AP

Murray, Smiley advance in Washington Senate primary

Aug 1, 2022, 9:04 AM | Updated: Aug 2, 2022, 9:59 pm

prescription...

FILE - Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., speaks during a news conference the vote to codify Roe v. Wade, in this May 5, 2022 file photo on Capitol Hill in Washington. Murray is one of the U.S. Senate's most powerful members and seeking a sixth term. She is being challenged by Tiffany Smiley, a Republican from Pasco, Wash. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

SEATTLE (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray advanced Tuesday to the fall election in her quest for a sixth term after the longtime incumbent highlighted her support for abortion rights in the run up to Washington’s primary election.

Murray will face Republican Tiffany Smiley, who is trying to become the first person from her party to win a U.S. Senate seat in Washington in nearly 30 years.

Both Murray and Smiley prevailed in Washington’s top-two primary system in which the two candidates with the most votes in the election move on to the November ballot, regardless of party.

In early results, Murray was getting about 54% of the vote and Smiley about 32% in the field of 18 candidates.

In a statement, Murray said she was “grateful” for the support from Washington voters.

She said this wasn’t a normal midterm election because: “Our daughters and granddaughters have lost the right to make their own health care decisions, and today’s extreme Republican Party continues to push lies that the 2020 election was stolen, threatening our democracy.”

Smiley’s campaign said in a statement that the results “leave no doubt that Washington’s voters have decided it is time for change, and that Tiffany is the candidate that best represents that change for them.”

Murray, 71, was first elected to the chamber in 1992. Her nearly 30 years in the Senate place her behind only Democratic Sens. Warren Magnuson and Henry “Scoop” Jackson for longest service in the Senate from the Evergreen State. The powerhouse duo served 36 years and 30 years, respectively, and were among the most powerful senators of the mid-20th century.

Murray is now a member of the Democratic leadership and has risen to chair of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Murray would be the favorite in the November election as Washington hasn’t elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1994. But she’s taking no chances in what could be a tough year for Democrats with rising inflation and economic turmoil.

Murray’s campaign has spent more than $1 million to run television ads since June blasting Smiley for supporting Roe v. Wade’s reversal.

Smiley, 41, is a mother of three who has highlighted her advocacy for her husband, a military veteran who was blinded in an explosion while serving in Iraq in 2005.

Smiley worked as a triage nurse until her husband, Scotty, was blinded. She quit her job and flew to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be by his side.

Smiley says she worked tirelessly to stop the Army from pushing her husband, a West Point graduate, into a medical retirement. Instead, he became the first blind active-duty officer in the Army, and is featured in her political ads.

She recently announced her campaign had raised $2.6 million in the second quarter and had $3.5 million in cash on hand. Murray reported raising $2.6 million in the same quarter, with about $6.6 million in the bank at the end of June.

Smiley said the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe leaves it to voters in individual states to decide if they wanted to allow abortions. Smiley said she doesn’t support a nationwide ban on abortion, despite what Murray has contended in her ads.

Murray is also highlighting her efforts to help middle-class families, saying there should be more tax cuts for them than for corporations.

___

Associated Press writer Nicholas K. Geranios contributed to this story.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

1 day ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

1 day ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

1 day ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

5 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Murray, Smiley advance in Washington Senate primary