Last Friday was the deadline for candidates to file for office in Washington State. Of the 1,094 candidates that filed, 313 will be running for either the State House or State Senate. Filing for a legislative run costs $568.81—one-tenth of the $56,881 annual salary.
There are 49 Legislative Districts in Washington State. Two House members and one Senator for each district. History has shown that the president’s party usually loses seats in both Congress and State Legislatures in mid-term elections—meaning the middle of a president’s term. Being that Biden is a Democrat, Republicans are looking at the potential to make up some ground, possibly even taking control of the House and Senate. The other key factor is the President’s approval, which currently is very low. Unrest over high inflation, the economy, gas prices, wars, etc., fuel voters’ appetite for a change in leadership.
In Washington State, there are currently 4,785,096 registered voters. The registered candidates will now need to convince at least 50% plus one of the voters in their race to support them. Voter turnout should be pretty robust, considering it’s a midterm without the President or Governor up for re-election.
Out of the 49 State Legislative Districts, only about 10-15 will be in play, meaning most of the state’s districts are “safe” because the party that has control over it usually has an easy time getting their folks re-elected. For example, it would be rare if not unheard-of occurrence for a Republican to win any legislative seat in the City of Seattle. Similarly, it would be just as unusual for any Democrat to win in Central or Eastern Washington–except for Spokane. There have been some anomalies over the years–but they are few and far between.
All of this means that most of the campaign activities will only occur in a handful of districts. Here are the “ground zero” battlefields for control of the legislature: District 10, Whidbey and Camano Islands, District 26 Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, District 30 Federal Way, District 42 Bellingham, Lynden, Sumas, and District 47 Kent, Auburn, Covington.
WR understands the value of supporting pro-retail candidates, which is critical to advancing our agenda and ensuring Washington State has a business climate conducive to our members’ success. WR will be reviewing all incumbents and challengers and meeting with as many as possible. Our Retail Action Council Political Action Committee will be voting on endorsements and donations in the coming months.
