By: Ben Avery, Chapter Director, Sierra Club Washington
Returns from Washington's August 4th primary are painting an encouraging picture for pro-environment candidates up and down the ballot. Turnout ran low even by primary standards, and Democratic enthusiasm wasn't exactly roaring, but Republican turnout lagged even further behind, a gap that shows up in race after race. See who's up, where we flip seats, and why this year's court races matter more than usual.
Holding Strong in the U.S. House of Representatives
At the top of the ticket, our congressional candidates had a solid night. In Southwest Washington’s 3rd District, the race Sierra Club watched most closely, incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (MGP) faced a field of eight challengers. MGP and her fellow Democrats combined for 56% of the vote, with presumptive Republican challenger John Braun landing just under 40%. Braun's showing was softer than expected, but MGP will need to work to consolidate the more progressive vote going into November.
Elsewhere, Rep. Kim Schrier is cementing her hold on the 8th District with nearly 54% of the vote. On the Peninsula, Rep. Emily Randall ran away with the 6th District at nearly 60%, and in the 9th District, Rep. Adam Smith soundly dispatched a challenge from Kshama Sawant. Farther east, Republican Michael Baumgartner's soft 47% in the 5th District suggests that seat may be more competitive than assumed, with the right challenger.
A Chance to Achieve a Super Majority in the WA State Legislature
The state legislature is where the pickup opportunities really stand out. Near Vancouver, both of our endorsed Democrats in the 17th Legislative District are running ahead of their Republican incumbents with 52-55% of the vote. In the neighboring 18th District, endorsed candidate Randi Knott is leading an open, previously Republican-held seat, with 52% of the vote. Together those two districts represent four genuine flip opportunities for the state House.
Two more purple-leaning districts are trending our way as well. In south Kitsap’s 26th District, Sen. Deborah Krishnadasan looks headed for re-election, earning 56% of the vote, and Renee Hernandez Greenfield is running strong in the open House race, holding her Republican opponent to under 45%, presenting another flip opportunity. Up in the 42nd District representing Whatcom County, the open Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Sharon Shewmake is a genuine toss-up between two Democrats—we’ll be excited to support whoever comes out on top, as it’s a crucial seat to keep in pro-environment hands.
Just as important as the flip opportunities, our incumbent champions held firm against well-funded primary challenges. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen won with 67% of the vote, and House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon took 75%—both decisive results against serious money. Broadly, we didn't see any red flags for pro-environment candidates this cycle. Targeted Republican efforts against our key allies came up short across the board, which means we can spend the fall largely playing offense.
A Critical Year for the State Supreme Court
One set of races deserves special attention this year: the state Supreme Court. With several open seats and a docket of genuinely consequential cases coming before the court in the next several years, these contests matter more than they usually do in an off-year primary.
In Position 1, our endorsed candidate Colleen Melody is leading with nearly 53% and will face Scott Edwards in November. Position 5 is shaping up to be one of the closer races, 36% in a crowded field, with well-funded Dave Larsen close behind at 32%. And in Position 3, where we made no primary endorsement because we were comfortable with either candidate, Jaime Michele Hawk appears to have secured one of the two general-election spots over Mike Diaz; we'll be looking to endorse in that race for the general now that the field is set.
Turnout Will Matter in November
None of this is a finish line. The real work of the general election lies ahead when there can, and often are, shifts between the primary and the general election. We can’t take anything for granted. But early returns show real strength for the environmental movement in Washington, from Vancouver to Whatcom County to the state's highest court. We'll keep you posted as more ballots come in and we finalize our general-election endorsements.
The decisions voters make in November will have profound repercussions for the health of our environment and communities, so it’s all hands on deck! Sign up for our political action list to learn about opportunities to meaningfully engage to help turn out voters and elect pro-environment leaders for Washington State.