Several races change leaders on second day of Whatcom ballot counting
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu held a solid lead over business executive Dan Purdy in his bid for a second term, and John Scanlon remained well ahead of Hannah Ordos for the open County Council at-large seat in two of the more closely watched local elections.
Sidhu was leading Purdy by 58% to 42% for the top elected position in Whatcom County after the second round of ballot totals were released about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Scanlon was ahead of Ordos by 57% to 43% for the at-large seat, which could have changed the political makeup of the council.
“I think it’s a strong showing,” Scanlon told The Herald on Wednesday.
Auditor’s Office officials conduct elections but do not declare winners and losers, Auditor Diana Bradrick told The Bellingham Herald.
Tuesday’s election won’t be final until certification, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 28.
Nevertheless, both Sidhu’s and Scanlon’s races were being viewed as a win.
“Sidhu has decisively beat Purdy to win a second term as county executive,” the Whatcom Democrats said on Facebook.
All races in Tuesday’s off-year election were nonpartisan, but both Sidhu and Scanlon were supported by Democrats and Purdy and Ordos were supported by Republicans.
Other local races remained close, however, and the results might not be clear until Thursday. Many residents waited until Tuesday to vote, and long lines were reported at ballot return boxes.
In other contests:
▪ A ballot measure seeking a sales tax of 20 cents on a $100 purchase to fund a new jail and related services was leading by 64% to 36% after second ballot count and appears to have passed.
▪ Blaine Police Chief Donnell Tanksley pulled ahead of Undersheriff Doug Chadwick by 52% to 48% in the race for sheriff.
▪ County Council member Ben Elenbaas held his lead over Jackie Dexter by 61% to 39% for a second term in District 5, which includes Lummi Nation, Ferndale, Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts. Elenbaas appears to have won.
▪ County Council member Kathy Kershner was still trailing challenger Mark Stremler by 53% to 47% in District 4, which includes Lynden and rural Whatcom County south to Bellingham. Stremler appears to have won.
Bellingham races
▪ Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood was trailing challenger Kim Lund, former head of the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation, by 52% to 47% after a second day of counting.
Fleetwood led on Election Night by 140 votes.
▪ Jace Cotton was leading Russ Whidbee by 53% to 47% for the open Bellingham City Council at-large seat being vacated by Kristina Michele Martens,
Cotton led by 34 votes on Tuesday.
▪ Bellingham Councilman Dan Hammill was leading challenger Liz Darrow for the Ward 3 seat by 58% to 41%.
▪ Bellingham City Councilwoman Hannah Stone was leading challenger Eamon Collins for the Ward 1 seat by 60% to 40%.
▪ A pair of Bellingham ballot measures calling for a higher minimum wage and tenant protections against steep rent hikes also appeared to have won on Wednesday, with the minimum wage passing by 58% to 42%. and the renter protections passing by 61% to 39%.
Those initiatives were supported by a grassroots group called Community First Whatcom, whose spokesman is Cotton, the City Council candidate.
There were 159,767 active registered voters on Wednesday, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office website. A total of 81,497 ballots had been returned and 78,133 ballots were accepted.
Ballot totals released Tuesday include those that were processed by the 8 p.m. deadline, including ballots from official drop boxes and ones that arrived in the mail.
An estimated 8,881 ballots remained to be counted in the auditor’s Office on Wednesday night, the website said.
Voter turnout was 45%, according to the Auditor’s Office.
Another ballot total was due around 5 p.m. Thursday and that will include ballots that arrive in Thursday’s mail, providing that they were postmarked before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
