2022 Election Preview: U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier vs. Matt Larkin

Washington’s 8th Congressional District Preview:

In one of the most contentious races of the primary season, incumbent Representative Kim Schrier (D) faced off against two Republican challengers for her House seat: Former state Attorney General candidate Matt Larkin and King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn. After a back-and-forth race for second place, Larkin beat out Dunn by a little over 2% of the vote.

Schrier and Larkin ultimately advanced to the midterm election race for the 8th U.S. House District, garnering 48.25% and 16.64% of the vote, respectively. Dunn trailed with 14.76% of the vote.

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Since the primary, Larkin and Schrier competed in a debate with the primary question: Which candidate is too extreme for the divided 8th district? Each tried to paint the other as out of touch with the people of Washington state.

The 8th district election is still incredibly close, with polling numbers from Politico showing that the election is still a toss-up.

Schrier, Larkin debate who is too extreme for WA voters

Schrier (D) is seeking re-election for her second term in office. Schrier snagged the long-held Republican seat from the GOP in 2018 and has made headlines in recent months for pressuring the Biden administration to make COVID testing more readily available for Washingtonians. The pediatrician has pointedly referenced that all the Republican challengers to her seat hold anti-abortion stances.

Matt Larkin (R) is a Washington-based attorney seeking his first term in office. His main platform is safety and crime, with much of his campaign advertisements focusing on the increased crime rates in Washington state, especially on topics such as drug abuse and homelessness. He also looks to lower tax rates on Washington businesses during record-high inflation.

The midterm election is being held Nov. 8. Follow MyNorthwest’s coverage as the results are compiled.

Rep. Schrier

Get caught up on Rep. Kim Schrier’s campaign leading up to the midterm election:

Schrier: Companies ‘taking advantage’ of people through inflation

Rep. Kim Schrier campaign ad spurs controversy over use of likeness

Larkin

Get caught up on Matt Larkin’s campaign leading up to the midterm election:

Larkin: ‘It’s no longer a toss-up’ in 8th Congressional District race

Larkin: Attack ads from Schrier a ‘sad attempt’ to distract voters

Republican Matt Larkin to run against Rep. Schrier in 8th district