It’s all but official — Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis has won a third term, John Partridge will beat incumbent City Councilman Gene Cerino and the Auburn School District’s capital improvements levy will pass.

In the latest King County Elections returns Wednesday, Lewis was receiving 59.65 percent of the vote to Councilwoman Virginia Haugen’s 39.81-percent share, 7,587 votes to 5,063. The numbers reflect ballots cast by 13,549 of Auburn’s 28,225 registered voters.

In the Pierce County area of Auburn, the results were more lopsided, with Lewis receiving 71.17 percent of the vote to Haugen’s 28.38 percent, 933 votes to 372.

The King County Canvassing Board will meet to certify the final election results on Nov. 24, and the results will be posted by noon that day.

Lewis was on vacation this week and unavailable for comment. Haugen issued a statement Tuesday congratulating Lewis and Councilman-elect Partridge, thanking her supporters and even expressing her appreciation for Cerino, who lost his seat to Partridge.

“I’d like to thank everyone in Auburn who voted for me for mayor,” Haugen wrote. “If you asked for a yard sign, if you waved a sign at a corner, if you donated money, or if you just reached out to shake my hand as we passed, your support has meant the world to me. The folks on Auburn Way South, my friends on A Street, the guys on the north end, and ‘the happy hour’ gang, those of you who walked in the parade and my friends on Main Street, wonderful, all of you. Thanks especially to my family for taking the ride.”

Haugen added that she would “continue to serve my friends and neighbors in Auburn on the City Council in a way that is effective and honest, and I look forward to working with my peers at City Hall for at least two more years.”

Partridge, Auburn’s former fire and police chaplain, was headed to certain victory on the shoulders of strong King County returns – 57 percent to Cerino’s 42.72 percent percent, 6,718 to 5,034 votes. In Pierce County, the results were much the same, 57.22 to 42.53 percent in favor of Partridge, or 666 votes to 495 votes.

“As I have watched the results come in, I have to say that I am humbled at the results and excited to serve,” Partridge said. “The citizens of Auburn have entrusted this responsibility to me, and I intend to take it very seriously. I told Gene before we started that I wanted to emulate the example of leadership that he brought to the City.”

Cerino thanked his supporters.

“I have really appreciated the years that the people of Auburn have chosen to put me in office,” said Cerino. “I am going to miss representing the people, but I am not unhappy that I won’t be there in these trying times. There are going to tremendous responsibilities that fall on the Council in the coming years.”

Cerino added that he won’t be idle. He said he has all but accepted a position on the Civil Service Commission, plans to become more active at the Auburn Senior Center and will increase his substitute teaching.

City Councilmembers Nancy Backus and Rich Wagner ran unopposed as did Auburn Municipal Court Judge Patrick Burns.

As of Wednesday morning, Proposition No. 1, the Auburn School District’s capital improvements levy, was cruising to victory by a 54.55 to 45.45 percent margin, 8,665 yes votes to 7,219 no in King County, and 63.81 percent to 36.19 percent, 848 yes to 481 no, in Pierce County. The combined total in both counties was 55.26 percent in favor of the levy. Only a simple majority plus one is needed to pass the measure.

“I think the average from first day to election certification day is a gain of about 3-percent positive votes, so I think this will end up around 56 or 57 percent,” Superintendent Kip Herren predicted on election night when the combined margins in both counties was 53.81 percent. “We’re very pleased. We’ve got about $12 million worth of work that we can do next year, so we’ll get busy on it.”

Approval of the $46.4 million capital levy will fund necessary repairs and essential improvements at 19 schools and six support facilities. The funds will be collected over six years.

In the race for Auburn School District Board of Directors Position 5, incumbent Lisa Connors was beating Clarissa Ruston, 52.57 percent to 46.98 percent in King County, 6,862 to 6,132 votes, and as of Wednesday morning 57.48 percent to 41.84 percent, 592 to 431 votes, in Pierce County. Connors beat Ruston two years ago and will win a full four-year term on the board.

School Board President Janice Nelson ran unopposed.