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Washington state legislative special elections, 2013
Three special elections were scheduled for the Washington State Legislature in 2013. These elections were called to fill vacancies in Washington State Senate Districts 7, 8, and 26.
How vacancies are filled
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.[1]
See sources: Washington Const. Art. 2, Sec. 15
Special elections
November 5, 2013
| ☑Washington State Senate District 7 | |
|---|---|
Sen. Bob Morton (R) retired on January 1, 2013. His term in the state senate runs until 2014. Republican precinct committee officers chose John Smith (R) to fill his seat during the 2013 session and a special election for the rest of his term will be held on November 5, with a primary on August 6.[2][3][4]
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| ☑Washington State Senate District 8 | |
|---|---|
Sen. Jerome Delvin (R) resigned on January 1, 2013 to serve as Benton County Commissioner. His term in the state senate runs until 2014. Republican precinct committee officers chose Sharon Brown (R) to fill his seat during the 2013 session and a special election for the rest of his term will be held on November 5, with a primary on August.[5][6][7][8]
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| ☑Washington State Senate District 26 | |
|---|---|
| Sen. Derek Kilmer (D) won election to the United States House of Representatives in November 2012. His term in the state senate runs until 2014. Democratic precinct committee officers chose Nathan Schlicher (D) to fill his seat during the 2013 session and a special election for the rest of his term will be held on November 5, with a primary on August 6. Schlicher conceded to Angel on November 7.[9][10][11]
As of October 19, more than $2.3 million has been spent on this race, making it the most expensive state legislative campaign in Washington history. The candidates themselves reported spending nearly $1.2 million while satellite spending as accounted for another $1.2 million. More than half of that million has been spent in opposition of Angel. This campaign has drawn significant interest because the Republican-led coalition currently holds a one-vote majority in the chamber. Analysts believe that should Angel win the seat, it may give Republicans a foothold that will be hard to lose in the midterm elections next year. A win for Schlicher, however, may seal the fate of the Republican-lead coalition in those same elections.[12] With a little more than one week left before this special election, internal polling by both Democrats and Republicans showed the race to be a virtual tie. In an August 6 primary, Angel defeated Schlicher by more than nine points - 54.6% to 45.4%. The district is considered evenly split, with President Obama winning by 900 votes in the 2012 presidential election.[13]
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See also
- State legislative special elections, 2013
- Washington State Senate elections, 2012
- Washington House of Representatives elections, 2012
- Washington State Legislature
Footnotes
- ↑ Washington Legislature, "Washington Constitution - Section Article II, Section 15," accessed February 8, 2023
- ↑ spokesman.com, "Colville-area farmer named to succeed Morton," January 4, 2013
- ↑ wei.sos.wa.gov, "State candidates in lot order," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ spokesman.com, "Incumbents survive their primary challenges," August 7, 2013
- ↑ kvewtv.com, "Kennewick Mayor Pro-Tem Sharon Brown to replace Sen. Delvin," January 28, 2013
- ↑ wei.sos.wa.gov, "State candidates in lot order," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ tri-cityherald.com, "Brown has huge lead in State Senate race," August 6, 2013
- ↑ tri-cityherald.com, "Voters return Brown to Senate," November 5, 2013
- ↑ gigharbor.patch.com, "Gig Harbor's Nathan Schlicher Will Replace Derek Kilmer in State Legislature," August 19, 2013
- ↑ wei.sos.wa.gov, "State candidates in lot order," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ blogs.seattletimes.com, " Democrats lose state Senate seat as Schlicher concedes," November 7, 2013
- ↑ sunherald.com, "Big money pouring into Wash. Senate race," October 20, 2013
- ↑ washingtonpost.com, "Washington state special election could decide party control," October 23, 2013
