The race to fill the Washington state Senate seat representing the 42nd Legislative District is shaping up as one of the most competitive and expensive contests in the state this election cycle. Four candidates, two Democrats, one Republican, and one unaffiliated contender, are vying for the seat being vacated by Sen. Sharon Shewmake, who announced in December 2025 that she would not seek re-election. The district covers north Bellingham and the northern and eastern portions of Whatcom County, an area that has historically swung between the two major parties and tends to attract significant outside money.

Who Is Running and What Do They Stand For

The four candidates bring distinctly different backgrounds and policy priorities to the race, though all four have identified housing affordability and the cost of living as central issues for Whatcom County residents.

On the Democratic side, Michael Shepard and Eamonn Collins are competing for the party's primary support. Shepard has raised approximately $84,000 and spent $65,000 so far, according to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Collins has brought in just under $70,000 and spent $42,000. Both candidates are positioning themselves as advocates for working families in north Bellingham and the rural communities stretching east toward the Cascade foothills.

Republican Erika Creydt leads all candidates in fundraising, having raised $169,000 with significant backing from the Senate Republican Campaign Committee and the Washington State Republican Party. She has already spent $185,000, which has helped push the 42nd District race into the position of third most expensive legislative contest in the state this cycle. Creydt is expected to focus on reducing government costs and regulatory burdens as part of her affordability platform.

Ryan Bowman is running as an unaffiliated candidate and has taken a sharply different approach to campaign finance. He has collected only $1,340 in in-kind contributions, intentionally eschewing the kind of fundraising that has defined the race for the other three candidates. Bowman's approach signals a rejection of the outside-money dynamics that have come to define the 42nd District in recent cycles.

The District's History as a Swing Seat

The 42nd District has one of the more volatile partisan histories in the state legislature. Republican Doug Ericksen of Ferndale held the seat from 2011 until his death in December 2021 after being hospitalized for COVID-19. His death prompted the appointment of Simon Sefzik, also a Republican, who then ran against Shewmake in the November 2022 general election and lost.

That 2022 race was notable for its cost: Shewmake and Sefzik together amassed roughly $3 million in campaign contributions and independent expenditures, an extraordinary sum for a state legislative race. The 2026 cycle is still in its early stages, but the trajectory of spending, particularly Creydt's early $185,000 outlay, suggests the final figures could approach or exceed the 2022 totals.

The district's geography explains much of the competitiveness. North Bellingham includes a mix of suburban neighborhoods and Western Washington University-adjacent precincts that tend to lean Democratic, while the northern and eastern county stretches, including agricultural communities near Lynden, Sumas, Everson, and Nooksack, have historically leaned Republican. Whoever wins must build a coalition across that geographic and political divide.

Affordability as the Central Issue

All four candidates have cited affordability as their top concern, a reflection of how acutely Whatcom County residents are feeling economic pressure. Bellingham's housing market has become increasingly expensive relative to local wages, and renters and would-be homebuyers across the county have struggled to keep pace with rising costs. The broader Washington state housing affordability debate, including ongoing discussions in Olympia about zoning reform, rent stabilization, and homebuilding incentives, provides the policy backdrop against which the 42nd District race is being fought.

The candidates differ, however, in their proposed solutions. Democratic candidates have generally aligned with state-level efforts to increase housing production and expand tenant protections. Creydt and the Republican approach tend to focus more on reducing the regulatory and tax environment that candidates argue adds cost to new construction. Bowman's independent positioning leaves his policy platform somewhat outside the traditional partisan framing.

For Whatcom County residents, the stakes extend beyond housing. The 42nd District senator will have a vote on state budget priorities, transportation funding, and the broader policy agenda that shapes how much money flows back to local governments, schools, and infrastructure in Bellingham and surrounding communities.

What Comes Next

Washington's August primary will narrow the field. Under the state's top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, advance to the November general election. With four candidates in the race, the primary results will be closely watched to see whether the general election shapes up as a Republican-versus-Democrat contest or whether the dynamics of the race take a more unusual form.

Campaign finance reports filed with the Public Disclosure Commission will continue to update through the primary, offering the most detailed picture of where money is coming from and how it is being spent. Voters in the 42nd District can find their polling and registration information through the Whatcom County Elections office. The August primary ballot will be mailed to registered voters in the weeks ahead.

For more on how other Whatcom County races are shaping up this election cycle, including the competitive Port of Bellingham commission contests, earlier coverage of the port races provides useful context on the broader local election landscape.