Smith vs Smith: 9th District race narrows to 2 Democrats

Aug 10, 2018, 5:47 PM | Updated: 5:48 pm

Newcomer Sarah Smith is challenging 9th Congressional District Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) in the Democratic primary. (Sarah Smith for US Congress Facebook)

(Sarah Smith for US Congress Facebook)

BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF

MyNorthwest.com

The primary race for Washington’s 9th Congressional District tightened Friday, nudging out the sole Republican on the list. Two Democrats will likely appear on the November ballot.

Washington’s primary election sends the top two candidates — regardless of political party — to the November ballot. Since Tuesday’s primary election, incumbent Adam Smith held a wide lead over rivals Sarah Smith and Republican Doug Basler. The latest vote count Friday widened Sarah Smith’s lead over her Republican opponent, yet she is still behind the incumbent.

Adam Smith (Democrat): 68,409 (48.64 percent)
Sarah Smith (Democrat): 37,412 (26.6 percent)
Doug Basler (Republican): 34,830 (24.76 percent)

Sarah Smith was behind Basler after the first vote count. By Thursday, she held a mere 1 98-vote lead over the Republican. That lead expanded to 2,582 with Friday’s count. November’s ballot for the 9th Congressional District is not only developing into a Democrat challenging a Democrat, it will also be Smith vs. Smith. The district covers parts of King and Pierce Counties.

Y’all.

See you in November. pic.twitter.com/UUS9H2TI9T

— Sarah Smith (@SarahSmith2018) August 9, 2018

Sarah Smith has previously said that she shares many opinions as her Democratic colleague Adam Smith who currently holds the job. The newcomer, however, says that she bring a fresh experience that matters. It’s this experience as a working-class Washingtonian that Congress needs, she says. She also promotes that she leans more Socialist — akin to New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — than Adam Smith.

“If by ‘Socialist’ you mean that everyone has the right to a dignified life, everyone has a right to healthcare, to be educated, to have a roof over their head, to be paid fair wages for their labor,” Smith told KIRO Radio before the election. “If that’s the word we want to use, then I’ll take that.”