Businessman Mitch Everton is in third place with 15 percent of the vote and City Council member Brian Geer is in fourth with just 8 percent.
The top two vote getters will move to the November general election. Only about 2,000 votes countywide remain uncounted. The final count is set to be done Thursday night.
Gere said, "I promise to continue to listen to the voters and focus on the issues of the people" in the campaign ahead. Gere said she was "overwhelmed and surprised...and so excited."
Maxwell has been mayor for 19 years.
In the only other local race on the primary ballot, Hospital Commissioner & School Board member Lynne Lang took the lead for the hospital board with 49 percent of the vote, with Warren Tessler in second place. with 35 percent. Bruce Flanagan has nine percent and Howard Pellett 8 percent.
The sales tax hike to support a new jail appears headed for a win, with 73 percent of the early vote.
By the numbers... with 24,153 voted counted out of 67,568 voters registered...
Mayor of Anacortes
Incumbent Dean Maxwell: 1,473 votes or 30 percent
Mitch Everton: 710 votes or 15 percent
Laurie Gere: 2,269 votes or 47 percent
Brian Geer: 402 votes or 8 percent
Hospital Commissioner, position 4
Bruce Flanagan: 446 votes or 8.5 percent
Incumbent Lynne Lang: 2,563 votes or 49 percent
Howard Pellett: 398 or 7.6 percent
Warren Tessler: 1,832 votes or 35 percent
Proposition 1, sales tax for a new Jail
Approved: 17,566 votes or more than 73 percent
Rejected: 6,448 votes or about 27 percent