The election result was a mixed bag nationally, but Washington state saw a progressive wave adding to its Democrat majorities in the state house and senate. Governor Jay Inslee easily won re-election to a third term. Due to incredibly high and early turnout, it appears the early returns on election night will hold, though there are more ballots to count.
The senate appears set to go from a 28-21 split to 29-20. Democrats won two seats with T’wina Nobles defeating Steve O’Ban in the 28th District and Helen Price Johnson edging out Ron Muzzall in the 10th District by a razor-thin 279-vote margin—update: she’s trailing by 1,210 votes after Saturday’s drop. Nobles earned our endorsement and truly represents a 180 from conservative firebrand O’Ban. Democrats also lost one seat as Senator Dean Takko succumb to a Republican challenger in the 19th District–a largely rural area that has been trending toward conservatives.
The state house was already 57-41 before three big pickup opportunities where they led on election night.
- Angie Homola, 10th Legislative District (Update: Trailing by 414 vote after Saturday drop)
- Tanisha Harris, 17th Legislative District (Update: Trailing by 1,783 votes after Saturday drop)
- Alicia Rule, 42nd Legislative District (Update: Still leading)
Hopes of challengers surfing a blue wave in conservative-learning (although increasingly purple) districts like the 6th, 25th, and 26th didn’t materialize, although some candidates–like Carrie Hesch and Zack Zappone–came tantalizingly close. The conservative shift in the 19th also cost Democrat’s Brian Blake’s house seat. Thus, it appears the next session’s partisan split will be 59-39 still be 57-41 the house.
The shift in the state legislature wasn’t just expressed in flipping seats, but also in electing more progressive members in seats already held by the Democrats. The marquee race on this front is the 5th where Ingrid Anderson is clinging to a 415-vote lead over Senator Mark Mullet. (Update: she’s trailing by 88 votes after Saturday’s drop). Anderson is a progressive union-backed nurse, while Mullet is a moderate businessman backed by corporations and notorious for blocking progressive tax reform and climate action.
The house had a few bold challenges of incumbent moderate Democrats, as well. Not all succeeded, but David Hackney (whom The Urbanist endorsed) unseated Zach Hudgins in the 11th District in a landslide.
