Vice President Kamala Harris won Washington’s 12 electoral votes on Tuesday, besting former President Donald Trump in a state where he is not popular.
الوسم: Washington
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First-term Democrat tries to hold on in Washington state district won by Trump in 2020
SEATTLE (AP) — Among the nation’s most closely watched races is a rematch in southwestern Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is defending her seat against Republican Joe Kent, a former Green Beret who has called for the impeachment of President Joe Biden.
Other campaigns of note in the state include the 8th Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier is seeking a fourth term, and the 4th Congressional District in central Washington. There’s no danger of that seat flipping parties, but the incumbent there is Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of two remaining House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. He faces a challenge from the right in Jerrod Sessler, a Navy veteran.
Here’s a look at Washington’s liveliest congressional races:
3rd Congressional District
Gluesenkamp Perez, who owns an auto-repair shop with her husband, came out of nowhere two years ago to win a seat that hadn’t been in Democratic hands for over a decade. She beat the Trump-endorsed Kent by fewer than 3,000 votes out of nearly 320,000 cast.
Her predecessor, moderate Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, held office for six terms but failed to survive the 2022 primary after voting to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection. The district narrowly went for Trump in 2020, making it a crucial target for both parties this year.
The race gained additional attention last week when an arson attack struck a ballot box in Vancouver — the district’s biggest city — scorching hundreds of ballots. Another ballot box was hit across the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon. People who cast their votes in the targeted Vancouver drop box were urged to contact the county auditor’s office to receive replacement ballots.
During her tenure Gluesenkamp Perez has balanced progressive policies with some measures popular with Republicans, including securing the U.S.-Mexico border — something she criticizes Biden for failing to do — and introducing a constitutional amendment to force presidents to balance the budget.
She supports abortion access and has hammered Kent, who previously has said he supported a national abortion ban, for changing his position after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Kent now says abortion laws should be left up to the states.
Gluesenkamp Perez supports policies to counter climate change, but also speaks openly about being a gun owner. A top priority is pushing a “right to repair” bill that would help people get equipment fixed without having to pay exorbitant prices to the original manufacturer.
Kent is a former Green Beret who served 11 combat deployments before joining the CIA. His wife, Shannon, a Navy cryptologist, was killed by a suicide bomber in 2019 while fighting the Islamic State group in Syria, leaving him to raise their two young sons alone. Kent remarried last year.
His last campaign raised questions about his ties to white nationalists after he hired a Proud Boy as a consultant and, during a fundraiser, lavished praise on Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer. Kent said he disavows white nationalism.
He has cited inflation and illegal immigration as top concerns.
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Kent and Gluesenkamp Perez disagree on a major local issue: the replacement of a major bridge across the Columbia River between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Gluesenkamp Perez supports plans to replace the existing bridge. Kent has argued that a separate new bridge should be built while the old one is maintained. Plans for the replacement bridge would have “light rail that dumps downtown Portland’s problems into downtown Vancouver,” Kent said.
4th Congressional District
Newhouse’s bid for a sixth term is running up against Sessler, who was one of two Trump-endorsed candidates in the August primary. Together, Sessler and Tiffany Smiley took more than 52% of the vote — spelling trouble for the incumbent.
Newhouse is endorsed by the NRA and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and he has mostly steered clear of the subject of Trump. He’s instead focused on agriculture and border security in a state with millions of acres of pastures, orchards and cereal grain lands where immigrant labor is extremely important.
Sessler’s positions are in lockstep with Trump. He says he will fight for strong national security measures, including “an impenetrable border”; work to dismantle regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and other administrative agencies; and encourage tariffs and other sanctions on China.
“China’s obsession with global power, combined with its atheistic mindset, which removes the morality component, makes it a dangerous adversary,” Sessler said in one of many video statements about issues posted to his campaign website.
8th Congressional District
The 8th District, a mix of wealthy Seattle exurbs and central Washington farmland, had always been held by the GOP before incumbent Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier, a pediatrician, took office in 2019. She has survived a series of somewhat close races since then, taking about 52% or 53% of the vote.
Schrier combines progressive stances, such as protecting abortion rights, with an emphasis on securing highway money or funding for specialty crop research facilities. The Washington Farm Bureau endorsed her this year.
Schrier’s opponent is Carmen Goers, a commercial banker who says she is running to tamp down inflation, stop further regulation of American businesses, support law enforcement and cut back on crime. She also promised to “go to war with the Department of Education,” saying that instead of learning reading, writing and math, children are being “caught in the culture wars of the progressive left.”
Goers took 45% of the vote in the August top-two primary, compared to about 50% for Schrier. Two other Democrats combined for close to 5%.
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Democrats hope to keep winning streak alive in Washington governor’s race
SEATTLE (AP) — Longtime Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is hoping to keep the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands, while former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is trying to become the state’s first GOP governor in 40 years.
The two are seeking to replace three-term Gov. Jay Inslee, who declined to seek reelection.
Ferguson, 59, has been the state’s attorney general since 2013. He came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the administration of former President Donald Trump, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority Muslim nations.
Reichert, 74, served two terms as the elected sheriff of King County, which includes Seattle, before spending seven terms in Congress. Reichert highlighted his 33 years at the sheriff’s office, including helping track down the Green River serial killer, Gary Ridgway.
Reichert faced an uphill battle in a state considered a Democratic stronghold. Ferguson received about 45% of the votes in the August primary to qualify for the general election, compared with about 27% for Reichert. Another Republican in that race, military veteran Semi Bird, got about 11% of the primary vote.
Reichert spent much of the campaign fending off Ferguson’s accusations that he wouldn’t protect abortion rights. Ferguson’s team often referenced Reichert’s history of voting for a nationwide ban on abortion starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy as evidence of him being “wildly out of touch with the majority of Washingtonians.”
Abortion has long been legal in Washington until viability, a determination left up to the judgment of a health care provider, and after that in cases where the pregnant individual’s health or life is threatened. Reichert vowed to enforce state law: “I will protect your rights, ladies,” he said during a debate.
Public safety was also a key issue in the campaign, with the state experiencing a rise in violent crime and ranking last in the nation in law enforcement officers per capita for more than 12 years running, according to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Both candidates vowed to hire more police.
Ferguson’s plan includes directing $100 million to help local jurisdictions bring more officers on board, including through hiring bonuses. Reichert argued that elected officials need to show they support law enforcement, including by protecting qualified immunity laws, in order to recruit more officers.
Ferguson prosecuted three Tacoma police officers in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who was restrained face-down on a sidewalk while pleading that he could not breathe. A jury acquitted them of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges last year.
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Landmark Washington climate law faces possible repeal by voters
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Voters in Washington state are considering whether to repeal a groundbreaking law that is forcing companies to cut carbon emissions while raising billions of dollars for programs that include habitat restoration and helping communities prepare for climate change.
Just two years after it was passed, the Climate Commitment Act, one of the most progressive climate policies ever passed by state lawmakers, is under fire from conservatives. They blame it for ramping up energy and gas costs in Washington, which has long had some of the highest gas prices in the nation.
The law requires major polluters to pay for the right to do so by buying “allowances.” One allowance equals 1 metric ton of greenhouse gas pollution. Each year the number of allowances available for purchase drops — with the idea of forcing companies to find ways to cut their emissions.
The law aims to slash carbon emissions to almost half of 1990 levels by the year 2030.
Those in favor of keeping the policy say not only would repeal not guarantee lower prices, but it would jeopardize billions of dollars in state revenue for years to come. Many programs are already funded, or soon will be, by the money polluters pay — including investments in air quality, fish habitat, wildfire prevention and transportation.
For months, the group behind the repeal effort, Let’s Go Washington, which is primarily bankrolled by hedge fund executive Brian Heywood, has held more than a dozen events at gas stations to speak out against what they call the “hidden gas tax.”
The group has said the carbon pricing program has increased costs from 43 to 53 cents per gallon, citing the conservative think tank Washington Policy Center.
Gas has gone as high as $5.12 per gallon since the auctions started, though it stood at $4.03 in October, according to GasBuddy. And the state’s historic high of $5.54 came several months before the auctions started in February 2023.
Without the program, the Office of Financial Management estimates that nearly $4 billion would vanish from the state budget over the next five years. During the previous legislative session, lawmakers approved a budget that runs through fiscal year 2025 with dozens of programs funded through the carbon pricing program, with belated start dates and stipulations that they would not take effect if these funds disappear.
Washington was the second state to launch this type of program, after California, with stringent annual targets. Repeal would sink Washington’s plans to link up its carbon market with others, and could be a blow to its efforts to help other states launch similar programs.
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Live Results: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington Primaries
Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington are up next with their primaries on Tuesday. Another dozen states will hold contests through September 10. See the calendar >>
Note that in Washington, all candidates appear on a single ballot. The top two finishers advance to the general election. The election is also conducted entirely by mail.
Use the links below for full results. Displayed are the poll closings converted to Eastern Time.
* 7:00 PM local time. The vast majority of Kansas and Michigan are in the time zone closing at 8:00 PM Eastern.
On this page, we’ll highlight some of the key races to watch, organized by office.
U.S. Senate
Michigan, Missouri, and Washington each have a Senate seat up this year. At this point, only Michigan looks to be competitive in the general election.
Michigan
Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow is retiring after four terms in office. Her party primary pits Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) against actor Hill Harper. Slotkin is a strong favorite to win the nomination.
For the Republicans, a larger field early in the campaign has shrunk as several prominent names withdrew. One of those, Sandy Pensler, withdrew too late to be removed from the ballot. Of the other three active candidates, Former Rep. Mike Rogers (MI-08) is favored over former Rep. Justin Amash (MI-03) and physician Sherry O’Donnell.
This article summarizes both primaries in a bit more detail.
Missouri
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley is unopposed for renomination. Most forecasters see him as likely to win a second term in November.
Lucas Kunce, who leads a nonprofit, is favored to win the Democratic nomination. Kunce ran for the state’s other Senate seat in 2022. He finished second to Trudy Busch Valentine in a large primary field that year.
Washington
Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell is favored to win a 5th term. She is joined by ten others on the all-party ballot, including five Republicans, three independents, and one Democrat.
Cantwell and Republican Raul Garcia are expected to advance to the general election. Garcia previously ran for governor in 2020, finishing fifth out of 36 (!!) candidates on the primary ballot that year.
U.S. House
There are two incumbents at risk of losing their seats in Tuesday’s primaries.
Missouri District 1 (Democratic)
The pro-Israel groups that helped oust Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D, NY-16) are looking to do the same here with Rep. Cori Bush. Both are members of “The Squad” of far-left Democrats. Like Bowman, Bush has been a vocal critic of Israel’s prosecution of the war with Hamas.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell has benefited from over $8 million in attack ads against Bush. The support has made this one of the most expensive House primaries in history.
Polling has been limited. A late July survey showed Bell with a 48% to 42% lead over Bush. The same pollster had it 43% to 42% for Bell a month earlier. Taken at face value, this indicates a competitive race perhaps moving toward Bell. However, some caution is warranted as the sponsor of the survey is supportive of Bell.
Washington District 4
Of the ten GOP House members that voted to impeach Donald Trump, only Reps. Dan Newhouse and David Valadao (CA-22) remain in Congress.
Newhouse has seven challengers on the primary ballot. The most notable are fellow Republicans Tiffany Smiley and Jerrod Sessler. Trump endorsed Sessler, a former NASCAR driver, early in the campaign.
Smiley, a nurse, ran for Senate in 2022, losing to Democrat Patty Murray in the general election. She received a late endorsement from Trump.
Given a split Democratic field in a strong GOP district, there’s a decent chance that two Republicans will advance to the general election. Whether the incumbent is one of them remains to be seen.
The remainder of these House primaries are in alphabetical order by state and then district.
Kansas District 2 (Republican)
Rep. Jake LaTurner is not seeking a third term. He won by a 15% margin in 2022 and most forecasters see the general election as safely Republican.
Endorsed by Donald Trump, former Attorney General Derek Schmidt is favored. Schmidt was the party’s nominee for governor in 2022, losing by 2% to incumbent Democrat, Laura Kelly.
Michigan District 8 (Both)
The retirement of six-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee has most forecasters rating this district a general election toss-up.
Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination; state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet appears to be the frontrunner.
The Republican field also numbers three. Paul Junge, who was the 8th district nominee in both 2020 and 2022, is expected to get a third opportunity to win the seat. Junge is a former TV news anchor and prosecutor.
The nearby 7th district is the state’s other toss-up general election race. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin is running for Senate. Democrat Curtis Hertel and Republican Tom Barrett have no primary opposition.
Michigan District 10 (Democratic)
Open after Census redistricting, Republican Rep. John James won this district in 2022 by about 0.5% over Democrat Carl Marlinga. James is unopposed for renomination.
Malinga is looking for a rematch, but must first get by three others on the primary ballot.
Missouri District 3 (Republican)
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer is retiring after eight terms. This is a safe GOP district; the incumbent won his final election by a 30% margin in 2022. There are seven candidates on the ballot, although state Rep. Justin Hicks has withdrawn from the race.
The nominee is expected to be either Bob Onder or Kurt Schaefer, both former state Senators. Onder has been endorsed by Donald Trump.
Washington District 3
One of the closest general election races in 2022 occurred here. Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez flipped the district, besting Republican Joe Kent by less than 1%.
Kent had finished second in the top-two primary that year, ousting incumbent Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler.
This primary is expected to result in a general election rematch in November.
Washington District 5
Incumbent Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is not seeking reelection. Eleven candidates are looking to succeed her. Per The Cook Political Report ($), “Spokane County Treasurer Michael Baumgartner is the only candidate with an almost guaranteed ticket to November. He’s been up on TV since mid-June with a series of ads touting his conservative record in the state senate, and has a $500,000 fundraising lead over his nearest competitor.”
Second place could go to a Democrat or another Republican. Either way, the seat is expected to remain in GOP hands after the November election.
Washington District 6
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Derek Kilmer is not seeking reelection. There are five candidates on the ballot. Three appear to be competitive: state Sen Emily Randall (D), Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz (D) and state Sen. Drew MacEwan (R).
The top two finishers could be both Democrats or one of the Democrats and MacEwan. Either way, the seat is expected to be won by Democrats in November.
Governor
Missouri
Republican Mike Parson is ineligible to run due to term-limit laws. The winner of the GOP primary will be favored to succeed him in November.
There are nine candidates on that ballot. Polling indicates a very tight race between Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe. Also seeing significant support is state Sen. Bill Eigel.
All three of these candidates have been endorsed by Donald Trump.
For the Democrats, most of the establishment support is behind House Minority Leader Crystal Quade. However, businessman Mike Hamra has raised more money, largely due to his ability to self-fund.
The only recent public poll ($) showed Hamra leading 23% to 21%. That is well within the margin of error, and may not ultimately be all that predictive given nearly half of those polled were still undecided.
Washington
Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee is not seeking a 4th term. A massive field of nearly 30 candidates is looking to succeed him. However, all signs point to Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) and former Rep. Dave Reichert (R, WA-08) advancing to the general election.
Although Washington hasn’t elected a Republican governor since 1980, the general election between these two is shaping up to be at least somewhat competitive.
Upcoming Elections and Events
Down-ballot primaries will continue through early September. The remaining ones are listed below, along with other contests we’ll be tracking during that period.
- August 10
- Hawaii Primary
- Honolulu Mayor (Primary)
- August 13
- Connecticut Primary
- Minnesota Primary
- Vermont Primary
- Wisconsin Primary
- Wisconsin U.S. House District 8 Special Primary
- Minnesota State Senate District 45 Special Primary
- August 19-22
- Democratic National Convention
- August 20
- Alaska Top-Four Primary
- Florida Primary
- Wyoming Primary
- August 27
- September 3
- September 10
- Delaware Primary
- New Hampshire Primary
- Rhode Island Primary
- August 10