WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Results are rolling in for the midterm elections in the U.S. For Whatcom County, we’re seeing preliminary results in the state.

Current voter turnout is currently at 53% of all registered voters in Whatcom County. More ballots are expected to be counted as ballot boxes closed earlier Tuesday evening.

This is unofficial election results and subject to change as more ballots are accounted for.

U.S. House of Representatives race

Longtime incumbent Democrat Rick Larsen is enjoying a large lead over Republican challenger and newcomer Edwin Feller in the race for Congressional District 2 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Larsen has over two-thirds of the vote in early poll results.

If reelected, this will be Larsen’s 11th term in federal office.

40th, 42nd District preliminary returns

In early poll returns, Democrats are ahead in all races for the 40th and 42nd districts.

In the race for 42nd District senator, Port of Bellingham Commissioner Michael Shepard, Democrat, is ahead against Blaine School District Board member Erika Creydt, Republican. He leads by nearly 13% of the vote.

Michael Shepard hugs someone at the Whatcom Democrats election night party at the Hotel Leo in Bellingham. Photo by Jason Upton
Erika Creydt speaks to attendants at the Whatcom GOP elections night party at the Mount Baker Rotary Building in Lynden. Photo by Adam Rideout Redeker

Incumbent Alicia Rule, Democrat, is also leading by significant margins against Whatcom Republican party chair Misty Flowers for the state representative position 1 seat in the 42nd District. Rule has an over 17% margin over Flowers in early ballot returns.

Misty Flowers speaks to attendants at the Whatcom GOP election night party in the Mount Baker Rotary building. Photo by Adam Rideout Redeker
Alicia Rule speaks to attendants at the Whatcom Democrats election night party at the Hotel Leo in Bellingham. Photo by Jason Upton

Meanwhile, incumbent Democrat Joe Timmons has a nearly 13% lead over challenger Republican Justin Pike for the position 2 seat in the same district.

Joe Timmons stands on a chair at the Hotel Leo to speak to attendants on Election night 2026. Photo by Jason Upton
Justin Pike speaks to attendants at the Whatcom GOP election night party in the Mount Baker Rotary Building in Lynden. Photo by Adam Rideout Redeker

Incumbent Democrat Debra Lekanoff is sweeping the board in early results against Republican challenger Cindy Carter. Lekanoff currently holds the state representative position 1 seat for Washington’s 40th District.

Alex Ramel, Democrat, running for reelection in one of Washington’s 40th District house seats, is also sweeping against newcomer challenger Joseph Segault, who has no party preference.

Both Ramel and Lekanoff have over 70% leads on their opponents.

Local elections for courts, port and public utilities

Jesse Corkern, also a Democrat, is winning against Ryan Swinburnson, who has no party preference, for Whatcom County Prosecutor. Corkern currently has an over 15-point lead on Swinburnson.

The two races for the newly-created Port of Bellingham commission seats are showing early leads for Tor Benson and Chris Elder. Benson is facing off against Paul Burrill for the District 4 seat, while Elder is campaigning against Shawn Ensley for District 5.

Two of Whatcom County District Court judges up for election are both running unopposed this November. Angela Anderson and Jonathan Rands are moving along with limited write-in challenge.

Eddy Ury, incumbent for the Public Utility District Commissioner District 1 seat, is winning by an over 40-point margin against challenger Frank Imhof.

RESULTS: Unofficial results from Washington’s Secretary of State Office

Initiatives, local and state

Mixed results for three initiatives sponsored by the Let’s Go Washington political action committee following the first ballot count.

A measure that would repeal the so-called “millionaire’s tax” is being rejected by voters at roughly 58% to 42%. The tax passed by state lawmakers during this year’s legislative session would impose a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million.

Voters are also rejecting by roughly five percentage points an initiative aimed at parents’ rights regarding their children in public schools. Initiative 001 would restore language of an earlier initiative to the legislature that lawmakers later amended.

A third initiative that would ban transgender girls from playing on girls’ school sports teams is passing at this point. It’s supported by almost 57% of voters in this early count.

At the local level, 86% of voters are in support of a proposition to authorize the City of Bellingham’s Salary Commission to set the mayor’s salary.

A proposition to streamline the city’s contract review process by allowing electronic signatures is also leaning toward approval with 80% ‘yes’ votes.

The city’s proposition to ban algorithmic price fixing in the rental market has also received overwhelming support from voters.

Meanwhile, Lynden’s public safety levy lid lift is on track to fail, with nearly two-thirds of voters rejecting the proposition in preliminary results.

Fire District 1’s levy lid lift is also seeing a rejection, though significantly more narrow than in Lynden with roughly 3 percentage points separating the two sides.