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Washington House of Representatives elections, 2018

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2018 Washington
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GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryAugust 7, 2018
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Democrats expanded their majority in the 2018 elections for the Washington House of Representatives, winning 57 seats to Republicans' 41. At the time of the election, Democrats held 50 seats to Republicans' 48.

Ballotpedia identified 13 of the races as battlegrounds, including nine Republican-held districts and four Democratic-held districts. Of the 13 battlegrounds, Democrats won eight, including four Republican-held seats, and Republicans won 5.

Heading into the election, Washington had been under a Democratic trifecta since the party won a special state Senate election on November 7, 2017. This broke the state's divided government, which first formed in 2013 when Republicans took control of the state Senate. Heading into the election, Democrats had controlled the governor's office since 1985 and the state House since 2002. Had the Republican Party taken the chamber, it would have broken the Democratic trifecta.

The Washington House of Representatives was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2017, three chambers in Virginia and New Jersey were up for election. In 2016, 86 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. Prior to 2018, the Washington House of Representatives last held elections in 2016.

Washington state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primaries, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primaries, click here.


Post-election analysis

See also: State legislative elections, 2018

The Democratic Party maintained control of both chambers of the Washington State Legislature in the 2018 election. Both chambers of the Washington State Legislature were identified as battleground chambers. In the state Senate, 25 out of 49 seats were up for election. Democrats increased their majority in the Washington State Senate from 26-23 to 29-20. One Democratic incumbent and two Republican incumbents were defeated in the general election.

The Washington House of Representatives held elections for all 98 seats. The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives increased from 50-48 to 57-41. One Democratic incumbent and one Republican incumbent were defeated in the primary and six Republican incumbents were defeated in the general election.

National background

On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.

  • Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.

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Districts

See also: Washington state legislative districts

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Candidates

General election candidates

See also: Statistics on state legislative candidates, 2018

Washington House of Representatives General Elections 2018

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngDerek Stanford (i)

Josh Colver

District 1-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngShelley Kloba (i)

Debra Blodgett

District 2-Position 1

Anneliese Feld

Green check mark transparent.pngAndrew Barkis (i)

District 2-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJ.T. Wilcox (i)

District 3-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMarcus Riccelli (i)

Tom Taylor

District 3-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngTimm Ormsby (i)

Dave Lucas

District 4-Position 1

Ted Cummings

Green check mark transparent.pngMatthew Shea (i)

District 4-Position 2

Mary May

Green check mark transparent.pngBob McCaslin Jr. (i)

District 5-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Ramos

Chad Magendanz

District 5-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLisa Callan

Paul Graves (i)

District 6-Position 1

Kay Murano

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Volz (i)

District 6-Position 2

Dave Wilson

Green check mark transparent.pngJenny Graham

District 7-Position 1

Randall Michaelis

Green check mark transparent.pngJacquelin Maycumber (i)

District 7-Position 2

Mike Bell

Green check mark transparent.pngJoel Kretz (i)

District 8-Position 1

Shir Regev

Green check mark transparent.pngBrad Klippert (i)

District 8-Position 2

Christopher Tracy

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Boehnke

District 9-Position 1

Jenn Goulet  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMary Dye (i)

District 9-Position 2

Matthew Sutherland

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Schmick (i)

District 10-Position 1

Scott McMullen

Green check mark transparent.pngNorma Smith (i)

District 10-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Paul

Dave Hayes (i)

District 11-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngZack Hudgins (i)

District 11-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Bergquist (i)

District 12-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngKeith Goehner

Ann Diamond (Independent)

District 12-Position 2

Valerie Sarratt  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Steele (i)

District 13-Position 1

Jesse Hegstrom Oakey

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Dent (i)

District 13-Position 2

Sylvia Hammond

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Manweller (i)

District 14-Position 1

Sasha Bentley  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Corry

District 14-Position 2

Liz Hallock  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngGina Mosbrucker (i)

District 15-Position 1

Jack McEntire

Green check mark transparent.pngBruce Chandler (i)

District 15-Position 2

A.J. Cooper

Green check mark transparent.pngJeremie Dufault

District 16-Position 1

Everett Maroon  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Jenkin (i)

District 16-Position 2

Rebecca Francik

Green check mark transparent.pngSkyler Rude

District 17-Position 1

Tanisha Harris

Green check mark transparent.pngVicki Kraft (i)

District 17-Position 2

Damion Jiles Sr.

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Harris (i)

District 18-Position 1

Chris Thobaben

Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Vick (i)

District 18-Position 2

Kathy Gillespie

Green check mark transparent.pngLarry Hoff

District 19-Position 1

Erin Frasier

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Walsh (i)

District 19-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Blake (i)

Joel McEntire

District 20-Position 1

John Thompson

Green check mark transparent.pngRichard DeBolt (i)

District 20-Position 2

Brennan Bailey

Green check mark transparent.pngEd Orcutt (i)

District 21-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngStrom Peterson (i)

Amy Schaper

District 21-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLillian Ortiz-Self (i)

Petra Bigea

District 22-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngLaurie Dolan (i)

C Davis (Independent Party of Washington Party)

District 22-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngBeth Doglio (i)

Allen Acosta (Libertarian Party)

District 23-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngSherry Appleton (i)

Becky Erickson (Independent)

District 23-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngDrew Hansen (i)

District 24-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Chapman (i)

Jodi Wilke

District 24-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Tharinger (i)

Jim McEntire

District 25-Position 1

Jamie Smith

Green check mark transparent.pngKelly Chambers

District 25-Position 2

Brian Duthie

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Gildon

District 26-Position 1

Connie FitzPatrick

Green check mark transparent.pngJesse L. Young (i)

District 26-Position 2

Joy Stanford

Green check mark transparent.pngMichelle Caldier (i)

District 27-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngLaurie Jinkins (i)

Kyle Paskewitz

District 27-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJake Fey (i)

Donald Golden (Independent Party of Washington Party)

District 28-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMari Leavitt

Dick Muri (i)

District 28-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngChristine Kilduff (i)

Maia Espinoza

District 29-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMelanie Morgan

Terry Harder

District 29-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Kirby (i)

District 30-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Pellicciotti (i)

Linda Kochmar

District 30-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngKristine Reeves (i)

C. Mark Greene

District 31-Position 1

Victoria Mena

Green check mark transparent.pngDrew Stokesbary (i)

District 31-Position 2

Mark Boswell

Green check mark transparent.pngMorgan Irwin (i)

District 32-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngCindy Ryu (i)

Diodato Boucsieguez

District 32-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLauren Davis

Frank Deisler

District 33-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngTina Orwall (i)

District 33-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMia Gregerson (i)

Anthony Lamb

District 34-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngEileen Cody (i)

District 34-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Fitzgibbon (i)  Candidate Connection

District 35-Position 1

James Thomas

Green check mark transparent.pngDan Griffey (i)

District 35-Position 2

David Daggett

Green check mark transparent.pngDrew MacEwen (i)

District 36-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngNoel Frame (i)

Sydney Gillman Wissel (Libertarian Party)

District 36-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngGael Tarleton (i)

Matt Dubin (Libertarian Party)

District 37-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Tomiko Santos (i)

District 37-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngEric Pettigrew (i)

Tamra Smilanich (Independent Party of Washington Party)

District 38-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJune Robinson (i)

Bert Johnson (Independent Party of Washington Party)

District 38-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Sells (i)

District 39-Position 1

Ivan Lewis

Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Sutherland

District 39-Position 2

Eric Halvorson

Green check mark transparent.pngCarolyn Eslick (i)

District 40-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngDebra Lekanoff

Michael Petrish

District 40-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJeff Morris (i)

District 41-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngTana Senn (i)

Tim Cruickshank

District 41-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMy-Linh Thai

Michael Appleby

District 42-Position 1

Justin Boneau

Green check mark transparent.pngLuanne Van Werven (i)

District 42-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Shewmake

Vincent Buys (i)

District 43-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngNicole Macri (i)

John Peeples

District 43-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngFrank Chopp (i)

Claire Torstenbo

District 44-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lovick (i)

Jeff Sax

District 44-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJared Mead

Mark Harmsworth (i)

District 45-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngRoger Goodman (i)

Michael Curtis

District 45-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLarry Springer (i)

Amber Krabach

District 46-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngGerry Pollet (i)

Jeff Patton

District 46-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJavier Valdez (i)

Jerry Zeiger-Buccola

District 47-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngDebra Entenman

Mark Hargrove (i)

District 47-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngPat Sullivan (i)

Ted Cooke  Candidate Connection

District 48-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngVandana Slatter (i)

District 48-Position 2

Cindi Bright
Green check mark transparent.pngAmy Walen

District 49-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Wylie (i)

District 49-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMonica Jurado Stonier (i)


Primary candidates

The candidate list below is based on a list provided by the Washington Secretary of State website on May 31, 2018. The filing deadline for the August primary was on May 18, 2018.[1]

Washington House of Representatives Primary Elections 2018

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngDerek Stanford (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJosh Colver

Colin McMahon (Independent)

District 1-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngShelley Kloba (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDebra Blodgett

Matt Seymour (Libertarian Party)

District 2-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngAnneliese Feld

Green check mark transparent.pngAndrew Barkis (i)

District 2-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJ.T. Wilcox (i)

District 3-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMarcus Riccelli (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Taylor

District 3-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngTimm Ormsby (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Lucas

District 4-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngTed Cummings

Green check mark transparent.pngMatthew Shea (i)

District 4-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMary May

Green check mark transparent.pngBob McCaslin Jr. (i)

District 5-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Ramos

Green check mark transparent.pngChad Magendanz

District 5-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLisa Callan

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Graves (i)

Ryan Burkett (Independent)

District 6-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngKay Murano

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Volz (i)

District 6-Position 2

Rion Ametu
Green check mark transparent.pngDave Wilson

John Aiken Jr.
Green check mark transparent.pngJenny Graham

District 7-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngRandall Michaelis

Green check mark transparent.pngJacquelin Maycumber (i)

District 7-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Bell
Crystal Oliver

Green check mark transparent.pngJoel Kretz (i)

Christine Ives (Independent)

District 8-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngShir Regev

Green check mark transparent.pngBrad Klippert (i)
Phillip Lemley

District 8-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngChristopher Tracy

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Boehnke
Gregg McConnell

District 9-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJenn Goulet  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMary Dye (i)

District 9-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMatthew Sutherland

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Schmick (i)

District 10-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngScott McMullen

Green check mark transparent.pngNorma Smith (i)

District 10-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Paul

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Hayes (i)

District 11-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngZack Hudgins (i)

District 11-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Bergquist (i)

District 12-Position 1

C. Keiki Stacy Weigle

Green check mark transparent.pngKeith Goehner
JD Greening

Green check mark transparent.pngAnn Diamond (Independent)

District 12-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngValerie Sarratt  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Steele (i)

Alan Fahnestock (Independent)

District 13-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJesse Hegstrom Oakey

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Dent (i)

District 13-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSylvia Hammond

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Manweller (i)

District 14-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngSasha Bentley  Candidate Connection
Earl Steven Lee

Kathy Coffey
Green check mark transparent.pngChris Corry

District 14-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLiz Hallock  Candidate Connection
Noah Ramirez

Green check mark transparent.pngGina Mosbrucker (i)

District 15-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJack McEntire

Green check mark transparent.pngBruce Chandler (i)

District 15-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngA.J. Cooper

David Taylor (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngJeremie Dufault

Mario Martinez (Independent)

District 16-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngEverett Maroon  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Jenkin (i)

District 16-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Francik

Dan Mildon
Green check mark transparent.pngSkyler Rude

District 17-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngTanisha Harris
James Tolson

Green check mark transparent.pngVicki Kraft (i)

District 17-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngDamion Jiles Sr.

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Harris (i)

District 18-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Thobaben

Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Vick (i)

District 18-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngKathy Gillespie

Green check mark transparent.pngLarry Hoff

District 19-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngErin Frasier

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Walsh (i)

District 19-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Blake (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJoel McEntire
David Parsons

District 20-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Thompson

Green check mark transparent.pngRichard DeBolt (i)

District 20-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngBrennan Bailey

Green check mark transparent.pngEd Orcutt (i)

Mark Smith (Independent)

District 21-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngStrom Peterson (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngAmy Schaper

District 21-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLillian Ortiz-Self (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngPetra Bigea

District 22-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngLaurie Dolan (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngC Davis (Independent Party of Washington Party)

District 22-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngBeth Doglio (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngAllen Acosta (Libertarian Party)

District 23-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngSherry Appleton (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngBecky Erickson (Independent)

District 23-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngDrew Hansen (i)

District 24-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Chapman (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJodi Wilke

District 24-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Tharinger (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJim McEntire

District 25-Position 1

Julie Door
Green check mark transparent.pngJamie Smith

Green check mark transparent.pngKelly Chambers
Emmett Smith

District 25-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Duthie

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Gildon

Ned Witting (Independent)

District 26-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngConnie FitzPatrick

Green check mark transparent.pngJesse L. Young (i)
Naomi Evans

District 26-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJoy Stanford

Green check mark transparent.pngMichelle Caldier (i)
Randy Boss

Marco Padilla (People Over Party)

District 27-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngLaurie Jinkins (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngKyle Paskewitz

District 27-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJake Fey (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Golden (Independent Party of Washington Party)

District 28-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMari Leavitt

Green check mark transparent.pngDick Muri (i)

District 28-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngChristine Kilduff (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngMaia Espinoza

District 29-Position 1

David Sawyer (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngMelanie Morgan

Janis Clark
Green check mark transparent.pngTerry Harder

District 29-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Kirby (i)

District 30-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Pellicciotti (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngLinda Kochmar

District 30-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngKristine Reeves (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngC. Mark Greene

District 31-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngVictoria Mena

Green check mark transparent.pngDrew Stokesbary (i)

District 31-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Boswell

Green check mark transparent.pngMorgan Irwin (i)

Steve Skutt (Independent)

District 32-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngCindy Ryu (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDiodato Boucsieguez

Keith Smith (Centrist Party)

District 32-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLauren Davis
Chris Roberts

Green check mark transparent.pngFrank Deisler

District 33-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngTina Orwall (i)

District 33-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMia Gregerson (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngAnthony Lamb

District 34-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngEileen Cody (i)

District 34-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Fitzgibbon (i)  Candidate Connection

District 35-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJames Thomas

Green check mark transparent.pngDan Griffey (i)

District 35-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Daggett

Green check mark transparent.pngDrew MacEwen (i)

District 36-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngNoel Frame (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngSydney Gillman Wissel (Libertarian Party)

District 36-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngGael Tarleton (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Dubin (Libertarian Party)

District 37-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Tomiko Santos (i)

District 37-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngEric Pettigrew (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTamra Smilanich (Independent Party of Washington Party)
John Dickinson (Independent)

District 38-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJune Robinson (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngBert Johnson (Independent Party of Washington Party)

District 38-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Sells (i)

District 39-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngIvan Lewis

Randy Hayden
Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Sutherland

District 39-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngEric Halvorson

Green check mark transparent.pngCarolyn Eslick (i)

District 40-Position 1

Rud Browne
Green check mark transparent.pngDebra Lekanoff
Tom Pasma
Alex Ramel

Daniel Miller
Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Petrish

District 40-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJeff Morris (i)

District 41-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngTana Senn (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Cruickshank

Nathaniel Deily (Libertarian Party)

District 41-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMy-Linh Thai
Wendy Weiker

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Appleby

District 42-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJustin Boneau

Green check mark transparent.pngLuanne Van Werven (i)
Dean Berkeley

District 42-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Shewmake

Green check mark transparent.pngVincent Buys (i)

District 43-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngNicole Macri (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Peeples

District 43-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngFrank Chopp (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngClaire Torstenbo

Boris Joffe (Independent)  Candidate Connection

District 44-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lovick (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJeff Sax

District 44-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJared Mead

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Harmsworth (i)

District 45-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngRoger Goodman (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Curtis

District 45-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngLarry Springer (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngAmber Krabach

District 46-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngGerry Pollet (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJeff Patton

District 46-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJavier Valdez (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Zeiger-Buccola

District 47-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngDebra Entenman

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Hargrove (i)

James Dillon (Independent)

District 47-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngPat Sullivan (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTed Cooke  Candidate Connection
Lindsey Shumway

District 48-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngVandana Slatter (i)

District 48-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngCindi Bright
Green check mark transparent.pngAmy Walen

District 49-Position 1

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Wylie (i)

District 49-Position 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMonica Jurado Stonier (i)

Margins of victory

See also: Margin of victory analysis for the 2018 state legislative elections

A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 Washington House of Representatives races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.

The table below presents the following figures for each party:

  • Elections won
  • Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
  • Elections won without opposition
  • Average margin of victory[2]
Washington House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis
Party Elections won Elections won by less than 10% Unopposed elections Average margin of victory[2]
Democratic Party Democratic
57
8
13
32.8%
Republican Party Republican
41
11
1
17.7%
Grey.png Other
0
0
0
N/A
Total
98
19
14
25.2%



The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).

Washington House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory by District
District Winning Party Losing Party Margin of Victory
Washington House of Representatives District 42-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
0.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 19-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
0.9%
Washington House of Representatives District 10-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
0.9%
Washington House of Representatives District 6-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
1.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 25-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
1.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 42-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
1.4%
Washington House of Representatives District 17-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
1.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 25-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
2.4%
Washington House of Representatives District 35-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
2.4%
Washington House of Representatives District 5-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
3.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 26-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
3.7%
Washington House of Representatives District 10-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
4.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 44-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
4.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 5-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
4.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
5.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 28-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
5.6%
Washington House of Representatives District 6-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
6.9%
Washington House of Representatives District 47-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
7.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 19-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
8.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 26-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
10.2%
Washington House of Representatives District 18-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
11.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 12-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Grey.png Independent
11.4%
Washington House of Representatives District 24-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
11.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
13.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 44-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
14.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 28-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
15.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 17-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
15.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 35-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
15.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 4-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
15.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 24-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
16.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 39-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
16.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 31-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
17.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 14-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
17.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 31-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
17.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 23-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Grey.png Independent
18.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 2-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
18.2%
Washington House of Representatives District 15-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
19.4%
Washington House of Representatives District 9-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
21.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 16-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
21.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 14-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
22.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 29-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
22.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 13-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
22.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 3-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
22.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 30-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
22.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 38-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Grey.png Independent Party
22.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 4-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
23.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 20-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
24.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 16-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
25.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 47-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
25.6%
Washington House of Representatives District 1-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
26.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 12-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
27.6%
Washington House of Representatives District 20-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
27.9%
Washington House of Representatives District 3-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
28.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 9-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
28.4%
Washington House of Representatives District 30-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
28.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 41-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
30.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 8-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
30.6%
Washington House of Representatives District 21-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
30.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 41-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
31.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 21-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
31.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 8-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
32.6%
Washington House of Representatives District 40-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
34.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 45-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
34.9%
Washington House of Representatives District 45-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
35.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 7-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
35.7%
Washington House of Representatives District 33-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
35.7%
Washington House of Representatives District 7-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
36.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 1-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
39.2%
Washington House of Representatives District 22-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Specialsession.png Libertarian
39.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 22-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Grey.png Independent Party
40.4%
Washington House of Representatives District 27-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
42.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 13-Position 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
42.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 27-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Grey.png Independent Party
44.7%
Washington House of Representatives District 48-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
46.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 32-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
48.6%
Washington House of Representatives District 32-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
51.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 15-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
55.8%
Washington House of Representatives District 46-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
65.5%
Washington House of Representatives District 46-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
66.9%
Washington House of Representatives District 36-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Specialsession.png Libertarian
72.1%
Washington House of Representatives District 37-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Grey.png Independent Party
77.0%
Washington House of Representatives District 36-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Specialsession.png Libertarian
77.2%
Washington House of Representatives District 43-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
78.7%
Washington House of Representatives District 43-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
82.3%
Washington House of Representatives District 11-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 11-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 2-Position 2
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 23-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 29-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 33-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 34-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 34-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 37-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 38-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 40-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 48-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 49-Position 1
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Washington House of Representatives District 49-Position 2
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed


Seats flipped

See also: State legislative seats that changed party control, 2018

The below map displays each seat in the Washington House of Representatives which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.

State legislative seats flipped in 2018, Washington House of Representatives
District Incumbent 2018 winner Direction of flip
Washington House of Representatives District 10-Position 2 Republican Party Dave Hayes Democratic Party Dave Paul R to D
Washington House of Representatives District 28-Position 1 Republican Party Dick Muri Democratic Party Mari Leavitt R to D
Washington House of Representatives District 42-Position 2 Republican Party Vincent Buys Democratic Party Sharon Shewmake R to D
Washington House of Representatives District 44-Position 2 Republican Party Mark Harmsworth Democratic Party Jared Mead R to D
Washington House of Representatives District 47-Position 1 Republican Party Mark Hargrove Democratic Party Debra Entenman R to D
Washington House of Representatives District 5-Position 1 Republican Party Jay Rodne Democratic Party Bill Ramos R to D
Washington House of Representatives District 5-Position 2 Republican Party Paul Graves Democratic Party Lisa Callan R to D

Incumbents retiring

Fourteen incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018. Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Jay Rodne Ends.png Republican House District 5-Position 1
Jeff Holy Ends.png Republican House District 6-Position 2
Larry Haler Ends.png Republican House District 8-Position 2
Cary Condotta Ends.png Republican House District 12-Position 1
Norm Johnson Ends.png Republican House District 14-Position 1
Terry Nealey Ends.png Republican House District 16-Position 2
Liz Pike Ends.png Republican House District 18-Position 2
Melanie Stambaugh Ends.png Republican House District 25-Position 1
Joyce McDonald Ends.png Republican House District 25-Position 2
Ruth Kagi Electiondot.png Democratic House District 32-Position 2
Dan Kristiansen Ends.png Republican House District 39-Position 1
Kristine Lytton Electiondot.png Democratic House District 40-Position 1
Judy Clibborn Electiondot.png Democratic House District 41-Position 2
Joan McBride Electiondot.png Democratic House District 48-Position 2

2018 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2018

Ballotpedia identified the Washington House of Representatives as one of 22 battleground chambers in 2018. These were chambers that we anticipated to be, overall, more competitive than other chambers and had the potential to see significant shifts in party control.


The chamber was selected because it met the following conditions:

  • Competitive seats: In 2016, four Democratic seats had a margin of victory that was less than 10 percent. Nine Republican seats had a margin of victory that was less than 10 percent. See the 2018 races to watch here.
  • Majority held less than 55 percent of seats: Heading into the 2018 elections, Democrats controlled 50 seats of 98 seats, which is 51.0 percent of the total.

Battleground races

Washington House of Representatives
Battleground races
Democratic seats
Democratic Party District 28-Position 2
Democratic Party District 30-Position 1
Democratic Party District 30-Position 2
Democratic Party District 44-Position 1
Republican seats
Republican Party District 5-Position 1
Republican Party District 5-Position 2
Republican Party District 17-Position 1
Republican Party District 19-Position 1
Republican Party District 28-Position 1
Republican Party District 35-Position 1
Republican Party District 35-Position 2
Republican Party District 42-Position 1
Republican Party District 44-Position 2

Ballotpedia identified 13 battleground races in the Washington House of Representatives 2018 elections: four Democratic seats and nine Republican seats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.

To determine state legislative battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

  1. If the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election prior to 2018
  2. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent’s margin of victory in the previous election was 10 percentage points or less
  3. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent did not file to run for re-election
  4. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections by 20 points or more

Other factors could also cause a race to be classified as a battleground. For example, Ballotpedia may have considered an election to be a battleground race if an outside group or a national or state party announced that they were targeting a specific seat in order to flip it. We may have also determined a race to be a battleground if it received an unusual amount of media attention. Two additional factors were open seats and districts impacted by redistricting.


Republican PartyDistrict 5-Position 1

Who won this race?

Democrat Bill Ramos defeated Republican Chad Magendanz.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Bill Ramos
Republican Party Chad Magendanz

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Jay Rodne (R) was first appointed in 2004. He was re-elected in 2016. He received 51.9 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 3.9 points. District 5 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 5 by 17.6 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 9.1 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 5-Position 2

Who won this race?

Democrat Lisa Callan defeated Republican incumbent Paul Graves.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Lisa Callan
Republican Party Paul Graves (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Paul Graves (R) was first elected in 2016. He received 53.8 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 7.5 points. District 5 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 5 by 17.6 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 9.1 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 17-Position 1

Who won this race?

Republican incumbent Vicki Kraft defeated Democrat Tanisha Harris.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Tanisha Harris
Republican Party Vicki Kraft (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Vicki Kraft (R) was first elected in 2016. She received 51.7 percent of the vote and defeated Independent Democrat Sam Kim by 3.3 points. District 17 was one of 19 Washington state legislative districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 17 by 1.4 points. Mitt Romney (R) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 1.1 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 19-Position 1

Who won this race?

Republican incumbent Jim Walsh defeated Democrat Erin Frasier.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Erin Frasier
Republican Party Jim Walsh (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Jim Walsh (R) was first elected in 2016. He received 50.5 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 1.0 points. District 19 was one of 19 Washington state legislative districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 19 by 8.9 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 9.9 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 28-Position 1

Who won this race?

Democrat Mari Leavitt defeated Republican incumbent Dick Muri.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Mari Leavitt
Republican Party Dick Muri (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Dick Muri (R) was first appointed in 2013. He was re-elected in 2016. He received 52.1 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 4.2 points. District 28 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 28 by 13.7 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 11.1 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 28-Position 2

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent Christine Kilduff defeated Republican Maia Espinoza.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Christine Kilduff (incumbent)
Republican Party Maia Espinoza

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Christine Kilduff (D) was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. She received 54.7 percent of the vote and defeated her Republican challenger by 9.4 points. District 28 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 28 by 13.7 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 11.1 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 30-Position 1

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent Mike Pellicciotti defeated Republican Linda Kochmar.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Mike Pellicciotti (incumbent)
Republican Party Linda Kochmar

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Mike Pellicciotti (D) was first elected in 2016. He received 54.4 percent of the vote and defeated Republican incumbent Linda Kochmar by 8.8 points. District 30 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 30 by 20.8 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 19.5 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 30-Position 2

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent Kristine Reeves defeated Republican Mark Greene.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Kristine Reeves (incumbent)
Republican Party Mark Greene

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Kristine Reeves (D) was first elected in 2016. She received 51.1 percent of the vote and defeated Republican incumbent Teri Hickel by 2.2 points. District 30 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 30 by 20.8 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 19.5 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 35-Position 1

Who won this race?

Republican incumbent Dan Griffey defeated Democrat James Thomas.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party James Thomas
Republican Party Dan Griffey (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Dan Griffey (R) was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. He received 54.99 percent of the vote and defeated Independent Democrat Irene Bowling by 9.98 points. District 35 was one of 19 Washington state legislative districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 35 by 2.3 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 5.5 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 35-Position 2

Who won this race?

Republican incumbent Drew MacEwen defeated Democrat David Daggett.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party David Daggett
Republican Party Drew MacEwen (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Drew MacEwen (R) was first elected in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016. He received 54.2 percent of the vote and defeated Independent Democrat Craig Patti by 8.4 points. District 35 was one of 19 Washington state legislative districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 35 by 2.3 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 5.5 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 42-Position 1

Who won this race?

Republican incumbent Luanne Van Werven defeated Democrat Justin Boneau.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Justin Boneau
Republican Party Luanne Van Werven (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016 and the presidential candidate of the opposite party won. Incumbent Luanne Van Werven (R) was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. She received 54.6 percent of the vote and defeated her Democratic challenger by 8.4 points. District 42 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 42 by 3.1 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 2.3 points.

Democratic PartyDistrict 44-Position 1

Who won this race?

Democratic incumbent John Lovick defeated Republican Jeff Sax.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Democratic Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party John Lovick (incumbent)
Republican Party Jeff Sax

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent John Lovick (D) was first appointed in June 2016 and was elected in November 2016. He received 52.0 percent of the vote and defeated his Republican challenger by 4.0 points. District 44 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 44 by 10.7 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 10.5 points.

Republican PartyDistrict 44-Position 2

Who won this race?

Democrat Jared Mead defeated Republican incumbent Mark Harmsworth.

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Democratic Party Jared Mead
Republican Party Mark Harmsworth (incumbent)

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in 2016. Incumbent Mark Harmsworth (R) was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. He received 54.6 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic challenger by 9.1 points. District 44 was one of 30 Washington state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 44 by 10.7 points. Barack Obama (D) won the district in the 2012 presidential election by 10.5 points.

Battleground races map

Washington political history

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and State government trifectas

Party control

2018

In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Washington House of Representatives from 50-48 to 57-41.

Washington House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 50 57
     Republican Party 48 41
Total 98 98

2016

In the 2016 elections, no changes occurred to the partisan balance of the Washington House of Representatives.

Washington House of Representatives
Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
     Democratic Party 50 50
     Republican Party 48 48
Total 98 98

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans gained control of the state Senate through coalitions following the 2012 elections, moving Washington's state government to divided control. Prior to that, Democrats had held a trifecta since the 2004 elections.

Washington Party Control: 1992-2024
Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
Senate R D D D D R R D D D D R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R[3] D D D D D D D
House D D D R R R R S S S D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

State legislative wave elections
Year President Party Election type State legislative seats change Elections analyzed[4]
1932 Hoover R Presidential -1,022 7,365
1922 Harding R First midterm -907 6,907
1966 Johnson D First midterm[5] -782 7,561
1938 Roosevelt D Second midterm -769 7,179
1958 Eisenhower R Second midterm -702 7,627
2010 Obama D First midterm -702 7,306
1974 Ford R Second midterm[6] -695 7,481
1920 Wilson D Presidential -654 6,835
1930 Hoover R Presidential -640 7,361
1954 Eisenhower R First midterm -494 7,513

Candidate and office information

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Washington

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Chapter 29A.24 of the Washington Election Code

A candidate who desires to have his or her name printed on the ballot for election to an office other than president or vice president must complete and file a declaration of candidacy. The candidate must do the following:

  • declare that he or she is a registered voter within the jurisdiction of the office for which he or she is filing (the candidate must include the address at which he or she is registered)
  • indicate the position for which he or she is filing
  • state a party preference, if the office is a partisan office
  • indicate the amount of the filing fee accompanying the declaration of candidacy (the candidate may also indicate that he or she is filing a petition in lieu of the filing fee)
  • sign the declaration of candidacy, stating that the information provided on the form is true and swearing or affirming that he or she will support the constitution and laws of the United States and the constitution and laws of the state of Washington[7]

The filing period for candidates begins on the first Monday in May and ends the following Friday in the year in which the office is scheduled to be voted upon. For statewide offices and state legislative districts, candidates file with the secretary of state. Candidates must also submit the declaration of candidacy to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission within one business day after the filing period has ended.[8][9]

A filing fee equal to 1 percent of the annual salary of the office at the time of filing must accompany the declaration of candidacy for any office with a fixed annual salary of more than $1,000. For offices that pay less than $1,000, candidates must pay a filing fee of $10.[10] A candidate who lacks sufficient assets or income at the time of filing may submit with his or her declaration of candidacy a filing fee petition. The petition must contain signatures from registered voters equal to the number of dollars of the filing fee.

For write-in candidates

Any person who desires to be a write-in candidate and have his or her votes counted at a primary or general election can file a declaration of candidacy with the Washington Secretary of State and the Washington Public Disclosure Commission up to 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary or general election. A declaration of candidacy for a write-in candidate must be accompanied by a filing fee or a filing fee petition with the required signatures if filing within 18 days of the election (fees and signature requirements are the same as those summarized above).[11]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 7 of Article 2 of the Washington State Constitution states, "No person shall be eligible to the legislature who shall not be a citizen of the United States and a qualified voter in the district for which he is chosen."

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[12]
SalaryPer diem
$60,191/year for senators. $61,997/year for representatives.$202/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Washington legislators assume office the second Monday of January.[13]

Competitiveness

Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.

Results from 2016

Click here to read the full study »


Historical context

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

F5 Pop. % with uncontested state legislative races.png

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 39 Washington counties—12.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Clallam County, Washington 2.76% 0.38% 3.30%
Cowlitz County, Washington 13.32% 4.44% 11.15%
Grays Harbor County, Washington 6.99% 14.11% 14.56%
Mason County, Washington 5.81% 7.09% 8.66%
Pacific County, Washington 6.74% 11.52% 14.07%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Washington with 52.5 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 36.8 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Washington cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 73.3 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Washington supported Democratic candidates for president more often than Republican candidates, 53.3 to 43.3 percent. The state favored Democrats in every election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Washington. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[14][15]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 34 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 25.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 30 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 32.1 points.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 15 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 13.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 19 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 14.9 points.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Washington Secretary of State, "2018 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 31, 2018
  2. 2.0 2.1 Excludes unopposed elections
  3. Democrats gained full control of the state Senate after a special election on November 7, 2017.
  4. The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
  5. Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
  6. Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
  7. Washington Election Code, "Chapter 29A.24.031," accessed April 29, 2025
  8. Washington Election Code, "Chapter 29A.24.050," accessed April 29, 2025
  9. Washington Election Code, "Chapter 29A.24.070," accessed April 29, 2025
  10. Washington Election Code, "Chapter 29A.24.091," accessed April 29, 2025
  11. Washington Election Code, "Chapter 29A.24.311," accessed April 29, 2025
  12. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  13. Washington State Legislature, "RCW 44.04.021 Commencement of terms of office," accessed February 17, 2021
  14. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  15. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017


Leadership
Speaker of the House:Laurie Jinkins
Majority Leader:Joe Fitzgibbon
Minority Leader:Drew Stokesbary
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Dave Paul (D)
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Amy Walen (D)
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Democratic Party (59)
Republican Party (39)