Democrats were leading in multiple swing-district races as Washington state Legislature election results rolled in Tuesday night, running ahead of Republicans on the Kitsap Peninsula, in Whatcom County, in King County and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, potential winners of the Nov. 8 election were emerging in Seattle for several Democrat versus Democrat state House contests.
More votes will be tallied in the coming days, with consequences for the balance of power in Olympia.
In the run-up to the election, Republicans sought to reduce or erase Democrats' 28-to-21 majority in the state Senate and 57-to-41 margin in the House by channeling discontent over inflation, crime and homelessness. Democrats vowed to protect abortion rights and strengthen social services, hoping that would drive turnout to defend or extend their majorities.
"Washington state looks particularly blue tonight," Washington State Democratic Party Chair Tina Podlodowski said Tuesday night at an election party in Bellevue.
If Tuesday night's results hold, Democrats would pick up a seat in the Senate and three additional House seats, a party spokesperson said.
In a phone interview, Washington State Republican Party Chair Caleb Heimlich said he believed a disproportionate number of GOP-voter ballots were still waiting to be tallied in several "close races" and could yield come-from-behind Republican wins. In the Aug. 2 primary election, "We saw Republicans vote late, so I'm anticipating the same," Heimlich said.
There are a lot of votes left to count, acknowledged state Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, who chairs the state Senate Democratic Campaign committee. But it's clear, he argued, "There was not a giant red wave in Washington."
In the 26th Legislative District, which includes Bremerton, Port Orchard and Gig Harbor, Democratic incumbent Sen. Emily Randall led Republican challenger Rep. Jesse Young with about 53% of the vote in their Senate race.
Randall and Young combined to spend more than $1.6 million but were eclipsed by political action committees, which independently poured in more than $2.8 million, making their race the most costly matchup among many juiced. PACs bankrolled by the parties and by interest groups reported $14 million in outside spending, sponsoring attack ads galore.
In Whatcom County, Democratic Rep. Sharon Shewmake was narrowly outpacing Republican incumbent Sen. Simon Sefzik with 51% in their 42nd Legislative District state Senate clash. Sefzik was appointed this year at age 21 after longtime Sen. Doug Ericksen suddenly died.
And in southern King County, Democrat Claudia Kauffman led Republican Bill Boyce with 53% as they vied for an open seat in the 47th Legislative District, which includes parts of Kent and Auburn and all of Covington.
Those battleground Senate matchups attracted extra attention because the electorates in 26th, 42nd and 47th districts are almost evenly split.
House races
Some state House races in purple districts were also closely watched.
In the 42nd District, which stretches from urban, blue Bellingham to rural, red Lynden, Democratic incumbent Alicia Rule led Republican Tawsha Thompson, a former police officer, as of Tuesday night. Rule had 52%.
Democrat Joe Timmons, a Gov. Jay Inslee staffer, led Republican businessman Dan Johnson with 52% in their open-seat race, which was shaken by reports Johnson had shared extreme social media posts, including a meme in 2020 comparing COVID-19 regulations to Nazi persecution.
In the 5th Legislative District, which encompasses eastern King County communities like Issaquah and Maple Valley, Democratic incumbent Lisa Callan held a 55% to 45% lead over Republican challenger Chad Magendanz.
And in the 10th Legislative District, which spans Whidbey and Camano islands and parts of Skagit and Snohomish counties, Democratic incumbent Dave Paul was ahead of Republican Karen Lesetmoe with 54%, and Republican incumbent Greg Gilday trailed Democratic challenger Clyde Shavers, who had 53%.
Election-denying Rep. Robert Sutherland trailed moderate Republican Sam Low, a Snohomish County Council member, for a GOP seat in the 39th Legislative District, which sprawls through Snohomish and Skagit counties. Low had 55%.
At the same time, multiple House races in Seattle where there were no incumbents pitted Democrats against Democrats, leading to big-city debates over housing density and renters' rights, among other issues.
In South Seattle's 37th Legislative District, community advocate Emijah Smith trailed Microsoft program manager Chipalo Street, 54% to 44%. In Northeast Seattle's 46th Legislative District, disability rights advocate Darya Farivar led doctor Lelach Rave with 56%.
And in the 36th Legislative District, which includes Ballard, Queen Anne and Magnolia, consultant Julia Reed had a commanding 74% in her contest with administrative law judge Jeff Manson.
Big picture
Democrats, who have held the Washington governor's mansion for nearly four decades, have used their legislative majorities in recent years to pass measures like a tax on capital gains, a sales tax credit for lower-income households and a cap on greenhouse gas emissions.
Heading into the election, some Democratic candidates said they would pursue a state constitutional amendment for abortion rights and a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons.
Striving to win some control in the Legislature or at least gain ground, GOP candidates told voters they wanted to repeal or scale back some of the recent taxes and regulations that Democrats have pushed through, including limits on police that were adopted in the wake of 2020's racial justice protests.
Republican hopes for voter backlash against high gas prices and President Joe Biden were somewhat blunted this summer by concerns about the U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down abortion protections, and by the results of the Aug. 2 primary election, which were disappointing for the GOP.
But in races across the state this fall, Republicans called abortion rights a nonissue, citing Washington's voter-approved law that guarantees the right up to the point of fetal viability. Democrats warned that no rights should be taken for granted when dealing with Donald Trump's party.
