Tag: washington

  • Fewer open Washington state legislative seats than recent years

    Posted on

    Nineteen seats are open in Washington’s state legislative elections this year, meaning no incumbents filed. That is down 27% from 26 open seats in each of the previous two elections and means newcomers are guaranteed 13% of the legislature next year. Twenty-nine incumbents face primary contests in Washington’s state legislative elections this year, one above…

  • Sixty-nine candidates are running for Washington’s 10 U.S. House districts — the second-most since 2014

    Posted on

    This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington was May 8, 2026. This year has the second-highest number of candidates since 2014. Sixty-nine candidates — 29 Democrats, 20 Republicans, 16 minor-party candidates, and four independents — are running for Washington’s 10 congressional districts. That’s 6.9 candidates per district.…

  • Washington legislators update state voting rights act, enact eight other election-related bills

    Posted on

    The Washington Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on March 12. During that time, lawmakers sent 10 election-related bills to Gov. Bob Ferguson (D), who signed all of them in March and April. Among those 10 bills were two amending the state’s voting rights act. HB 1750 prohibits political subdivisions from adopting election policies or…

  • Washington voters decided on eight ballot measures related to personal income taxes

    Posted on

    Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed Senate Bill 6346 (SB 6346) on March 30, 2026, which imposes a 9.9% tax on household income above $1 million beginning in 2028. The legislation follows decades of ballot measures regarding personal income taxes in Washington. Voters have decided on eight ballot measures related to a personal income tax,…

  • Over the past two weeks, nine ballot measures certified across Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, and West Virginia

    Posted on

    As of March 17, 80 statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in 33 states, six more measures than the average number certified at this point in other even-numbered years over the past decade (2014 to 2024). Here’s an update on the latest ballot measure activity during the past two weeks: The last signature…

  • Top 10 elections to watch this Nov. 4

    Posted on

    With three weeks to go until Election Night, our staff is busy preparing to cover elections across the country. In preparation, our team has selected 10 elections from that coverage to make up our list of the most important, compelling, and competitive elections in the country. Our editorial department selected these elections based on past…

  • Katie Wilson and incumbent Bruce Harrell are running in Nov. 4 general election for mayor of Seattle

    Posted on

    Incumbent Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson are running in the November 4 general election for mayor of Seattle. In the Aug. 5 primary, Wilson defeated Harrell 48.1% to 43.6%. Following the primary, KOMO News political analyst and CEO of Strategies 360 Ron Dotzauer said he "believes the race will remain competitive, with messaging on cost…

  • Both candidates for Edmonds, Wash., City Council complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

    Posted on

    Both candidates running for Position 3 on the Edmonds, Wash., City Council—Erika Barnett and Alex Newman—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. All survey respondents are asked to tell voters about their three key campaign messages. In Edmonds, both…

  • Both candidates for Island County, Wash., Public Hospital District 1 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

    Posted on

    Both candidates running for the Island County Public Hospital District 1 on Whidbey Island, Wash., commissioner board—Kirk Gasper and Dennis Rochier—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. All survey respondents are asked to tell voters about the areas of…

  • Both candidates for Lynnwood, Wash. City Council complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

    Posted on

    Both candidates running for Position 1 on the Lynnwood, Wash., City Council—Dio Boucsieguez and Derica Escamilla—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. All survey respondents are asked to tell voters about their three key campaign messages. In Lynnwood, both…