Ongoing ballot counts are proving it was a rough year for incumbents on the Mount Vernon, Burlington, La Conner and Sedro-Woolley city councils.

Political newcomers are toppling sitting council members in all but two of those cities’ contested council races.

There also seemed to be an anti-incumbent mood among voters in the Burlington-Edison School District, where a district land purchase has drawn criticism. The only contested school board race there put Burlington Cafe owner Bradley Whaley well ahead of sitting Board Member Dick Spink in the latest tally.

While the Whaley-Spink spread was large, 66 percent for Whaley and 34 percent for Spink on Friday, a number of races remained too close to call on election night and through much of the week. The latest vote count in the race for Concrete School Board has challenger Bill Thompson leading incumbent Lucille Claybo by 41 votes.

The remaining uncertainty is a side effect of Washington’s vote-by-mail process, which requires voters only to have their ballots postmarked by election day. Secretary of State Sam Reed has said his office gets complaints from those who expect election results on election day and that he wants state law to be changed to require ballots be received by election day.

At least for now though, candidates across the county are still watching results filter in.

Sedro-Woolley City Council: Sandstrom-London

With almost 1,900 votes counted, Planning Commissioner Brett Sandstrom appears to have won his challenge against at-large Councilman Dennis London, who supported a plan to build a private recycling and solid-waste transfer station near Sedro-Woolley High School. That project was ultimately scrapped in the face of overwhelming public disapproval.

“I am not really totally settled in on why,” London said of his apparent loss Friday. “I know that recycle was part of it.”

London said he supported Deluxe Recycling and Disposal’s plan to build a new facility in town because it would mean more jobs for Sedro-Woolley.

“We need jobs in this town. We cannot continue to be a bedroom community,” London said, adding the city needs someone fighting for that. “I don’t think Brett is that person,” he said.

London also guessed that roadwork, which hindered traffic flow through much of the city this summer and fall also, could have soured residents views of the sitting council.

Sandstrom couldn’t be reached for comment.

Burlington City Council: Sexton-Doyle

There has been no concession yet, but Planning Commissioner Steve Sexton is holding onto a slim lead over incumbent Councilwoman Helen Doyle.

Sexton challenged Doyle in 2005. In that race, the three-term councilwoman held onto her Ward 6 seat handily, getting 61 percent of the vote. The candidates moved to the at-large race this time around, and fortunes appear to have changed.

“Helen has obviously got a long history and a solid base of support in this town,” Sexton said. “I expected a close race, and that is why I worked hard.”

Sexton said he had more eye-catching signs this election and knocked on more than 850 doors and mailed 200 postcards.

Doyle said she did not want to comment on the results, except to say that she would not concede for now.

Though the race is still in Sexton’s favor, Doyle had narrowed the gap by three percentage after Friday’s vote count.

Mount Vernon City Council

Post-election day ballot counts have turned Tuesday’s leaders into clear winners.

Incumbent Ward 1 Councilwoman Kathy Combs is still 20 percentage points shy of political newcomer Kenneth Quam, the owner of Burlington-based Ken’s Radiator.

In Ward 2, challenger Gary Molenaar also toppled an incumbent. Molenaar, a Planning Commissioner and owner of Ken’s Hairstyling, got 77 percent of the vote to longtime councilman John Cheney’s 23 percent.

Only at-large Councilman Dale Ragan bucked the anti-incumbent trend. He was beating Doris Brevoort, a Seattle Public Schools teacher, by a clear 24-point margin Friday.

La Conner Town Council

In the tiny town of La Conner, margins remained small leaving uncertainty even as the week went on.

The closest race is for Town Council position 4, the seat vacated by retiring Councilman Dan O’Donnell.

Outgoing Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Tracey was ahead by 4 percentage points Friday over architect Mark Pederson, but that margin equated to just 16 votes.

“It is close enough that I am not saying anything yet,” Tracey, who is also a Planning Commissioner and owns Katy’s Inn, said Friday afternoon.

Tracey also said she was recovering well from a minor stroke, which she suffered last month.

Tracey said she doesn’t expect Pederson to concede until the last vote is counted.

Earlier in the week, Pederson said he opposed Tracey to give residents a choice.

“I just think there needs to be somebody on council looking out for the interest of people who see La Conner as their home,” he said, referencing Tracey’s ties to the Chamber.

Councilman Jacques Brunisholz, who was appointed to Postion 1 last year, faced a strong fight from write-in candidate Chris Nessen. But Brunisholz, a La Conner High School teacher, seemed safe Friday with a 46-vote lead over Nessen, a handyman and Planning Comissioner.

Incumbent Postion 4 Councilwoman Marilyn Johnson said Wednesay she was suprised by her blow-out loss to Rexville Grocery owner Stuart Welch. He now leads that race with 242 votes to Johnson’s 143.

Concrete School Board

In the race for Position 4 on the Concrete School Board, Bill Thompson extended his lead over long-time incumbent Lucille Claybo to 41 votes after a see-saw count over the past few days. Thompson now has 588 votes to Claybo’s 547.

• Elliott Wilson can be reached at 360-416-2147 or at .