Deborra Garrett will be the newest judge in Whatcom County Superior Court, owing to strong support from Bellingham voters.

Garrett, 61, is the first woman elected to the Superior Court bench in the county. She replaces Steven Mura, who is retiring after 20 years.

She was leading David Grant 53 percent to 47 percent after Wednesday's vote count. With nearly 9,000 more votes counted Wednesday, Grant didn't make a significant dent in Garrett's lead.

Grant had the advantage in the unincorporated county and the small cities, but Garrett won Bellingham by a 2-to-1 margin.

The nonpartisan race had a partisan flavor, as the local Republican Party endorsed Grant, a district court judge and former county deputy prosecutor. The Whatcom County Democrats endorsed Garrett, who works for a private law firm.

Reach RALPH SCHWARTZ at ralph.schwartz@bellinghamherald.com or call 360-715-2289. Read the Politics Blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/politics.