‘As goes King County, so goes the state:’ WA turns into deeper blue state after 2024 election
Nov 7, 2024, 8:47 AM
Voters guides and pamphlets for the 2024 general election atop a table. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Governor Jay Inslee — the state’s most powerful Democrat — proudly proclaimed yesterday that all statewide offices are now held by Democrats.
He claimed the last time that happened was when Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was president 80-something years ago.
That prompted our Matt Markovich to dig up a familiar tune – to explain why our state is turning from blue to dark blue.
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“The bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle,” Perry Como sang.
Perry Como had it right. If this election proved anything, Seattle and the state are not just blue, it’s getting dark blue. No red mirage here. And no truer is the saying: “As goes King County, so goes the state.”
The political rule of thumb for a Republican or a conservative-leaning initiative is if you can’t garner 40% of the vote in Seattle and King County, they’ve lost the state.
For example, Repealing the Climate Commitment Act is at 25%. Republican Dave Riechert? 28%. Repealing the capital gains tax? 28%. The Republican’s lone hope for a statewide office, Jaime Herrera Beutler, for State Lands? 32%. Long-term care option? 39%, and it’s getting closer.
Keeping Natural Gas Flowing is right at 40%, making the race too close to call.
You get the picture. Use whatever metaphor you want — the 800-pound gorilla, the elephant in the room, juggernaut, goliath — King County dominates state politics.
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The last time King County chose a republican governor was 44 years ago when John Spellman won King County with 55% of the vote.
I’m not suggesting that there’s anything wrong with this, but if I lived outside of the dark blue of Seattle, I’d be asking myself, “What’s it going to take to lighten the skies?”
Perry Como describes the post-election mood perfectly, “Full of hope and full of fears, full of laughter for of tears, full of dreams to last the years in Seattle, in Seattle.”
Matt Markovich often covers the state legislature and public policy for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on X, or email him here
