In the District 42 Washington state Senate race, Democratic candidate Michael Shepard led Republican candidate Erika Creydt with 56% of the vote in early returns Tuesday night. Creydt trailed with 44% of the vote.
The Whatcom County Auditor reported a turnout of 53% on election night, with 90,027 ballots received of 170,523 registered voters. The count was not final and the next update was expected Wednesday night.
In the minutes prior to election results being announced, Shepard said he felt confident.
He said that he and his team did everything they could on their campaign, including knocking on about 23,000 doors.
Shepard anticipated the results would be in his favor, as he heard from voters they’re frustrated with the current federal administration, which has negatively impacted affordability and a decline of Canadian visitors.
“We’re really a unique border county that most directly feels that economic impact,” Shepard said of fewer Canadians making the trip across the border.
He said that Blaine and Point Roberts are among the places feeling the biggest impact.
As the initial wave of results came in, Shepard celebrated along with other Whatcom County Democratic candidates on Tuesday night at a Democratic party at Hotel Leo in Bellingham.
State Reps. Joe Timmons, Alicia Rule and Alex Ramel— who all led as of Tuesday night — were among those celebrating.
Shepard wasn’t surprised. He said that the candidates worked hard on their campaigns, and, as the results come in across the country, it's clear that voters are frustrated.
“We’ve got to see this as a direct impact of federal administration policies that are hitting people really hard in every part of the country,” he said.
He said it was too early to call on Tuesday night, but he and his team would continue to monitor the results in the coming days.
Shepard said he’s also got other work to focus on, such as his role as a Port of Bellingham commissioner, and his educator position at Western Washington University.
With student office hours at 9 a.m. and a class top at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Shepard had plenty else to work on as the count continued.
Shepard’s mother, Gladys Shepard, was sending a text to family members in Puerto Rico to inform them that Miuchael was now a senator.
“I’m just so happy for him,” Gladys said. “He works so hard.”
Creydt did not immediately respond to phone calls on Tuesday night.
Prior to the election, both candidates said they were running with a focus on addressing affordability in Whatcom County.
Creydt, a clinical psychologist, said that in addition to an affordability crisis, there is a mental health crisis. The stress of paying the bills and making ends meet leads to Whatcom County residents living in fear.
Creydt currently serves as a Blaine School Board director.
Shepard, an anthropology instructor at Western Washington University, said that affordability and education would be his focus. He’ll support investments in all levels of education, as well as public safety, environmental sustainability and abortion rights.
Shepard has served as a Port of Bellingham commissioner for eight years.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here