Primary leaves several races unsettled in Whidbey races

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Several races affecting Whidbey Island remained too close to call after the first ballot count in Tuesday night’s primary election.

It appears the levy lid lift for Sno-Isle Libraries will pass, with 56% of Snohomish County voters and nearly 58% of Island County voters supporting the measure.

The election will whittle the number of candidates in several county and legislative races to two, while races with only two candidates effectively serve as an early gauge of voter support.

In the hotly contested race for Island County sheriff, incumbent Rick Felici, an independent, has nearly 54% of the vote while Tavier Wasser, a Democrat, has just over 46%.

In the three-way contest for District 3 Island County commissioner, Republican candidate Matthew Van Pelt is likely to move to the general election while the two Democratic candidates are duking it out for the second spot in the Top Two primary.

Van Pelt has 2,351 votes, or about 44%, while Grant Shaw has 1,567 votes, or about 29.4%, and Satin Arnett has 1,418 votes, or about 26.6%.

Van Pelt is a North Whidbey resident while Shaw and Arnett live on Camano Island.

The four candidates for county clerk are in a relatively tight race, with Democrat Dierdre Butler leading with 5,123 votes, or about 33.7%, while Republican Maria Hazelo and Democrat Amber Sewell are just 101 votes apart.

Hazelo has 4,011 votes, or just over 26%, while Sewell has 3,910 ballots cast in her favor, or just under 26%.

The four-way contest for county auditor is a little more clear-cut. Incumbent Auditor Sheilah Crider, who’s running as an independent, is ahead with 6,219 votes, or about 41%, while Democrat Barbara Fuller is running in second with 4,287, or about 28%.

Andrea Downs, a Democrat, has 2,597 votes, or 17%, while Terry Lacey, who has no party preference, has 2,009 votes, or 13%.

t appears likely there are enough unresolved write-in votes for Freeland attorney Andrew Scott to qualify for the general election against Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks. Under state law, a write-in candidate must receive at least 1% of the total votes cast in the race to advance. So far, Banks has received 10,705 votes, while election officials have counted 1,014 unresolved write-in votes — far more than the roughly 117 votes needed to meet the 1% threshold. Election officials have not yet determined how many of the write-in votes were cast for Scott.

Island County Assessor Kelly Mauck, who is running without a party preference, trails Democratic challenger Doug Stults, who has 52% of the vote.

In Legislative District 10, the two Democratic incumbents are leading comfortably. Rep. Clyde Shavers has about 58% of the vote for Position 1. Rep. Dave Paul has nearly 59% in Position 2, while Republican Tim Hazelo has 22% and Republican Carrie Kennedy has 19%.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, also appears headed to the general election against Republican Edwin Feller of Lynden.