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All candidates for Washington House of Representatives District 35-Position 2 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
October 3, 2022 at 3:24 PM

Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Washington House of Representatives District 35-Position 2  — Sandy Kaiser (D) and Travis Couture (R) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

Eighty-eight of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers will hold regularly scheduled elections in 2022. The Democratic Party controls both chambers of Washington’s state legislature. Washington is one of 14 states with a Democratic trifecta.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?                

Kaiser:           

  • “I believe in hard work, love of family, community and country and making sure that everyone in our rural district has the same opportunities for success as in other parts of western Washington.”
  • “We need to create better conditions for local business to thrive and grow, create more family-wage jobs, improve our schools and expand rural broadband.”
  • “It’s critically important that we fund our local sheriffs and first-responders, so they can be there in an hour of need.”

Couture:           

  • “Constitutional Rights – Following the Constitution is my top priority. I will always defend your rights and freedoms, and protect your liberties.”
  • “Public Safety – We need to get tough on rising crime and reverse laws that make our communities vulnerable. I respect our police and first responders, and will help them keep us safe.”
  • “Quality Education – Every child should feel safe at school, with all the resources to learn. I will oppose unfunded mandates that crush school budgets, and support policies that focus on strengthening core skills comprehension, safety, and school choice.”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

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All candidates for Washington House of Representatives District 17-Position 1 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
October 3, 2022 at 3:21 PM

Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Washington House of Representatives District 17-Position 1  —Terri Niles (D) and Kevin Waters (R) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

Eighty-eight of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers will hold regularly scheduled elections in 2022. The Democratic Party controls both chambers of Washington’s state legislature. Washington is one of 14 states with a Democratic trifecta.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?                    

Niles:           

“Our economy is foundational to other issues we sometimes view as separate. My support for a strong regional economy is rooted in investing in our communities. Jobs, healthcare, housing, championing new infrastructure, public safety and education. What may seem like huge and diverse topics can be dealt with a focus on common issues affecting them all. As a healthcare provider I know that our healthcare system is broken and we need to find real solutions. Many people living in the 17th LD do not have access to healthcare. This will be a top priority for me.”

Waters:

“I am passionate about Economic Growth and the policies that support and not hinder it. I am also passionate about Police having the proper tools and policy to be able to do their jobs. I am also passionate about energy policy and making sure we do not have a failing power grid and support our dams. We need to make sure that we can continue to supply power to all at a reasonable rate and not bloated because of policies that do not bring reasonable rates and power for all.”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

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Washington school board passes new curriculum guidelines on U.S. history and race topics

By Katharine Frey
In Local
September 1, 2022 at 6:53 PM

The Kennewick School Board in Washington state unanimously voted to adopt a new set of curriculum guidelines on August 24, 2022, that aim to restrict teachings on U.S. history and race. 

Kennewick School Board passed a new policy, known as Policy 2340, that would prohibit teachings that the U.S. is fundamentally or systemically racist or that a group of people is inherently racist, oppressed, or victims. The policy also seeks to bar politically leaning content from being included in course curricula, including the “1619 Project” and the “Zinn Education Project.” 

In reference to Policy 2340, Kennewick School Board member Gabe Galbraith said during the school board meeting, “Anytime in politics, there’s give and take. Could this have been stronger? I think so. But we had a great discussion in June and everyone was able to voice their concerns and thoughts, and I think we were able to capture that in this policy.”

Rob Woodford, president of the Kennewick Education Association teacher union, argued critical race theory was never a part of the curriculum and that the policy would not change current teaching methods. “Educators in Kennewick have always done a great job presenting factual information to students in a professional manner, and that will continue to be the case regardless of incendiary — but, ultimately, unsubstantiated — issues, which tend to rise up and then fade away,” he said.

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Incumbent Kim Schrier (D) and Matt Larkin (R) are running in the general election for Washington’s 8th Congressional District

By Mercedes Yanora
In 2022 elections
September 1, 2022 at 6:29 PM

Incumbent Kim Schrier (D) and Matt Larkin (R) are running in the general election for Washington’s 8th Congressional District on November 8, 2022.

Schrier, a pediatrician, was first elected in 2018, winning the open seat by a margin of five percentage points. Before that election, Republicans had represented the 8th District since 1983. Schrier was re-elected in 2020 in one of 37 U.S. House races decided by five percentage points or less.

Larkin, an attorney and owner of a manufacturing business, was the 2020 Republican nominee for Washington attorney general.

Politico’s Jessica Piper wrote after the top-two primary, “The [party vote share in the primary] indicates a close race brewing this fall[.] … [Schrier, who] spent significantly on early ads boosting her standing and seeking some distance from the Biden administration, remains in a competitive position. But Republicans may be able to invest more in the race now that they have a clear candidate[.]”

Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) have prioritized this election. The DCCC designated Schrier as a member of its 2022 Frontline Program, a program providing resources intended to help incumbents hold competitive seats. The NRCC included this district in its target list for 2022 and named Larkin as an “On the Radar” member of its Youngs Guns program.

Voters in the district backed Joe Biden (D) in the 2020 presidential election by a margin of seven percentage points. According to The Cook Political Report and FiveThirtyEight, the district’s partisan lean did not change after redistricting.

The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 118th Congress. All 435 seats in the House are up for election. As of August 18, 2022, Democrats hold a 220-211 advantage in the U.S. House with four vacant seats. Republicans need to gain a net of seven seats to win a majority in the chamber.



Jaime Herrera Beutler becomes 12th U.S. House member to lose a primary election this year

By Joel Williams
In 2022 elections, Federal
August 15, 2022 at 6:58 PM

On August 15, 2022, media outlets called the top-two primary for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D) and Joe Kent (R) advanced with 31.0% and 22.8% of the vote, respectively. Incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) finished third with 22.2%.

Herrera Beutler is the 12th member of the U.S. House to lose an election this cycle. With more primaries and all general elections remaining, 2022 is now even with the 2016 election cycle for the number of incumbent losses. In the past five election cycles, 2018 saw the most incumbent losses (34), followed by 2012 (27).

Herrera Beutler was one of 10 Republican representatives to vote in favor of impeaching then-President Donald Trump (R) on January 13, 2021. In a statement the day before the vote, Herrera Beutler said she would vote to impeach Trump because he “incited a riot intended to halt the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next. That riot led to five deaths.” Herrera Beutler was publicly rebuked by the Washington Republican Party and censured by the Clark County Republican Party.

Kent identified himself as an America First candidate, a term often associated with the platform of Trump and candidates who say they support Trump’s agenda. Kent said that he got into elected politics because of the January 2021 impeachment vote. Trump endorsed Kent on July 26, 2022. During a virtual campaign event, Trump said, “[Herrera Beutler] voted for the radical Democrats second impeachment hoax where the Republicans stood up tall for me but she didn’t.”

Washington uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot, for congressional and state-level elections. The top two vote-getters move on to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation. 



Both candidates in the election for Washington’s 3rd Congressional district complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ellen Morrissey
In 2022 elections
August 11, 2022 at 1:09 PM

Both candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District —Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D) and Joe Kent (R)—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 118th Congress. All 435 seats in the House are up for election. As of August 10, Democrats hold a 220-210 advantage in the U.S. House with five vacant seats. Washington’s current congressional delegation consists of 7 Democrats and 3 Republicans.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Gluesenkamp Pérez:

“Money in politics. Love of money is the root of all evil and we cannot address our biggest threats like climate change or a disappearing middle class without having political leaders who are honest dealers that put the interest of their constituents above high-dollar donors.”

Kent:

“We have to break away from the failed economic policies and national security strategies that have only benefited the ruling class and China. We must fully audit the 2020 Presidential Election to restore the American people’s faith in our democratic system. We have to return critical industries and manufacturing back to America, restore energy independence, and end our wasteful post 9/11 wars.”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Want to see Candidate Connection continue to grow in future elections? Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

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33% of Washington state legislative incumbents face contested top-two primaries

By Douglas Kronaizl
In 2022 elections, State
August 1, 2022 at 3:11 PM

Thirty-one of the 95 Washington state legislators who filed for re-election—22 Democrats and nine Republicans—will face contested primaries on Aug. 2. This represents 33% of incumbents who filed for re-election, lower than in 2020 but a higher rate than other recent election cycles.

Washington is one of three states holding top-two state legislative primaries this year. Under this system, all candidates appear on the same primary ballot regardless of their party affiliation and the top-two vote-getters advance to the general election.

Under this system, a primary is contested when more than two candidates file to run in the same district, at which point at least one candidate is guaranteed to lose.

Historically, however, incumbents tend to advance to the general election in Washington.

Between 2014 and 2020, 127 incumbents faced contested primaries in the state, four of whom—two Democrats and two Republicans—lost. This gives incumbents a primary win rate of 98%.

Twenty-seven incumbents are not seeking re-election this year, an increase compared to previous election cycles. This represents 18% of all seats in the Washington State Legislature.

Washington does not have term limits, meaning each of these incumbents either chose to retire or seek some other office.

Overall, 292 candidates filed to run in Washington’s top-two state legislative primaries this year: 126 Democrats, 142 Republicans, and 24 independent or minor party candidates.

All 98 House seats are up for election along with 24 of the state’s 49 Senate seats.

Washington has had a Democratic trifecta since 2017 when the party won control of the Senate in a special election. Democrats currently hold a 57-41 majority in the House and a 29-20 majority in the Senate.

Washington’s state legislative primaries are scheduled for Aug. 2, the 10th statewide primary date of the 2022 state legislative election cycle.

Additional reading:

Washington House of Representatives elections, 2022

Washington State Senate elections, 2022



There are no open U.S. House seats in Washington for the first time in a decade

By Juan Garcia de Paredes
In 2022 elections
July 18, 2022 at 11:09 PM

The filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House in Washington was May 20, 2022. This year, 68 candidates are running in Washington’s 10 U.S. House districts, including 37 Republicans, 19 Democrats, seven independents, and five third-party candidates. That’s 6.8 candidates per district, fewer than the 7.3 candidates in 2020, and more than the 4.9 candidates per district in 2018. 

Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:

  • This is the first election to take place under new district lines following the 2020 census. Washington was apportioned ten districts, the same number it was apportioned after the 2010 census.
  • All ten incumbents are running for re-election, meaning there are no open U.S. House seats for the first time in a decade. 
  • There are ten contested primaries this year, the same number as in 2020 and two fewer than in 2018, when there were eight contested primaries. 
  • All ten incumbents running for re-election are facing primary challengers this year. In 2020, all nine incumbents who filed for re-election faced primary challengers. In 2018, seven of the nine who filed did. 
  • In Washington’s top-two primary system, all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. Two incumbents — Rep. Suzan DelBene (D) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D) — are not facing intra-party primary challengers. DelBene represents the 1st district, and Jayapal represents the 7th.
  • At this point, no districts are guaranteed to either party. Democratic and Republican candidates have filed to run in the primaries in all ten districts. After the primaries take place, some districts may have two candidates of the same party running in the general under Washington’s top-two primary system.
  • Eleven candidates are running in the 8th district, the most candidates running for a seat this year. Three Democrats, including incumbent Kim Schrier (D), five Republicans, one independent, one Libertarian, and one Concordia Party candidate have filed to run. 

Washington and four other states — Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, and Missouri — are holding primary elections on August 2. Washington utilizes a top-two primary system. In a top-two primary system, all candidates are listed on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advance to the general election.



Washington enacts new legislative districts

By Ethan Rice
In State
February 11, 2022 at 11:02 AM

Washington enacted new legislative districts on Feb. 8 when the Washington State Senate approved an amended version of a map proposal drafted by the Washington State Redistricting Commission. The maps will take effect for Washington’s 2022 state legislative elections.

Washington’s four redistricting commissioners each released their proposed state legislative maps on Sept. 21, 2021. The commission announced on Nov. 16 that it was not able to produce new maps by its Nov. 15 deadline and had submitted plans to the Supreme Court for consideration, as authority to draw new maps passed to the court if the commission failed to agree on maps before the deadline. The court decided to accept the final legislative map drafts the commission submitted, ruling that it had “substantially complied” with the deadline. The Washington House approved the final state legislative map proposal by an 88-7 vote on Feb. 2, and the Senate approved the proposal on Feb. 8 in a 35-14 vote.

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D) voted for the new maps but said, “I continue to have significant concern that the Yakima Valley legislative district may not be compliant with the federal Voting Rights Act.” Senator Jamie Pedersen (D) said, “I think I’m not the only one who was surprised and disappointed that this past Nov. 15, as the clock approached midnight, without actually having agreed on a plan, without having published a plan for public comment, our redistricting commission voted to approve some sort of oral agreement that they had to send that over to us.”

Commission member April Sims said, “I just think there is something really powerful about forcing folks who normally wouldn’t come together to come together. It means everyone has to give a little in the process and no one side wins. And I think that’s good for democracy and good for the public.” Senate Minority Leader John Braun (R) said the commission’s work was a bipartisan process and “We can, none of us, expect to get all the things we want.”

Thirty-three states have adopted legislative district maps for both chambers as of Feb. 9, and one state has adopted maps that have not yet gone into effect. The state supreme courts in two states have overturned previously enacted maps, and 14 states have not yet adopted legislative redistricting plans after the 2020 census. Thirty-eight states had enacted legislative redistricting plans after the 2010 census as of Feb. 9, 2012.

Nationwide, states have completed legislative redistricting for 1,387 of 1,972 state Senate seats (70.3%) and 3,256 of 5,411 state House seats (60.2%).

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Washington enacts new congressional districts

By Ethan Rice
In Federal
February 10, 2022 at 2:41 PM

Washington enacted new congressional districts on Feb. 8 when the Washington State Senate approved an amended version of a map proposal drafted by the Washington State Redistricting Commission. Washington was apportioned 10 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. This map will take effect for Washington’s 2022 congressional elections.

Washington’s four redistricting commissioners each released their proposed congressional maps on Sept 28, 2021. On Nov. 16, the commission announced that it was not able to produce new maps by its Nov. 15 deadline and had submitted plans to the Washington Supreme Court for consideration, as authority to draw new maps passed to the court if the commission failed to agree on maps before the deadline. The court accepted the final map drafts the commission submitted, ruling that it had “substantially complied” with the deadline. The Washington House approved the final congressional map proposal on Feb. 2 in an 88-7 vote, and the Senate approved the plan 35-14 on Feb. 8.

Critics of the redistricting plans said the commission’s vote to approve the plan left no time for public input. Mike Fancher of the Washington Coalition for Open Government said, “The commission damaged public trust in our system of governing, which always happens when secrecy prevails over transparency.” Rep. Sharon Wylie (D) said the commission process was still effective. “I’ve not always been happy with the results, but I’ve always felt that our system worked better than in a lot of other states and was more fair,” Wylie said.

As of Feb. 9, 31 states have adopted congressional district maps, and one state has approved congressional district boundaries that have not yet taken effect. Federal or state courts have blocked previously adopted maps in two states, and 10 states have not yet adopted congressional redistricting plans after the 2020 census. Six states were apportioned one U.S. House district, so no congressional redistricting is required. As of Feb. 9 in 2012, 36 states had enacted congressional redistricting plans.

States have completed congressional redistricting for 315 of the 435 seats (72.4%) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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