Five months after holding the presidential primaries, Washington state is turning its attention to selecting candidates for federal and state offices for the November elections. The retirements of Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, Democratic Rep. Derek Kilmer, and Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers have brought excitement to the primaries in this left-leaning state.
The governor’s race is particularly crowded with 28 candidates, including the current state attorney general, Bob Ferguson, who has raised over $8.6 million. Additionally, the state’s executive offices are also seeing changes, with three of them lacking incumbents.
In the state’s 6th Congressional District, which has been represented by a Democrat since 1965, Democratic incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez faces challengers after flipping the district in the 2022 midterms. The race for McMorris Rodgers’ seat in the eastern part of the state has attracted nearly a dozen candidates with varied experience.
The top-two primary system in Washington means that all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, with the top two moving on to the general election in November. The state conducts its elections entirely by mail, with absentee ballots sent to all registered voters.
As Washington heads to its primary day on Tuesday, 62 contested races will be covered, including governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state executive offices, state Supreme Court, and the state legislative chambers. Turnout is a key factor to watch, with over 608,000 ballots already cast in the all-party primaries as of July 31st. The election results are expected to be announced gradually, with votes from populous counties like King, Pierce, and Snohomish being crucial in determining the outcome.
With less than three months until the November general election, the races in Washington state are heating up as candidates compete for various positions with considerable interest and funding from supporters.
