.66% of the Whatcom County vote. Feller remained the only Republican in the race.
Combined results from Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties also placed Larsen first and Feller second.
Larsen held approximately 45% of the districtwide vote, while Feller had about 33%. Scheel and Hermanson divided another 22% between them.
Altogether, Democratic candidates captured roughly two-thirds of the 2nd Congressional District vote. That result creates a steep general election climb for Feller, even though he will benefit from becoming the only Republican remaining on the November ballot.
Rule and Timmons Increase Their Leads
Democratic state Rep. Alicia Rule increased her advantage over Republican Misty Flowers in the 42nd District Position 1 race.
Rule received 22,231 votes, or 56.29%, while Flowers received 17,185 votes, or 43.51%. Rule led by 5,046 votes Wednesday, up from 2,849 votes Tuesday night.
Flowers thanked her supporters while encouraging voters to confirm that election officials counted their ballots.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for me in the Whatcom County primary election!” Flowers said. “Check your ballot receipt at www.votewa.gov to ensure it was counted.”
In the Position 2 race, Democratic state Rep. Joe Timmons received 21,392 votes, or 54.07%. Republican Justin Pike received 18,124 votes, or 45.81%.
Timmons led Pike by 3,268 votes after holding a 1,544-vote advantage in the initial count.
“Thank you, Whatcom County! Ballots are still being processed but we’re looking forward to moving onto November and continuing to build on the amazing momentum that got us here!” Timmons said. “We couldn’t have done it without the fantastic support of neighbors, friends, and family.”
Pike also framed the primary as the beginning of his general election campaign.
“Last night wasn’t the finish line,” Pike said. “It was the beginning of the next chapter.”
Pike said the results encouraged him and indicated that his campaign message had connected with voters across the district.
“Over the next three months, I’ll continue showing up, listening, and working hard to earn every vote,” Pike said. “This campaign has always been about people, not politics, and about putting the 42nd District first.”
Because both House races feature only two candidates, the primary serves as an early measure of their general election strength. Flowers and Pike face uphill campaigns, although their deficits remain smaller than those confronting Republican candidates in the neighboring 40th District.
Lekanoff and Ramel Dominate Districtwide
Democratic incumbents Debra Lekanoff and Alex Ramel maintained commanding districtwide leads in both 40th Legislative District House races.
Combined results from Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties gave Lekanoff more than 72% of the Position 1 vote. Republican Cindy Carter received nearly 28%.
Both candidates will advance to November because they were the only candidates in the race. However, the primary result leaves Carter facing a substantial deficit heading into the general election.
Meanwhile, Ramel received more than 68% of the districtwide vote in the four-candidate Position 2 primary.
Joseph Segault, who states no party preference, held second with approximately 13%. Independents Salomon Rodrigue Mbouombouo and Monte Jay Mahan divided most of the remaining vote.
The complete districtwide numbers matter because Whatcom County alone gave Lekanoff 79% and Ramel nearly 74%. Their margins narrowed after adding Skagit and San Juan county votes, but both incumbents still entered the general election with overwhelming advantages.
Burrill and Elder Maintain Port Leads
Paul Burrill remained first in the Port of Bellingham Commissioner District 4 primary with 3,219 votes, or 30.28%.
Tor Benson held second with 2,582 votes, or 24.29%. Samantha Cruz-Mendoza remained within striking distance with 2,083 votes, or 19.59%.
Benson led Cruz-Mendoza by 499 votes for the second general election position.
In District 5, Chris Elder strengthened his lead with 4,342 votes, or 41.41%. Shawn Ensley held second with 2,241 votes, or 21.37%.
Todd Lagestee remained third with 1,868 votes, or 17.82%, leaving him 373 votes behind Ensley.
Both port races remain unsettled because thousands of ballots still await processing.
Whatcom Voters Shift Supreme Court Contests
Colleen Melody increased her Whatcom County lead in the state Supreme Court Position 1 race. Melody received 30,518 votes, or 55.66%.
David Stevens narrowly led the local Position 3 count with 19,626 votes, or 35.95%. Jaime Michelle Hawk followed with 19,259 votes, or 35.28%, leaving just 367 votes between them in Whatcom County.
Theo Angelis moved ahead in the county’s Position 5 count with 20,362 votes, or 37.33%. Dave Larson, who led Tuesday night, dropped to second with 18,660 votes, or 34.21%.
Justice Debra L. Stephens continued to lead Position 7 locally with 28,037 votes, or 51.92%.
However, these figures represent Whatcom County votes only. Combined statewide totals from all 39 counties determine which two candidates advance in each Supreme Court contest.
Fire Levy Results Hold Steady
Whatcom County Fire Protection District 1’s property tax levy lid lift remained behind Wednesday. The measure received 1,254 approval votes, or 47.52%, compared with 1,385 rejection votes, or 52.48%.
Glacier Fire and Rescue’s levy continued to pass comfortably with 89 yes votes, or 68.99%. Forty voters opposed the measure.
Fire Protection District 21’s levy held a narrower lead. The proposal received 4,801 yes votes, or 52.38%, compared with 4,365 no votes, or 47.62%.
No votes appeared in the Whatcom County column for Hospital District 304 Proposition 1 because that measure requires a combined multicounty total.
When Will More Results Arrive?
Whatcom County expected to publish its next results update at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Washington allows election officials to accept mailed ballots that arrive after Election Day when they carry a valid postmark dated no later than Aug. 4. Election workers will also continue reviewing signatures and contacting voters whose ballots require correction.
The Whatcom County Canvassing Board will review challenged ballots Aug. 17. The board plans to certify the county’s results at 10 a.m. Aug. 18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Republican Erika Creydt leads with 17,537 votes, or 44.50%. Michael Alvarez Shepard holds second place, while Eamonn Collins trails him by 237 votes.
Collins trailed Alvarez Shepard by 762 votes Tuesday night. After Wednesday’s count, that difference fell to 237 votes.
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