The Bellingham Business Journal

The unofficial results are in for the 2009 elections and most Bellingham races are pretty tight.

With 37,550 ballots counted so far, it looks like voters will narrowly approve R-71, the domestic partnership law, and reject Initiative 1033, the Tim Eyman initiative that would have capped government revenue growth at 3 percent annually with the remaining dollars going to lower property taxes. Approval of R-71 is leading with 54.24 percent and the rejection of I-1033 is leading with 55.12 percent.

In the Port of Bellingham Commission District 1 race, 18-year incumbent Scott Walker (52.2 percent) is just ahead of community activist John Blethen (47.79 percent).

As for the District 2 port race, Lettered Streets activist Mike McAuley is leading incumbent Doug Smith. At the last update, McAuley had 54.81 percent to Smith’s 45.19 percent.

In the County Council At-Large race, Bill Knutzen is leading with 52.17 percent over Laurie Caskey-Schreiber, who has 47.83 percent.

In the City Council Ward 6 race, Mike Lilliquist has a lead on Catherine Chambers, who trails with 43.58 percent of the vote to Lilliquist’s 56.42 percent.

As for City Council At-Large position, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Web site, Seth Fleetwood has earned 9,129 votes. However, the write-in votes for Orphalee Smith, who mounted a substantial write-in campaign, will not be assessed until later.

Official race results will be posted on the Whatcom County Auditor’s Web site today at 5 p.m.