Washington's primary election has arrived. The top two finishers in each race will advance to the November election regardless of party.
All 98 seats in the state House and 24 in the state Senate are up for grabs. All 10 of the state's U.S. House seats are also on the ballot, as are four positions on the state Supreme Court. There are many more races at the local level.
We'll have reporters in the field and tracking results later today. You can follow along here for updates. Vote counts are expected to begin rolling in tonight around 8 p.m.
Because Washingtonians cast ballots by mail and via drop box, counting up the votes stretches beyond election night, and who's up and who's down can shift during that process.
Aug. 4, 2026 11:23 pm Trouble for Republicans in the 18th
Aug. 4, 2026 11:19 pm Incumbents lead state Supreme Court races
Aug. 4, 2026 11:17 pm Senator leads King County Council race
Aug. 4, 2026 11:14 pm Sutherland keeps comeback hopes alive
Aug. 4, 2026 11:08 pm Pollet advancing with a strong performance
Aug. 4, 2026 11:05 pm Trouble for Republicans in the 17th
Aug. 4, 2026 11:03 pm 'Great night' for Senate Dems
Aug. 4, 2026 10:52 pm Where things stand in a purple-ish district
Aug. 4, 2026 10:47 pm Moderates measure up, for now
Aug. 4, 2026 10:14 pm Braun predicts he could pull ahead as more votes are counted
Aug. 4, 2026 10:05 pm Hackney well ahead of Democratic challenger in the 11th
Aug. 4, 2026 10:01 pm Lopsided Republican rumble
Aug. 4, 2026 9:33 pm Incumbent Seattle-area U.S. House Democrats lead
Aug. 4, 2026 9:28 pm Ryu leading incumbent Salomon in the 32nd
Aug. 4, 2026 9:07 pm Picture getting clearer in race for vacant Senate seat
Aug. 4, 2026 8:51 pm Pedersen leads handily
Aug. 4, 2026 8:42 pm Torres fending off fellow Republican
Aug. 4, 2026 8:27 pm Braun feeling upbeat
Aug. 4, 2026 8:14 pm Dem leader wants 'a party that can fit them all'
Aug. 4, 2026 8:02 pm Polls are closed
Aug. 4, 2026 7:56 pm Braun campaign stands by for voting results
Aug. 4, 2026 7:29 pm Getting the message out
Aug. 4, 2026 7:22 pm WA Dems are trying to train a new generation of organizers
Aug. 4, 2026 7:17 pm Polls close in less than an hour
Aug. 4, 2026 6:48 pm Primary serves as test of Wilson's progressive influence
Aug. 4, 2026 5:40 pm A fistful of dollars
Aug. 4, 2026 5:35 pm Voter turnout down from 2022
Aug. 4, 2026 4:46 pm With friends like these…
Aug. 4, 2026 4:25 pm Legislative races to watch
Aug. 4, 2026 4:02 pm Washington urges judge to toss DOJ voter roll lawsuit
Aug. 4, 2026 3:31 pm Are you a last minute voter?
By Jerry Cornfield - Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:23 pm
Clark County Democrats are causing havoc for the Republican Party.
Republican Reps. Stephanie McClintock and John Ley got seriously stung by their Democrat opponents in the 18th District, much like their GOP colleagues, Kevin Waters and David Stuebe, did in the neighboring 17th District.
Democrat Deken Letinich, a union leader, leads Ley by a comfortable margin of 53.2% to 46.7%. Ley, who narrowly won the seat in 2024, has established himself as a steady critic of the project to build a new bridge on Interstate 5 across the Columbia River.
Democrat Randi Knott, a first-time candidate, leads McClintock, who is seeking a third term, 51.6% to 48.2%.
In both contests, these candidates will advance to November.
If the four GOP lawmakers from the 17th and 18th districts are ousted this fall, it will push Democrats closer to a supermajority in the House and will likely compel Republican leaders to take a hard look at the GOP operations in southwest Washington.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 11:19 pm
Washington state Supreme Court incumbents, including two new appointees of Gov. Bob Ferguson, were leading after early primary voting results were reported Tuesday night.
And a tight race is emerging for a vacant seat.
Justice Colleen Melody, who Ferguson picked late last year to finish out retiring Justice Mary Yu's term, is leading attorney Scott Edwards.
Justice Theo Angelis, Ferguson's other appointee, is narrowly ahead of retired Federal Way Municipal Court Judge Dave Larson, who narrowly missed out on joining the court in 2024.
In the only primary for an open position on the nine-member court, Mason County Superior Court Judge David Stevens leads, as King County Superior Court Judge Jaime Hawk and state appeals court Judge Mike Diaz split the vote on the left. Hawk leads Diaz by about 2%.
Chief Justice Debra Stephens, the only previously elected member of the court on the ballot, is sailing through the primary.
Read more about these races here.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 11:17 pm
Rebecca Saldaña decided not to seek reelection to her south Seattle state Senate seat to instead run for Metropolitan King County Council.
The decision may be paying off. After Tuesday, Saldaña, a Democrat, has 51.9% of the vote. Seattle Port Commissioner Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, also a Democrat, will advance to the general election with 38.7%. Miriam Mboya, a county health department employee, is a distant third with 8.7%. The winner will represent District 2 on the council, covering south Seattle, Skyway and some of Tukwila.
Girmay Zahilay vacated the council seat when he won election as county executive last year.
Former state representative Robert Sutherland, a conservative Republican firebrand, is not faring well in his attempted return to the Legislature. But the outcome is far from over.
He trails Republican Steve Ewing and Democrat Ida Keeley in the race to fill the opening created with Rep. Carolyn Eslick's March announcement that she would not seek reelection.
Keeley leads with 48%, followed by Ewing with 25.4% and then Sutherland with 25%. Only 57 votes separate the two Republicans vying for second and a spot on the ballot in November.
Sutherland represented the 39th District for two terms but didn't get a third, losing reelection in 2022 to Republican Sam Low of Lake Stevens, a Snohomish County Council member. Low won reelection by decisively beating Sutherland in a rematch in 2024 for the Position 1 seat.
Ewing, who served from 2019 to 2025 on the Lake Stevens City Council, has received endorsements from the current 39th District delegation of Eslick, Low and Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley.
Republicans have held the seat for many years. But if Sutherland advances, it is likely he will be shunned by some in his party and open a path for a Democrat to take the seat.
Veteran Democrat Rep. Gerry Pollet celebrated his commanding lead on two fellow Democrats in the 46th District, which includes much of north Seattle east of Aurora Avenue.
In a statement, he said he was honored by the support of voters in the district he's represented since 2011.
"I am proud of my record as a champion for progressive Seattle values, including fully funding education, affordability, access to abortion, and climate action, among many other issues. As we move into the general election, I will also be proudly campaigning to defeat Initiative 645 and stop the repeal of the historic Millionaires Tax that I voted for this year," he said in a statement.
Pollet hauled in 54.3% of the first night's vote tally with Will Dreher, a consumer attorney and former federal prosecutor, trailing with 31%.
Ron Davis, a consultant who had the backing of Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, was a distant third with 13.7%. His performance will be seen by some as a rebuke of the first-term mayor and evidence of a limited reach of Democratic socialists in legislative races.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 11:05 pm
Incumbent Republican state lawmakers seem to be in trouble in southwest Washington's 17th Legislative District, as Democrats hope to gain a wider majority in the House.
In Position 1, Republican Rep. Kevin Waters trails Democrat Ben Christly, a Navy veteran, with 44% to Christly's 52.7%. Thomas Everett Haynes, a self-described "pro gun liberal" earned 3.2%.
Waters joined the Legislature in 2023. In a sign of the changing tide in the district, just two years ago, he easily won reelection unopposed.
Rep. David Stuebe faces a similar predicament running for the district's other seat. Stuebe, who is also Washougal's mayor, trails Vancouver City Councilmember Diana Perez by nearly 10%. They're the only two candidates, so both automatically move on to November. But Stuebe will need to make up a lot of ground to keep the seat he won by 1% in 2024.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 11:03 pm
Democrats in the state Senate rejoiced at Tuesday night's preliminary results. They see no lane for Republicans to flip a seat and a chance to increase their 30-19 majority.
"This is a great night for Senate Democrats," said Sen. Manka Dhingra, chair of the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign. "Voters have validated over and over again that they share our values and vision."
Among the positive results for Senate Democrats: Sen. Deb Krishnadasan's strong showing in the purple 26th District; early totals for the vacant seat in the 42nd District; and a close race between incumbent Republican Sen. Drew MacEwen and Democrat Carolina Mejia in the 35th.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 10:52 pm
The 26th Legislative District in Kitsap and Pierce counties may be the most purple in the state. It's represented by a Democratic senator and Democratic and Republican representatives.
Republican state Rep. Michelle Valdez's decision not to seek reelection is one of the few concrete pickup opportunities for Democrats to strengthen their majority in the state House.
Republican nonprofit leader Katy Cornell leads the primary with 44.3%, but Democrat Renee Hernandez Greenfield is close behind at 39.9%. Democratic small business owner Tedd Wetherbee has 13.3%, and Randy Phillips, who is running unaffiliated, earned just 2.4%. While Cornell leads, the early totals put the combined Democratic total above 50%.
Democratic Rep. Adison Richards is running to retain his seat in the district, with opponents on both ends of the political spectrum. David Olson, who ran for state superintendent in 2024, leads with 43.4%, while Richards picked up 35.2% and Natalie Bornfleth, another Democrat, got 21.3%. Again, while Olson leads, the totals bode well for Richards' chances in the general election.
As for the Senate, Democratic Sen. Deb Krishnadasan held off Valdez in a special election last year to earn the seat. This year, she faces Republican restaurant owner and retired engineer Gary Parker. After Tuesday, she had 56% of the vote, compared to Parker's 43.9%. They're the only two candidates running, and so are assured a place on the ballot in November.
Two moderate Democrat state lawmakers were holding their own Tuesday against progressive pro-tax challengers from within their party. Both races hinge on vote tallies in the coming days.
In Pierce County, Democrat Krista Perez, who works for the state Department of Commerce, clung to a five-vote edge on Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Parkland.
Perez took swipes at Morgan for voting against the new income tax on high earners. And the New Direction PAC, which spends gobs of money trying to replace moderate Democrats with more leftward-leaning members of the party, also weighed in against the incumbent.
Perez continued to take swings at Morgan as she crowed about her election night advantage.
"Every vote must be counted, but I am cautiously optimistic about early results that show voters in the 29th LD have responded to our message about decency and progressive values," Perez said in a statement.
Morgan, whose backers include Gov. Bob Ferguson, and Perez will be looking for the late tallies to break their way. Regardless of the outcome, this promises to be a close race in November.
In King County, a different story is unfolding, with the final chapter yet to be written.
Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland, was leading Redmond City Councilmember Jessica Forsythe by a margin of 51% to 46.3% in the 48th Legislative District in King County. Only 618 votes separate them.
Because they are the only two candidates, they are both assured of a November match-up. Historically, the winner of the primary is an early favorite in November.
Walen is seeking a fifth term in the House. A year ago, she vied for the Senate but lost to state Sen. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue. Walen also voted against the income tax.
State Senate Minority Leader John Braun is trailing incumbent U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez by less than 300 votes.
Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat, leads the race with 38.9% of total votes. Braun, a Republican, has 38.71%. Brent Hennrich, a progressive Democrat, had 15.3%.
Braun said he was "pleased" with the results so far, and suggested he could take the lead in the next day or two, as more votes are tallied.
"The most telling thing is that 60% of the voters didn't vote for the incumbent," Braun told the Standard at a primary watch party event in Chehalis. "It's my job to go win their vote."
He said going into the race, he knew it would be a challenge.
"Traditionally, the party that holds the White House has trouble in the midterm," Braun said, noting that the 3rd District is "very independent" and will "vote for the person they think is going to go do the best job representing them."
"I think I can make that case, and if I make that case, I'll earn their votes regardless of the environment."
Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer, who has endorsed Braun, was also in attendance.
"I'm confident that we're going to see a victory," he said. "John's an independent thinker … He's going to make the right decisions based on his values, and that has nothing to do with the president."
In April, President Donald Trump endorsed Braun.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 10:05 pm
Incumbent Democratic state Rep. David Hackney is leading handily in his reelection campaign, despite a challenge on his left flank.
After Tuesday's results, Hackney, of Renton, has 42.7% of the vote, followed by fellow Democrat Ashley Fedan, a nurse, at 29.6% and Christian Rombough, a Republican at 27.5%.
This race is in the 11th Legislative District, which covers a portion of south King County, including Renton, Tukwila, and part of south Seattle and Kent. Hackney, a former federal prosecutor, has represented it since 2021. He's raised $161,000 for his reelection, compared to Fedan's $67,000.
Mild-mannered Republican Rep. Mike Steele is rebuffing a potential upset bid by a fellow Republican, conservative religious leader Adam James.
Steele, of Chelan, who is in his fifth term, led Tuesday night with 42.6% of the early vote, followed by Democrat Maggie Adams, a union leader, with 32.8%. James, a co-founder of Grace City Church in Wenatchee, is third with 24.5%.
The district encompasses nearly all of Chelan County and stretches west along U.S. 2 to the city of Monroe in Snohomish County.
This is James' first bid for office. He's raised nearly $350,000, more than three times Steele's total.
After the first round of ballot counting, incumbent U.S. House Democrats representing King, Snohomish, Pierce, Kittitas and Chelan counties lead by safe margins.
Rep. Suzan DelBene leads Republican Mary Silva 49.9% to 30.8%. Rep. Kim Schrier leads Republican Trinh Ha 46.7% to 17.5%. And U.S. Rep. Adam Smith leads Republican Doug Basler 50.9% to 23.8%.
Speaking to supporters at the Washington State Democratic Party's election night event, DelBene, who chairs the official campaign arm of Democrats in the U.S. House, emphasized the importance of turning out voters in the fall.
"It's all going to matter for November," said DelBene. "It's about our rights and our freedoms. Making sure people can afford to live in our country. Housing, food, childcare, energy costs, gas prices. They're struggling everywhere and they need a Congress that will stand up for them."
Schrier took a moment to acknowledge the wildfires ravaging parts of her district and the firefighters, residents and farmers being harmed. She reassured the crowd that she will "continue along with my colleagues to fight for the Forest Service, for more wildland firefighters and more money to restore the forest and make it more resilient to catastrophic wildfire."
Schrier described tonight's results as a first step toward change in Washington, D.C.
"This is how we hold this seat, flip the House, and finally bring about a path to accountability, to fighting corruption, to making sure we bring down costs, to restoring Medicaid," she told the small crowd at Democrats' field office in Bellevue.
Though he'd been billed as attending the election night party, Smith was not present. His staff said that was an error and that he never attends primary election watch parties.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 9:28 pm
Rep. Cindy Ryu launched a campaign to unseat Sen. Jesse Salomon by calling him "too moderate" for the 32nd Legislative District.
She has a narrow lead over him after preliminary vote tallies posted Tuesday. Ryu, of Shoreline, has 40.9% of the vote to Salomon's 38.7%. Republican Ira McBee garnered 20.3%. These votes could go toward Salomon in the general election.
Ryu's decision to run for Senate left a crowded field of Democrats hoping to fill her vacancy. It's a tight race, with Shoreline City Councilmember Keith Scully leading with 24.8% of the vote, and attorney Danica Noble in second with 22.8%. Republican Lisa Rezac is close behind at 21.1%. Will Chen and Jenna Nand, both Edmonds City Council members, earned 12% and 9.3%, respectively. Entrepreneur Chris Bloomquist has 9.9%. It'll take a few more days of counting to see how this one will shake out for November.
The 32nd District comprises north King County, including Shoreline, and south Snohomish County, including Lynnwood and Edmonds.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 9:07 pm
Republican psychologist and Blaine school board member Erika Creydt and Democratic port commissioner Michael Shepard are leading the race to advance to the general election in the Senate race in northwest Washington's 42nd Legislative District.
With initial results posted Tuesday, Creydt leads the Whatcom County district with 46% of the vote, followed by Shepard at 27%, and Eamonn Collins, a Democrat, at 24.5%. Ryan Bowman, who states no party preference, is in last with 2.4%.
The winner will replace Sen. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, who is forgoing reelection. She endorsed Shepard. It's one of the rare open Senate seats, and a rare opportunity for a Republican flip.
Republicans held this seat as recently as 2021, but Democrats may have the advantage still, despite Creydt's lead. If you combine Shepard's and Collins' totals, Democrats have over 51% of the preliminary primary vote.
With more results in the coming days, who finishes second between Shepard and Collins is something to watch.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 8:51 pm
The state Senate majority leader is sailing through the primary and likely to face off against an activist running to his left in the general election.
Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, is leading Hannah Sabio-Howell 71.1% to 17.9%. Heather-Marie Wilson, who is running without stating a party preference, is in third with 10.8%.
To stave off Sabio-Howell, Pedersen has raised $461,000 for his reelection campaign, over $100,000 more than any other legislative candidate. Usually that money would go toward aiding the campaigns of more vulnerable Democrats and flipping Republican-held seats. Pedersen has been the subject of mailers ahead of the primary funded by rich conservatives stoking frustration with the legislative leader after he shepherded the state's new income tax on high earners to approval this year.
"Politics isn't easy, but it gets easier when the stakes are made so clear," Pedersen said in a statement after the results dropped Tuesday night. "These Republicans do not want me to return to Olympia, and we know why. I am the author of the historic Millionaires Tax, the legislature's leader on protecting trans youth, and a proud champion for abortion access. And as the chair of the Senate Democrats' campaign committee, I helped grow our majority over the past decade into the most progressive legislative caucus our state has ever seen."
Most recently, Sabio-Howell was the communications director for Working Washington, a labor rights advocacy group. She's raised nearly $100,000 in her bold bid to unseat Pedersen, who has been in the Senate since 2013.
Pedersen represents the 43rd Legislative District, comprised of uber-progressive Seattle neighborhoods like Capitol Hill.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 8:42 pm
Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, is seeing decent chances of remaining in the state Senate.
After the initial results Tuesday, she has 53.2% of the vote, compared to 44.8% for fellow Republican Gabe Galbraith, a Kennewick school board member, with most of the 8th Legislative District precincts reporting as of 8:30 p.m. As the only two candidates on the ballot, they both automatically advance to the November general election, but the primary gives an early indication of where voters stand. The district covers Benton and Franklin counties.
The race has been contentious, as Torres recently called on Galbraith to end his campaign as authorities connected him to an investigation into stalking a home Torres owns.
Torres is new to the 8th District as redrawn boundaries moved her there. Rep. Jeremie Dufault, R-Selah, is unopposed in his bid to take Torres' position in the 15th Legislative District.
State Sen. John Braun, a Republican from Centralia who is running for the U.S. House seat now held by U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, was feeling upbeat as the first release of ballot count results neared.
"I'm pretty optimistic," Braun said. "We've been out all over the district talking to folks, and I think we're getting a good response."
The Senate minority leader has been mingling with constituents at his primary watch party in Chehalis. Around 100 people showed up. Also in attendance: state Reps. Jim Walsh, who is also state Republican Party chair, and Peter Abbarno, who represents the same district as Braun in the Legislature.
As for Gluesenkamp Perez, Braun said, "I think she's genuine, but I think she's just wrong."
"She's been wrong on taxes, she's been wrong on funding for national defense, she's been wrong on border security, she's been wrong on parental rights."
Shasti Conrad, chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, said U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's reelection bid in the southwest corner of the state is the federal race she's watching most closely tonight.
She spoke to the Standard from the State Democrats' field office in Bellevue, which is hosting an election night party for incumbent Congressional Democrats — Reps. Adam Smith, Suzan DelBene and Kim Schrier — who she expects to come out on top in this primary.
Smith and DelBene both face challenges from left-leaning candidates who've criticized the incumbents for being out of touch with constituents and for their significant corporate campaign contributions. Smith is facing former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant and his 2024 opponent Melissa Chaudhry. DelBene is running against Hunter Gordon, a Gen Z home healthcare aide.
Conrad, who also serves as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, said there needs to be space in the party for a broad range of Democrats.
"I hate being stuck in these fights of 'what part of the party?'" she said. "Democrats need to win and how we do that is finding the best candidates who fit their districts. We just need to win."
Conrad argued that Washington state's Congressional delegation is already a good example of that, from Gluesenkamp Perez's restarting the centrist Blue Dog Coalition to Pramila Jayapal leading the progressive caucus.
"You've got to be able to have a party that can fit all of them," Conrad said. "People know I'm a progressive and worked on the Bernie Sanders campaign. I've spent more than a decade listening to people say 'vote blue no matter who' when the progressives don't win. I think, OK then it's got to be tested on all parts of the party."
By Jake Goldstein-Street and Jerry Cornfield - 8:02 pm
As the clock strikes 8 p.m., the attention turns from the final voters turning in their ballots to the results set to roll in within minutes.
If you're just tuning in, the secretary of state has remade its online results page. You can find it here and may want to do a quick tour.
The Washington State Democratic Party is hosting an election night gathering for congressional incumbents, including Reps. Adam Smith, Suzan DelBene and Kim Schrier.
As they wait for the first ballot count to drop, a group of Schrier volunteers in high school and college is dialing voters to remind them to turn in those 11th-hour ballots. The volunteers are fellows with Democracy Summer, a program started by U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, to help train a new generation of political organizers.
The fellows spent the past six weeks contributing political research, door-knocking and phone banking, as well as sitting in on calls with members of Congress, said Tyler Blumenthal, a field organizer with the Schrier campaign. Blumenthal is entering his senior year at American University in Washington, D.C., and hopes to continue working in politics after graduation.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 7:17 pm
In about an hour, we're set to have the initial results in races across the state, giving the first indication of who will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. This also means voters don't have much time left to turn in their ballots, as polls close at 8 p.m.
The results will help start to answer a number of questions about Washington politics. Are Democratic voters moving further left? How much influence does President Donald Trump have on Republicans here? Can Democrats add to their strong majorities in the Legislature? Are we destined for a new-look state Supreme Court?
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 6:48 pm
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson made waves in June when she endorsed two progressive challengers to longstanding Democratic incumbents in two Seattle legislative races.
Hannah Sabio-Howell and Ron Davis have the mayor's support, but how far will that get them?
Sabio-Howell is running to the left of Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, in the progressive 43rd Legislative District. Davis is trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Gerry Pollet in north Seattle's 46th District.
The first-term mayor is attempting to flex her political muscle after clinching office in the state's biggest city last year without any prior elected experience. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to whom Wilson has been compared, has endorsed leftist candidates in New York, and they've had success.
Wilson has filmed social media videos promoting the two candidates posted in recent days.
Progressive Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger spurned both Sabio-Howell and Davis. In the 43rd, the paper endorsed Pedersen and, in the 46th, Pollet's other Democratic challenger, attorney Will Dreher. The Stranger's endorsement slate is deeply influential among liberal Seattleites.
Davis has been so frustrated with the snub that he's blasted The Stranger in text messages to supporters and with campaign signs in the 46th. The signs tell passersby that "The Stranger sold us out" and implore them to "check out sources YOU trust."
The paper's staff endorsed challengers elsewhere, including Kelabe Tewolde against longtime Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, D-Seattle, Imraan Siddiqi against Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, and Ashley Fedan against Rep. David Hackney, D-Renton.
Nine of Washington's 10 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are on ballots this year. Not all face equally difficult paths to re-election.
Yet when you look at how much they've raised, you might think they all are fighting for their political lives.
Rep. Suzan DelBene raised $3.5 million since this election cycle started on Jan. 1, 2025, according to filings. Her tally for the most recent quarter was north of $700,000.
Her totals are not surprising since she is chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, AKA the 'D-Triple C'. In that role, her chief task is winning enough seats nationwide to recapture control of the House for her party. She can spend her money on herself — she does have multiple opponents — and to help others.
Jump down to the 3rd Congressional District where Democrat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez faces another fight in a district that President Donald Trump won three times. She's hauled in $6.3 million this election cycle, the most of anyone in the delegation. This is one of those seats DelBene and the DCCC cannot afford to lose.
Rep. Kim Schrier, another Democrat, has done pretty well too. She's in the 8th Congressional District that was once a little more purple than it is today. Schrier has raised $3 million as she faces five opponents in the primary.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 5:35 pm
Just 1.28 million of Washington's more than 5.1 million registered voters have turned in their ballots for Tuesday's primary.
That's less than one in four. In 2022, the last midterm election year, over 32% of ballots had been returned at this point. That year, final turnout was just over 40%, with nearly 2 million votes cast. Washington has gained nearly 350,000 registered voters since then.
The older the voter, the more likely they are to have voted. About 48% of those 65 and over have turned in their ballot, compared to 9.4% of voters ages 18-24 and 10.3% of those ages 25-34.
More votes will be reported in the coming days.
Here's the turnout by county, as of Tuesday:
Two incumbent Democrats in the state House found themselves the targets of hit pieces funded in part with dollars from the political arm of their caucus.
Reps. Amy Walen of Kirkland and Melanie Morgan of Parkland can expect it to continue through November.
The New Direction PAC, one of the state's wealthiest independent political committees, is picking up the tab for the mailers and digital ads. Some knock the representatives. Others pump up their Democratic opponents: Jessica Forsythe, who is challenging Walen, and Krista Perez, who is taking on Morgan.
New Direction spends big, sometimes reaching six figures, to elect progressive Democrats to the Legislature. Walen and Morgan are too moderate for the committee's largest funders, partly because they both voted against the "millionaire's tax."
Who are the PAC's largest donors? The Washington Federation of State Employees, Washington Education Association and Service Employees International Union Washington State Council PAC are among them.
So too are the Kennedy Fund, the free-wheeling affiliate of the Senate Democratic Caucus, which gave $250,000 this year, and the Harry Truman Fund, which is linked to the House Democratic Caucus and donated $225,000 last year.
Walen and Morgan aren't without friends in their caucus. Walen has endorsements from 19 House Democrats. Morgan's backers include 11 caucus colleagues and Gov. Bob Ferguson.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 4:25 pm
On the legislative side, we're looking to see if any incumbents exit primary night looking shaky.
State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, faces a challenge on his left from fellow Democrat Hannah Sabio-Howell.
Longtime Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle, has two fellow Democrats hoping to unseat him, attorney Will Dreher and urbanist Ron Davis, who Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has endorsed.
Rep. Mike Steele, R-Chelan, is trying to fend off Republican pastor Adam James, who has so far raised upward of $345,000 — more than double Steele's fundraising haul.
Rep. Cindy Ryu, D-Shoreline, is looking to level up and unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Jesse Salomon, who she's criticized as "too moderate" for the district.
Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, faces Kennewick school board member Gabe Galbraith, who has gotten into hot water this year over allegations he helped coordinate a stakeout of a home Torres owns to see if she lives there.
Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Parkland, is trying to retain her seat amid a challenge from Krista Perez, who has taken swipes at Morgan for voting against the new income tax on high earners. Similarly, one of the Legislature's most moderate Democrats, Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland, faces an intraparty foe in small business owner Jessica Forsythe.
And there are numerous vacancies to fill as lawmakers seek higher office or forgo reelection. Among them: the Senate seat in the 42nd Legislative District, where Sen. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, decided not to seek reelection. The district has tilted blue in recent elections. Republicans want to reverse that trend.
There's also the 39th District where Rep. Carolyn Eslick, R-Sultan, is retiring. Among the hopefuls is former Lake Stevens City Councilmember Steve Ewing, controversial ex-lawmaker Robert Sutherland and Democrat Ida Keeley.
Several districts serve as bellwethers for Democrats' chances to strengthen their majorities. They include the 17th and 18th districts in southwest Washington, where incumbent Republicans face well-funded Democrats looking to turn the seats.
Republicans are also trying to hold on to retiring Rep. Michelle Valdez's seat in the 26th Legislative District. Valdez lost a Senate bid there to a Democrat in a special election last year. And both House Republicans in southeast Washington's 14th District have raised well over $100,000 to keep their positions in Olympia.
By Jake Goldstein-Street - 4:02 pm
The U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys for Washington state argued in federal court in Seattle on Tuesday whether the state must hand over unredacted voter rolls to the Trump administration.
The state is pushing to get the Justice Department lawsuit dismissed. Judges in 20 other states have done just that in similar cases.
The conflict here began in September when Secretary of State Steve Hobbs refused to provide the Trump administration with personal information contained in the state's voter rolls.
Hobbs said he'd be willing to provide voter names, addresses, genders, years of birth, voting records, registration dates and registration numbers. But he wouldn't give dates of birth, driver's license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, as that information is protected under Washington law.
U.S. District Court Judge Kymberly Evanson, a Biden appointee, noted many other courts have sided with states in these similar cases across the country.
"Is there any meaningful basis on which to distinguish this case?" Evanson asked Justice Department attorney Raymond Yang.
He responded that the cases are mostly identical, but other judges have "misconstrued" federal law.
Evanson said she would issue a ruling "as soon as practicable."
The deadline to turn in ballots at drop boxes or election centers is 8 p.m. tonight.
Ballots postmarked by today will also count, but officials have recommended returning ballots by mail at least a week in advance.
If you're looking for a map of drop boxes and election centers, you can find that here. And if you're not registered to vote, you still can at county election offices.
If you still need to fill out your ballot, the state's voter pamphlet with information on candidates is here. And our guide with candidate information for key races is here.