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Washington State Senate District 46

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Washington State Senate District 46
Incumbent
Assumed office: January 9, 2023

Washington State Senate District 46 is represented by Javier Valdez (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Washington state senators represented an average of 157,468 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 137,824 residents.

About the office

Members of the Washington State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Washington legislators assume office the second Monday of January.[1]

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."[2]


Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[3]
SalaryPer diem
$60,191/year for senators. $61,997/year for representatives.$202/day

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Washington State Legislature, the board of county commissioners where the vacant seat is located has the responsibility to select a replacement. The county central committee of the political party that last held the seat must submit a list of three candidates to the board of county commissioners representing the vacant district. If the vacancy occurs in the office of a joint senator or joint representative, the state central committee is responsible for submitting the list of three candidates. A selection must be made within 60 days after the vacancy occurred. The person appointed will hold the seat until his or her successor is elected at the next general or special election in November.[4]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Washington Const. Art. 2, Sec. 15


District map

Redistricting

2020 redistricting cycle

See also: Redistricting in Washington after the 2020 census


On March 15, 2024, Judge Robert Lasnik of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ordered the state to adopt a new legislative map named Remedial Map 3B that complies with the Voting Rights Act. Judge Lasnik ordered Washington to redraw a legislative district in the Yakima Valley region because its boundaries undermined the ability of Latino voters to participate equally in elections. According to the district court's decision:[5][6]

The task of fashioning a remedy for a Voting Rights Act violation is not one that falls within the Court’s normal duties. It is only because the State declined to reconvene the Redistricting Commission – with its expertise, staff, and ability to solicit public comments – that the Court was compelled to step in. Nevertheless, with the comprehensive and extensive presentations from the parties, the participation of the Yakama Nation, and the able assistance of Ms. Mac Donald, the Court is confident that the adopted map best achieves the many goals of the remedial process. The Secretary of State is hereby ORDERED to conduct future elections according to Remedial Map 3B...[6][7]

On August 10, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington struck down the state's legislative maps, which were drawn by the bipartisan state Redistricting Commission in 2021, after finding that they discriminate against Latino voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act. At the time, the 15th district encompassed parts of five counties in south-central Washington and was represented by three Republicans.[5]

“The question in this case is whether the state has engaged in line-drawing which, in combination with the social and historical conditions in the Yakima Valley region, impairs the ability of Latino voters in that area to elect their candidate of choice on an equal basis with other voters. The answer is yes,” Judge Lasnik wrote in the district court's 32-page decision.[5]

How does redistricting in Washington work? In Washington, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by a five-member non-politician commission. The commission was established by constitutional amendment in 1983. The majority and minority leaders of the Washington State Senate and Washington House of Representatives each appoint one registered voter to the commission. These four commissioners appoint a fifth, non-voting member to serve as the commission's chair. In the event that the four voting commissioners cannot agree on a chair, the Washington Supreme Court must appoint one.[8]

The Washington Constitution stipulates that no commission member may have been an elected official or party officer in the two-year period prior to his or her appointment. Individuals who have registered with the state as lobbyists within the past year are also prohibited from serving on the commission.[8]

The Washington State Legislature may amend the commission's maps by a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber.[8]

The state constitution requires that congressional and state legislative districts "should be contiguous, compact, and convenient, and follow natural, geographic, artificial, or political subdivision boundaries." The constitution states that the redistricting commission "must not purposely draw plans to favor or discriminate against any political party or group."[8]

State statutes require that congressional and state legislative districts "preserve areas recognized as communities of interest." State statutes also require the commission to draw districts that "provide fair and effective representation" and "encourage electoral competition."[8]

Washington State Senate District 46
before 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Washington State Senate District 46
after 2020 redistricting cycle

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2022

See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Washington State Senate District 46

Javier Valdez defeated Matthew Gross in the general election for Washington State Senate District 46 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Javier Valdez
Javier Valdez (D)
 
84.9
 
55,915
Matthew Gross (D)
 
14.5
 
9,531
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
420

Total votes: 65,866
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Washington State Senate District 46

Javier Valdez and Matthew Gross defeated Alex Tsimerman in the primary for Washington State Senate District 46 on August 2, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Javier Valdez
Javier Valdez (D)
 
83.0
 
34,984
Matthew Gross (D)
 
12.2
 
5,150
Image of Alex Tsimerman
Alex Tsimerman (Stand Up America)
 
4.2
 
1,784
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.5
 
224

Total votes: 42,142
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018

General election

General election for Washington State Senate District 46

Incumbent Dave Frockt defeated Beth Daranciang in the general election for Washington State Senate District 46 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dave Frockt
Dave Frockt (D)
 
82.5
 
65,162
Image of Beth Daranciang
Beth Daranciang (R)
 
17.5
 
13,842

Total votes: 79,004
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Washington State Senate District 46

Incumbent Dave Frockt and Beth Daranciang advanced from the primary for Washington State Senate District 46 on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dave Frockt
Dave Frockt (D)
 
82.4
 
39,219
Image of Beth Daranciang
Beth Daranciang (R)
 
17.6
 
8,371

Total votes: 47,590
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2014

See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for 25 districts in the Washington State Senate took place in 2014. A blanket primary election took place on August 5, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 17, 2014. Incumbent David Frockt (D) and Van Sperry (R) were unopposed in the primary. Frockt defeated Sperry in the general election.[9][10][11]

Washington State Senate, District 46 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Frockt Incumbent 79.8% 41,318
     Republican Van Sperry 20.2% 10,433
Total Votes 51,751

2012

See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Washington State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 7, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Democrat David Frockt was unchallenged in the general election. Frockt was unopposed in the blanket primary election.[12][13]

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2022, candidates for Washington State Senate District 46 raised a total of $1,107,168. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $92,264 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money

Campaign contributions, Washington State Senate District 46
Year Amount Candidates Average
2022 $246,792 3 $82,264
2018 $205,426 2 $102,713
2014 $175,745 2 $87,873
2012 $128,927 1 $128,927
2010 $100,987 1 $100,987
2006 $115,963 1 $115,963
2004 $2,050 1 $2,050
2002 $131,278 1 $131,278
Total $1,107,168 12 $92,264


See also

External links

Footnotes


Current members of the Washington State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Jamie Pedersen
Minority Leader:John Braun
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Jeff Holy (R)
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
Democratic Party (30)
Republican Party (19)