By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald

When the first election returns rolled in Tuesday at about 8:30 p.m. the numbers showed a change was coming on the City Council with Dan Decker running ahead of the 14-year incumbent Phil DeLeo in the Ward 5 race.

The numbers on the Pierce County Auditor's Web site as of 10 p.m. Tuesday had Decker leading with 147 votes, about 59 percent and Phil DeLeo with 100 votes, 40 percent.

The next update on the auditor's Web site will be 4:30 p.m. today (Wednesday).

Laurie Carter will also be joining the City Council taking the Ward 3 seat. Carter has 284 votes, 89 percent and the write-in candidate, Lynda Dabson picked up 34 votes, about 11 percent.

Mark Hamilton appears to have won the at-large No. 2 seat for a second term with 841 votes, nearly 62 percent. The challenger Tom Watson picked up 507 votes, 37 percent.

Jim Rackley was unopposed for the Ward 2 seat. He picked up 204 votes and 94 percent.

In the race for Fire District 22 Commissioner No. 1, Raymond R. Bunk, III was losing to Roger E. Coleman, Jr.

Bunk had 1,735 votes, about 42 percent and Coleman 2,363, 57 percent.

Coleman resigned Oct. 8 following his guilty plea to misdemeanor drug charges in King County Superior Court.

Bunk was appointed by the East Pierce Fire and Rescue's District 22 fire commission board to complete Coleman's term.

Bunk won the Aug. 21 primary and had hoped to win the general election to avoid a legal fight concerning another election.

If Coleman is declared the winner, Bunk will serve a two-year appointed term. After the two-year term, the commission may have to schedule another election.

In statewide issues, Proposition No. 1 was losing, a road and Sound transit measure. The regional transportation measure was losing by about 56 percent to 44 percent across the state and the Sound transit side was losing by nearly 56 percent.

The simple majority for school district taxes was losing by about 52 percent to 48 percent.

The election will be certified Nov. 27.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com or 360-802-8209.