Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2018

Elections in Washington, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 8 (mail or online), or Oct. 29 (in-person)
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: N/A (Washington conducts all elections by mail)
• Poll times: N/A

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Municipal • Recalls • Primaries in Washington, 2018

2020 → ← 2016
Washington's 5th Congressional District
Top-two primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: May 18, 2018
Primary: August 7, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: No polling hours (vote-by-mail) Voting in Washington
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Lean Republican Inside Elections: Likely Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
Washington's 5th Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th Washington elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

Incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) defeated former state Sen. Lisa Brown (D) in the November 6, 2018, general election for Washington's 5th Congressional District.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. The Democratic Party gained a net total of 40 seats, winning control of the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Heading into the election, the Republican Party was in the majority holding 235 seats to Democrats' 193 seats, with seven vacant seats. Democrats needed to win 23 GOP-held seats in 2018 to win control of the House. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.

Rodgers was last re-elected in 2016 by a margin of 19 percentage points. That year, Donald Trump (R) carried the district by a margin of 13 percentage points. Heading into the election, no Democratic candidate had won election to represent the 5th District since 1992. Both Brown and McMorris Rodgers outraised all previous congressional candidates in the district's history; as of September 30, 2018, McMorris Rodgers had raised $5.1 million to Brown's $4.6 million. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) named Brown on its Red to Blue list, indicating that it would provide her campaign with organizational and financial support. As of October 2018, three election forecasters rated the race Leans Republican.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Washington District 5

Incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers defeated Lisa Brown in the general election for U.S. House Washington District 5 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)	54.8	175,422
		Lisa Brown (D)	45.2	144,925

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 320,347
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House Washington District 5

Incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Lisa Brown defeated Dave Saulibio, Jered Gavin Bonneau, and Kari Ilonummi in the primary for U.S. House Washington District 5 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)	49.3	99,689
✔		Lisa Brown (D)	45.4	91,738
		Dave Saulibio (Trump Populist Party)	2.4	4,845
		Jered Gavin Bonneau (R)	2.2	4,453
	Submit photo	Kari Ilonummi (R)	0.7	1,507

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 202,232
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Krystol McGee (L)
• Eric Agnew (Independent)
• Matthew Sutherland (D)

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Lisa Brown, Former state senator

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: Washington State Senate District 3 (1997-2012); Washington State House of Representatives (1993-1996)

Biography: Brown earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1974, and was an associate professor at Eastern Washington University from 1981 to 2001. In 1991, she earned an M.A. in economics from University of Colorado. Brown was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1993, where she served until her election to the state Senate in 1996. In 1996, Brown also earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Colorado. She represented District 3 in the Washington State Senate until 2013 and served as the Majority Leader in 2003. Brown became an associate professor in organizational leadership at Gonzaga University in 2001, a position she held until becoming Chancellor of Washington State University Spokane in 2013.

Key messages

• Brown emphasized her education in economics and advocated for trade deals that she said were vital to "Eastern Washington, Northwest agriculture, and Washington state’s trade-based economy." "Tariffs are taxes," Brown wrote, "and the Trump administration has announced $144.86 billion of them."

• Calling for changes in firearm regulations, Brown said she would immediately sponsor legislation "banning bump stocks, closing loopholes in the background check system, and enhancing mental health treatment."

• Brown said that investment in talent and young people was what grows the economy. She said she supported the Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act and expansion of student loan forgiveness programs.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers, U.S. Representative

Party: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: U.S. House Washington District 5 (Assumed office: 2005); Washington State House of Representatives (1995-2005)

Biography: Rodgers earned a B.A. in pre-law from Pensacola Christian College in 1990. She earned an M.B.A from the University of Washington in 2002. In 1994, Rodgers was elected to the Washington House of Representatives where she served as House minority leader from 2002 to 2003. Cathy McMorris Rodgers began her political career as Cathy McMorris before marrying Brian Rodgers in 2006 and taking his last name. In 2004, she was elected to represent Washington's 5th Congressional District. As of 2018, she served on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and was the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress.

Key messages

• Rodgers documented her primary vote for President Donald Trump on social media in 2016 but had disagreements with Trump on some trade policies. "I have made it very clear that I don’t support the across-the-board tariffs, that we should take a more targeted approach," she said, adding that she urged Trump to "move from tariffs to agreement."

• Rodgers said she "succeeded in getting a ten-year extension for children’s health care funding," and highlighted her sponsorship of (H.R. 3394) which she said would "help meet our doctor shortage, especially in rural and underserved communities."

• Rodgers said she played a leadership role in passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) which she said would save the average family in Washington more than $2,000 per year in taxes. She touted language she added to the bill that would "extend the orphan alternative energy tax credits to businesses."

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Washington's 5th Congressional District election
Poll	Poll sponsor	Lisa Brown (D)	Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)	Undecided/other	Margin of Error	Sample Size
FM3 Research/Brown Campaign Sept. 16-20	Brown Campaign	46%	49%	5%	+/-4.3	521
Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Cathy McMorris Rodgers	Republican Party	$5,863,432	$5,739,785	$158,674	As of December 31, 2018
Lisa Brown	Democratic Party	$5,763,983	$5,709,605	$54,378	As of December 31, 2018
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

• As of October 1, Giffords PAC had spent $12,000 to oppose Rodgers in the race.
• As of October 1, the Republican Party of Washington had spent $31,000 in support of Rodgers.
• As of October 1, the Susan B Anthony List PAC had spent $25,000 in support of Rodgers.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Race ratings: Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018	October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Likely Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+8, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 8 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Washington's 5th Congressional District the 168th most Republican nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.17. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.17 points toward that party.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites.

• Lisa Brown
• Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Noteworthy general election endorsements
Endorsement	Brown (D)	McMorris Rodgers (R)
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)		✔
Organizations
EMILY's List	✔

Timeline

• October 29, 2018: President Trump (R) endorsed McMorris Rodgers.
• October 24, 2018: McMorris Rodgers and Brown met for a debate at Walla Walla Community College.
• October 18, 2018: McMorris Rodgers and Brown met for a debate hosted by the Spokane Rotary Club.
• October 17, 2018: McMorris Rodgers and Brown met for a debate in Spokane.
• September 25, 2018: An FM3 Research poll commissioned by the Brown campaign found McMorris Rodgers about even with Brown, with 49 percent support to Brown's 46 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.
• September 20, 2018: Brown released a campaign ad titled, "Sheila."
• August 19, 2018: Rodgers released a campaign ad titled, "Rob."

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Lisa Brown

Support

"Sheila" - Brown campaign ad, released September 20, 2018

"Economist" - Brown campaign ad, released September 12, 2018

"true representation" - Brown campaign ad, released August 23, 2018

"'Dangerous'" - Brown campaign ad, released August 1, 2018

"Problem Solver" - Brown campaign ad, released July 18, 2018

"Gets it Done" - Brown campaign ad, released June 28, 2018

"'Lucas'" - Brown campaign ad, released May 9, 2018

Oppose

"Fact Check" - Brown campaign ad, released October 26, 2018

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Support

"Rob" - Rodgers campaign ad, released August 19, 2018

"Two Washingtons" - Rodgers campaign ad, released June 27, 2018

"Mom" - Rodgers campaign ad, released June 15, 2018

"Delivered" - Rodgers campaign ad, released May 23, 2018

"Every Day" - Rodgers campaign ad, released May 9, 2018

Debates and forums

• McMorris Rodgers and Brown met for a debate at Walla Walla Community College on October 24, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
• McMorris Rodgers and Brown met for a debate hosted by the Spokane Rotary Club on October 18, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
• McMorris Rodgers and Brown met for a debate in Spokane on October 17, 2018. Click here for coverage of the debate.
• McMorris Rodgers and Brown met for a debate hosted by The Spokesman-Review and KHQ on September 19, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.

Campaign themes

Lisa Brown

Brown’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Top Issues You can read Lisa's column in The Spokesman-Review on how she'll protect our democratic institutions, and put the Constitution and the laws of the U.S. over either political party. You can also read Lisa's column in The Spokesman-Review on special interests and why voters have lost trust in Congress, and what Lisa will do to put an end to dark money, in addition to Lisa's column on tariffs and trade policies that hurt eastern Washington farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers, and how she'll put their priorities first in Congress. Contact us at lisa@lisabrownforcongress.com to share your thoughts and priorities. Check back here as we continue to add policy statements. As your representative in Congress, here's what Lisa will work for: Affordable and comprehensive universal health care, expanding Medicare, protecting children’s health and lowering prescription drug prices. An economy that works for all of us, increase family wage jobs, invest in infrastructure and education, and support important regional economic sectors including aerospace, agriculture, and health sciences. Affordable higher education and student loan debt refinancing and relief. (Statement on student debt relief) Protect and strengthen earned benefits such as Medicare and Social Security, ensuring people can retire with dignity. Protect and advance human rights, including racial justice, reproductive justice, LGBTQ, and immigrant and refugee rights. Ensure our national security and support active service members, their families, and veterans. Ensure strong environmental protections, support clean water, healthy forests, incentives for solar and wind power, and back partnerships regionally and abroad to address impacts of climate change. Electoral and campaign finance reform to end voter suppression and dark money politics and bring about transparency and Electoral College reform. Reinstate Net Neutrality and ensure strong consumer protections for Internet users. (Full statement) Protect voter-approved marijuana legalization and shield the industry from federal interference. Protect and strengthen community and family safety and support research-based reforms in criminal justice, with a focus on racial disparities and alternative sentencing in non-violent cases. Statement on Florida shooting Statement on gun violence and school safety	”
—Lisa Brown’s campaign website (2018)

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Rodgers’ campaign website stated the following:

“	National Security Cathy is rebuilding America’s military might. She delivered for Fairchild Air Force Base, ensuring its mission was protected and expanded, won funding for more air tankers, boosted salaries, and has been a tireless advocate for our military families and veterans. Cathy has led letters to the Secretary of the Air Force advocating for Fairchild Air Force Base to receive the squadron of KC-135s. Soon after securing more KC-135 tankers, Cathy secured additional funding for other aircraft upgrades. Health Care Cathy succeeded in getting a ten-year extension for children’s health care funding, won expanded support for the Spokane Teaching Health Center and community clinics to help put more doctors in rural communities. Teaching Health Centers and Graduate Medical Education Extension Act (H.R. 3394) included in H.R. 1892. Bringing more primary care doctors, OBGYNs, and psychiatrists to Eastern Washington is one of Cathy’s top priorities. This legislation extends the THCGME program and doubles funding for residency programs in Eastern Washington and around the country to help meet our doctor shortage, especially in rural and underserved communities. Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act (H.R. 2465) included in H.R. 1892. This legislation permanently fixes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) policy that limited access to speech-generating devices for people with ALS and other degenerative diseases. Budget Cathy has consistently pushed for a Balanced Budget Amendment and voted for it on the House floor in April. In the recent Omnibus, Cathy helped to create the Budget Review Commission to make policy proposals to fix our broken budget system. Cathy is the author of the USA Act, a bill that would stop unauthorized government spending, unless that spending is approved by Congress. Veterans Cathy worked hard to pass the Faster Care for Veterans Act which will cut back wait times for veterans seeking health care, and will allow patients to schedule their appointments online or on an app, instead of the outdated 1-800 service. Introduced the Modernization of Medical Records for Veterans Act (HR 3497). This would require the VA to have a pilot program that would test out transferring patient records to digital copies. Protecting Veterans from losing their medical information, like in the 1973 National Personnel Records Center Fire. Pushed the VA to implement the 2 year old law requiring the VA to issue ID cards to Veterans. Secured funding in June 2017 to fix the roof at the Spokane VA and fought to re-open the 24-hour care service. Education Cathy worked to include Impact Aid for Tribal and Military schools in the Continuing Resolution in March. Impact aid is funding for schools that are in areas with sizable Federal owned land, which is not subject to property taxes. These school districts are at a distinct disadvantage and receive Federal aid to make up for that loss of revenue. Impact aid was signed in to law by the President on March 23rd. Cathy co-sponsored the Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2017 (H.R. 2482). Perkins loans are loans to need-based college students, where the cost is shared by the government, the student, and the school they attend. The program’s funding expired on September 30th, 2017. This bill would re-authorize and extend Perkins Loans through 2019. Cathy was a co-sponsor of the Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act (H.R. 2234). This authorized a merit-based program to recognize exemplary teachers of children with disabilities and other paraeducators such as social workers, and occupational therapists. Environment and Natural Resources Cathy pushed through legislation to allow local people more say in managing our federal forests, to increase timber harvest and to prevent and fight forest fires. She also helped secure a fix to “fire borrowing” to make sure we have the resources we need to fight fires when they do happen. Legislation to Extend the Secure Rural Schools Program (H.R. 2340) included in H.R. 1625. The Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program gives around $500 million in funding over the next two years for timber-dependent communities that will help support schools and fix roads. Legislation to protect the Columbia and Snake River dams (H.R. 3144). Our dams are a source of affordable, clean, and renewable energy here in Washington, that benefits our economy and allows us to have some of the cheapest electric rates in the country. This legislation protects our Snake River dams by codifying the 2014 Biological Opinion and stopping any additional spillovers, that could end up costing taxpayers over $40 million. Hydropower Policy Modernization Act (H.R. 3043). It takes over a decade to fully license a dam and that is too long. This legislation would not change environmental standards, but would cut through government red tape and bureaucracy to speed up the hydropower relicensing process, so Americans are empowered to expand the use of clean renewable, hydroelectric energy, across the country. Transportation/Infrastructure Port of Whitman Economic Expansion Act (H.R. 5742) included in H.R. 8. This legislation will authorize a land transfer between the Port of Whitman and the Army Corps of Engineers to continue to develop businesses and create economic opportunity. The land transfer will also help meet the environmental mitigation efforts of Port Whitman, while still creating vital economic opportunities for the people of Whitman County. Ensured that Spokane’s FAA contract observer program was preserved for 2018, and protected funding for Spokane and Walla Walla contract tower costs. All three of these were included in the House FAA reauthorization bill. Worked to further the Mill Creek Flood Control project and led a delegation of citizens from Walla Walla to meet with the Office of Management and Budget. She secured funding for an important study which allowed the project to go forward. Jobs Cathy was a leader on the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( H.R. 1) which will save the average family in Washington more than $2,000 per year in taxes. She had language in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( H.R. 1) that will extend the orphan alternative energy tax credits to businesses. Spurring Business in Communities Act of 2017 (H.R. 4111) This bill will help the formation of Small Business Investment Companies in Washington State by giving access to loans and capital to small businesses. As of now, SBICs do not exist in Washington state, but all over the country they give people the opportunity to invest in their community and generate job growth. Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act (H.R. 772) This legislation preserves current nutritional information requirements and protects small food businesses like pizzerias and grocery stores from heavy-handed Obama-Era FDA regulations. Disabilities Jul 05, 2018 ABLE to Work Act (H.R. 1896) included in H.R. 1 This legislation will allow those with disabilities to explore the workplace by allowing someone with an ABLE account who earns income for a job to save up to the Federal Poverty Level in addition to their annual contribution limit of $14,000. As Cathy says, “A job is so much more than a paycheck, it’s what gives us dignity and purpose -- the opportunity for a better life.” This bill allows those with disabilities to explore the possibility of work and live more independent lives. ABLE Financial Planning Act (H.R. 1897) included in H.R. 1 This legislation helps the families of those with disabilities save for their child’s future by allowing for rollovers from a 529 account used for college savings to an ABLE account. This means individuals who may have been saving for their child’s college tuition, which is now no longer needed, can rollover up to the maximum contribution each year until the 529 account has been depleted.	”
—Cathy McMorris Rodgers' campaign website (2018)

Social media

Twitter accounts

Tweets by Lisa Brown Tweets by Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Facebook accounts

Click the icons below to visit the candidates' Facebook pages.

Lisa Brown

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

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.

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.

2016 presidential results by state House district
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin
1	59.66%	37.93%	D+21.7	61.73%	30.36%	D+31.4
2	47.71%	49.88%	R+2.2	37.79%	53.05%	R+15.3
3	57.66%	38.63%	D+19	51.82%	38.12%	D+13.7
4	40.00%	57.37%	R+17.4	34.91%	56.36%	R+21.4
5	53.41%	44.29%	D+9.1	54.74%	37.12%	D+17.6
6	46.76%	50.72%	R+4	44.72%	46.75%	R+2
7	36.16%	61.01%	R+24.9	29.00%	63.45%	R+34.5
8	36.10%	61.49%	R+25.4	34.54%	57.03%	R+22.5
9	37.70%	59.71%	R+22	35.13%	56.40%	R+21.3
10	50.21%	47.38%	D+2.8	46.94%	45.07%	D+1.9
11	67.51%	30.27%	D+37.2	67.74%	25.40%	D+42.3
12	39.91%	57.67%	R+17.8	37.34%	55.97%	R+18.6
13	35.70%	61.75%	R+26	31.04%	61.91%	R+30.9
14	42.63%	54.97%	R+12.3	38.98%	54.23%	R+15.2
15	45.75%	52.31%	R+6.6	42.51%	51.74%	R+9.2
16	38.20%	59.21%	R+21	36.00%	56.67%	R+20.7
17	48.28%	49.36%	R+1.1	45.51%	46.88%	R+1.4
18	43.85%	54.12%	R+10.3	42.36%	50.56%	R+8.2
19	53.59%	43.66%	D+9.9	41.57%	50.52%	R+8.9
20	40.98%	56.26%	R+15.3	30.96%	61.41%	R+30.4
21	61.52%	36.25%	D+25.3	62.27%	30.19%	D+32.1
22	63.17%	33.68%	D+29.5	60.67%	30.15%	D+30.5
23	57.91%	39.72%	D+18.2	56.69%	34.37%	D+22.3
24	54.21%	42.81%	D+11.4	48.95%	43.35%	D+5.6
25	50.87%	46.92%	D+4	45.23%	46.56%	R+1.3
26	49.33%	48.06%	D+1.3	45.36%	45.35%	D+0
27	67.29%	30.00%	D+37.3	65.15%	26.43%	D+38.7
28	54.44%	43.37%	D+11.1	52.61%	38.96%	D+13.7
29	62.55%	34.97%	D+27.6	54.47%	36.76%	D+17.7
30	58.70%	39.18%	D+19.5	56.77%	35.96%	D+20.8
31	47.88%	49.93%	R+2.1	41.61%	50.16%	R+8.5
32	70.64%	26.92%	D+43.7	71.67%	21.56%	D+50.1
33	65.65%	32.25%	D+33.4	64.85%	28.57%	D+36.3
34	77.41%	20.25%	D+57.2	79.30%	14.85%	D+64.4
35	51.47%	45.95%	D+5.5	44.25%	46.59%	R+2.3
36	81.82%	15.34%	D+66.5	85.25%	9.15%	D+76.1
37	86.30%	11.18%	D+75.1	87.06%	8.13%	D+78.9
38	59.99%	37.08%	D+22.9	53.38%	37.81%	D+15.6
39	49.44%	47.52%	D+1.9	40.00%	50.75%	R+10.7
40	62.09%	34.70%	D+27.4	62.61%	29.29%	D+33.3
41	60.00%	38.22%	D+21.8	67.76%	26.09%	D+41.7
42	49.67%	47.37%	D+2.3	47.57%	44.43%	D+3.1
43	85.99%	10.63%	D+75.4	88.74%	5.96%	D+82.8
44	54.08%	43.61%	D+10.5	50.96%	40.24%	D+10.7
45	58.18%	39.63%	D+18.6	64.80%	28.03%	D+36.8
46	78.25%	19.15%	D+59.1	81.92%	12.42%	D+69.5
47	55.53%	42.30%	D+13.2	54.37%	38.29%	D+16.1
48	61.67%	35.86%	D+25.8	68.17%	25.02%	D+43.2
49	57.30%	40.04%	D+17.3	54.21%	37.87%	D+16.3
Total	56.16%	41.29%	D+14.9	54.30%	38.07%	D+16.2
Source: Daily Kos

District history

2016

See also: Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) defeated Joe Pakootas (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Rodgers and Pakootas defeated Tom Horne (R), Krystol McGee (L), and Dave Wilson (I) in the top-two primary on August 2, 2016.

U.S. House, Washington District 5 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Cathy McMorris Rodgers Incumbent	59.6%	192,959
	Democratic	Joe Pakootas	40.4%	130,575
Total Votes				323,534
Source: Washington Secretary of State

U.S. House, Washington District 5 Primary, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Cathy McMorris Rodgers Incumbent	42.2%	60,184
	Democratic	Joe Pakootas	31.5%	44,999
	Independent	Dave Wilson	13.3%	18,993
	Republican	Tom Horne	11.1%	15,830
	Libertarian	Krystol McGee	1.9%	2,678
Total Votes				142,684
Source: Washington Secretary of State

2014

See also: Washington's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 5th Congressional District of Washington held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) defeated Joseph Pakootas (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Washington District 5 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Cathy McMorris Rodgers Incumbent	60.7%	135,470
	Democratic	Joseph Pakootas	39.3%	87,772
Total Votes				223,242
Source: Washington Secretary of State

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Washington heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in Washington.
• Democrats held six of 10 U.S. House seats in Washington.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Democrats held six of 8 state executive positions, Republicans held two, and the remaining positions were officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Washington was Democrat Jay Inslee. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 3, 2020.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the Washington State Legislature. They had a 50-48 majority in the state House and a 26-23 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Washington was a Democratic trifecta, meaning that the Democrats controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.

2018 elections

See also: Washington elections, 2018

Washington held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• One U.S. Senate seat
• 10 U.S. House seats
• 25 of 49 state Senate seats
• 98 state House seats
• Municipal elections in Seattle

Demographics

Demographic data for Washington
	Washington	U.S.
Total population:	7,160,290	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	66,456	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	77.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	3.6%	12.6%
Asian:	7.7%	5.1%
Native American:	1.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.6%	0.2%
Two or more:	5.2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	12%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	90.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	32.9%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$61,062	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	14.4%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Washington. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Washington's three largest cities were Seattle (pop. est. 724,745), Spokane (pop. est. 217,108), and Tacoma (pop. est. 213,418).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Washington from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Washington Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Washington every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Washington 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	54.3%	Donald Trump	38.1%	16.2%
2012	Barack Obama	51.2%	Mitt Romney	41.2%	10.0%
2008	Barack Obama	57.6%	John McCain	40.5%	17.1%
2004	John Kerry	52.8%	George W. Bush	45.6%	7.2%
2000	Al Gore	50.2%	George W. Bush	44.6%	5.8%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Washington from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Washington 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Patty Murray	59.0%	Chris Vance	40.1%	18.9%
2012	Maria Cantwell	60.4%	Michael Baumgartner	39.5%	20.9%
2010	Patty Murray	52.4%	Dino Rossi	47.6%	4.8%
2006	Maria Cantwell	56.9%	Michael McGavick	39.9%	17.0%
2004	Patty Murray	55.0%	George R. Nethercutt, Jr.	44.7%	10.3%
2000	Maria Cantwell	48.7%	Slade Gorton	48.6%	0.1%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Washington.

Election results (Governor), Washington 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Jay Inslee	54.4%	Bill Bryant	45.6%	8.8%
2012	Jay Inslee	51.5%	Rob McKenna	48.6%	0.9%
2008	Christine Gregoire	53.2%	Dino Rossi	46.8%	6.4%
2004	Christine Gregoire	48.9%	Dino Rossi	48.9%	0.0%
2000	Gary Locke	58.4%	John Carlson	39.7%	7.1%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Washington in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Washington 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	4	40%	6	60%	D+2
2014	4	40%	6	60%	D+2
2012	4	44.4%	5	55.5%	D+1
2010	4	44.4%	5	55.5%	D+1
2008	3	33.3%	6	66.7%	D+2
2006	3	33.3%	6	66.7%	D+2
2004	3	33.3%	6	66.7%	D+2
2002	3	33.3%	6	66.7%	D+2
2000	3	33.3%	6	66.7%	D+2

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

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	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

See also

• Washington's 5th Congressional District election (August 7, 2018 top-two primary)
• United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2018
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2018

Footnotes

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Washington's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Maria Cantwell (D)

Patty Murray (D)

Representatives

District 1

Suzan DelBene (D)

District 2

Rick Larsen (D)

District 3

Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D)

District 4

Dan Newhouse (R)

District 5

Michael Baumgartner (R)

District 6

Emily Randall (D)

District 7

Pramila Jayapal (D)

District 8

Kim Schrier (D)

District 9

D. Adam Smith (D)

District 10

Marilyn Strickland (D)

Democratic Party (10)

Republican Party (2)