A four-vote gap between two Democratic candidates in the race for Legislative District 42 State Senator has triggered a mandatory hand recount in Whatcom County. The recount is scheduled to begin Tuesday, August 25 at 8:00 a.m. at the Election Center inside the Whatcom County Courthouse at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham, and the public is welcome to observe.
With certification of the August 4 primary now complete, Michael Alvarez Shepard received 13,125 votes and Eamonn Collins received 13,121, a margin of just four votes out of more than 50,000 cast in the race. Under Washington State law, when the vote difference between candidates falls below 150 votes and below one-quarter of one percent of total ballots cast, a mandatory recount is required. This race meets both thresholds, triggering the process automatically at the request of the Washington Secretary of State.
How the Recount Will Work
The Whatcom County Canvassing Board has directed the elections staff of the County Auditor's Office to conduct a hand recount under RCW 29A.64.021 and WAC 434-264-110. In a hand recount, election workers physically sort and count paper ballots by hand rather than running them through tabulation machines, providing an independent check on the original results.
Space will be available for up to 10 observers at one time on a rotating basis, as required under Washington Administrative Code. Any member of the public who wants to watch the process in action is welcome to attend at the Election Center in Suite B3 of the courthouse. The results will be certified by the Canvassing Board at the conclusion of the recount, and the certification date and time will be posted to the Whatcom County Auditor's elections page at whatcomcounty.us/Elections.
The recount is the only one triggered by Whatcom County's August 4 primary. Voter turnout for the primary came in around 43 percent, about five percentage points below the 2022 primary.
The Candidates and What Is at Stake
Shepard and Collins are both Democrats running for the open state Senate seat in the 42nd Legislative District, which covers a large portion of Whatcom County including portions of Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, and surrounding communities. The third candidate in the primary, Ryan Bowman, received 1,248 votes. Republican Erika Creydt led the field with 22,125 votes and has already secured a spot on the November general election ballot.
The winner between Shepard and Collins will join Creydt on the general election ballot for the November 3 contest. The 42nd District seat is considered competitive, and the outcome of both the recount and the general election will shape the balance of power in the Washington State Senate, where Democrats have held a majority in recent years.
Both candidates acknowledged the situation in a joint video posted to social media following certification. "If anyone ever tells you your vote doesn't matter, think differently because we know it does," Shepard said. Collins added that whichever candidate advances to November, both are committed to supporting Democrats in the district. The tone was notably collegial, with both men saying they would be knocking on doors together regardless of the outcome.
Full Certified Results From the August Primary
The certified totals from the Whatcom County Auditor's Office are as follows: Erika Creydt, 22,125; Michael Alvarez Shepard, 13,125; Eamonn Collins, 13,121; Ryan Bowman, 1,248; write-ins, 35. Overvotes numbered 15 and undervotes totaled 782, for a race total of 50,451 ballots counted.
The slim margin between Shepard and Collins underscores how consequential every individual vote can be in a primary with tens of thousands of participants. Four votes out of more than 26,000 cast for the two leading Democrats is a margin of roughly 0.015 percent, well inside the threshold that requires the state to take another careful look at every ballot.
What Happens Next
The hand recount begins August 25 at the Whatcom County Courthouse and will run until all ballots have been reviewed. Once the Canvassing Board certifies the results, the winner advances to the November 3 general election. Whatcom County voters interested in watching the process are encouraged to plan ahead, as the 10-observer limit means space may fill quickly if interest is high.
For questions about the recount or to find out when the certification will be held, contact the Whatcom County Auditor's Office, Elections Division, by phone at 360-778-5102, by email at elections@whatcomcounty.us, or in person at 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 103, in Bellingham. More background on the primary results is available through our earlier coverage of the 42nd District race.
