About 70 people crowded into Kay Smith-Blum’s Capitol Hill home tonight, celebrating the clothing-store owner’s apparent victory over incumbent Mary Bass for the District 5 seat on the Seattle School Board.

Smith-Blum had received the most votes in the August primary, outpolling Bass and two other candidates, but said she was nonetheless stunned by results showing her with 64 percent of the early vote.

“We thought it would be a real tight race,” she said. “I’m just really hopeful that what this means is that people were listening and what I was talking about was really resonating – that what we need is tremendous change in the school system.”

Bass, her opponent, had been seeking her third four-year team for the District 5 seat, which represents the Central Area, Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle.

But Smith-Blum ran an energetic campaign, tossing out a bevy of proposals ranging from extended school days and citizenship courses to expanded arts, drama and music.

She said her non-traditional “green” campaign, conducted via Facebook and other Web avenues, proved that yard signs and citywide mailers aren’t necessary to win.

“We did eco-posters with Clear Channel that cost maybe a third of what citywide mailers cost,” she said. “… I think what we proved is that you can get the ear of the public with a grassroots effort, by showing up where you need to show and using new technology to reach out in a non-traditional way.”

In the other contested school-board race, Southeast Seattle community leader Betty Patu had an overwhelming lead over scientist Wilson Chin, with 68 percent of the early vote. The winner will replace Cheryl Chow, who didn’t seek re-election.