Battle lines drawn for Washington state’s August primary
Jul 20, 2018, 10:51 PM | Updated: Jul 24, 2018, 12:16 pm
(File, Associated Press)
(File, Associated Press)
Washington state’s primary election is just around the corner on August 7 and you can expect a fierce battle for control of the state Legislature, where Democrats are looking to hold or grow their slim majorities in the House and Senate. And Republicans are fighting to get a majority back.
RELATED: Democratic socialism surging in the age of Trump
What’s at stake on the state level in 2018? Washington State Republican Party Chair Caleb Heimlich says everything.
“This is kind of a razor’s edge election,” Heimlich said. “It’s a choice for the future of Washington state.”
Here’s the situation: Democrats have full control of the Legislature with a slim one-seat majority in the Senate and a two-seat advantage in the House.
Muddying the waters are a couple of moderate Democrats who caucus with Republicans.
Democrats got full control of the Legislature this past session when Manka Dhingra won the 2017 special election and flipped the 45th District Senate seat left empty after the passing of Andy Hill.
RELATED: US political spending getting more secretive with IRS change
State Senator and Washington State Democratic Campaign Chair Jaime Pedersen says while they were able to get a lot done with those slim majorities, including resolving the capital budget and Hirst rural water issue, and passage of the Voting Rights and Reproductive Parity Acts, the majorities weren’t wide enough to move some of their key legislation, including gun control and a carbon tax.
“There are clearly some issues where we need slightly bigger majorities to make more progress,” Pedersen said.
On the flip side, state Republican Party Chair Caleb Heimlich says they’re ready to fight to get a majority back in the Senate or the House or both.
“Our priority is to win one seat in the state Senate and/or one seat in the state House so we can restore balance in Olympia,” Heimlich said.
Picking up one seat in the Senate would give Republicans the majority back while a single seat in the House would tie it up and require co-speakership.
“Right now, obviously the Democrats control the governor’s mansion, the Senate and the House, and we think the voters are better served if there’s a balance of perspective … a balance of voices,” Heimlich said.
Battle lines have been drawn and you can expect a fierce fight in some of these state races.
7 Dem races
Senate Democrats are focusing on seven races — three swing districts they want to hold and four other seats they hope to flip.
The key seats Senate Democrats want to hold on to include Steve Hobbs in the 44th District in Snohomish County and on the Eastside, Manka Dhingra in the 45th, and Patty Kuderer in the 48th.
Senator Pedersen says the race in the 48th is vital for Democrats because incumbent Democrat Patty Kuderer is facing Democrat Rodney Tom, who has caucused with Republicans in the past and has no plans to caucus with Democrats should he win, according to Pedersen.
“It’s mind boggling that he would have the hubris to run as a Democrat after what happened with the Majority Coalition Caucus,” Pedersen said.
In 2012, Tom and another Democratic Senator joined all 23 Republican senators to form the majority caucus and take control of the Senate. He did not run in 2014.
Senate Democrats also hope to snatch four seats from Republicans, including Joe Fain’s in the 47th, the 26th, which is open after Republican Jan Angel’s retirement, Doug Ericksen’s seat in the 42nd, and Mark Miloscia’s seat in the 30th District — where Democrats feel they have a solid chance to flip the seat blue.
Republicans are prepared
But Republicans are ready. State party Chair Caleb Heimlich says they’re really focused on holding on to two Republican seats in the Senate and flipping a third.
The two Republican seats they’re trying to hold include Miloscia in the 30th – where, again, Democrats feel they have a solid shot at flipping the seat with challenger and former Federal Way School Board President Claire Wilson, and the 26th –- where Republicans have Marty McClendon, who is facing Democrat Emily Randall for the seat left open by Republican Jan Angel’s retirement.
Expect a heated battle in the 44th in Snohomish County, where Republicans feel they have a good chance at flipping the seat helped by Democrat Steve Hobbs. Democrats, however, feel confident they can hold the district.
It’s a similar story in the House where both Republicans and Democrats plan to defend several seats and both parties feel confident they have a shot at flipping two or three seats.
Republicans expect the need for balance in Olympia to be a big theme, along with dire warnings about Democratic control leading to a state income tax and carbon tax, as well as jabs about high property taxes, car tab fees, and the now Seattle’s repealed head tax.
From Democrats, expect them to fight back against that need for balance in Olympia by pointing to gridlock in the Legislature during the five recent years of divided control in Olympia that led to endless special sessions and the failure to pass a capital budget in 2017. You can also expect them to tout their successes in the last session, including the fact that they finished on time and resolved the capital budget, among other things.
