Voters decisively chose a seasoned insider over a Whidbey General Hospital critic.

Initial election results show incumbent Georgia Gardner leading the race for a seat on the hospital board with nearly 60 percent of the vote over critic Rob Born, who pulled in 40 percent.

When the results came in Tuesday night, Gardner was retrieving campaign signs and planned a run to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard.

“I didn’t have any idea how it was going to go,” she said. “I had tremendous support from all the people I talked to when I was bell ringing.”

The race for a seat on the board has been a contentious one with lively public debate and heated letters to the editor.

Born is a retired lawyer who runs a blog featuring investigative reports about the hospital. He’s a constant presence at hospital board meetings, where he films the board’s discussions and asks pointed questions. His digging didn’t win him friends on the board or on the hospital administration, but it did with people who criticized the hospital for not being transparent enough.

Gardner is a seasoned leader and a CPA who has brought financial expertise and business acumen to her role.

In the next term she hopes to reach out to more of the public, perhaps by finding a better time to meet so more people can attend. She’s focused on supporting officials as the hospital moves forward with a $50 million expansion now underway.

The other race for a seat on the hospital board was too close to call at press time. Incumbent Nancy Fey, a retired pharmacist, had the slight lead with just over 50 percent of the vote. Challenger Erika Carnahan, who has worked in medical offices, was close at her heels at 49 percent. Less than 150 votes separate the two. Carnahan said she’d like to be the voice of the people.

Tuesday night Carnahan said she was trying not to look at the early results.

“I figure it’s a long stretch,” she said. “If you don’t jump into something, you’ll never get anywhere.”