Election 2024: Live Updates

‘Not going to turn us around’

Even with a Trump presidency on the horizon, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he was encouraged by the election results in the Evergreen State, which he said should be an inspiration to the rest of the country. 

“Whatever happened in the presidential race, it’s not going to turn us around,” Inslee said. “We’re not going to be slowed down in our effort for justice for our people.”

The outgoing, three-term Democratic governor was upbeat about voters striking down three ballot initiatives designed to roll back progressive tax and climate policies. He also touted Democrats’ wins in races for every statewide executive office.

Inslee said Washington has the “best duo to defend Washington State” in Governor-elect Bob Ferguson and Attorney General-elect Nick Brown. As attorney general, Bob Ferguson sued the Trump administration nearly 100 times, and Brown has indicated that he’s ready to engage in similar legal sparring. 

Inslee said state laws already on the books in Washington would act as a bulwark against potential actions by the Trump administration that could undermine reproductive rights, protections for immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, and efforts to fight climate change.

He added that he does not believe Trump will be successful in withholding federal funding for things like health care or transportation infrastructure. 

‘A resounding victory’

Architects of the state’s capital gains tax celebrated the defeat of Initiative 2109 this morning. The measure, which sought to repeal the tax paid by the state’s most wealthy, was being rejected by more than 63% of voters.

“Last night’s results really were a resounding victory,” said House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, who first introduced a capital gains tax bill in 2011. It didn’t get a hearing that session as polling of residents showed only 13% percent knew what it was, she said.

Fast forward to 2021 when Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation imposing a 7% tax on the sale or exchange of long-term assets like stocks, bonds and business interests. It currently covers gains above $262,000. It’s generated roughly $1.2 billion, primarily for child care and early learning programs.

It’s now survived a legal challenge that reached the U.S. Supreme Court and repelled an attempt to get the people to erase it.

“Voters have really shown they want the wealthy few to pay their fair share of taxes,” Jinkins said. “I don’t think this lesson will be lost on the Legislature in the next session.”

Asked if that means the Democratic majority in the House is drawing up plans to expand the tax to cover more people or pursue new taxes, Jinkins said it’s too soon after the election for a discussion on revenue.

She said “the lesson” of Tuesday is that voters will support a tax if they believe it ensures everyone pays their fair share and the money is used to fund things people need.

New faces in Congress

Washington will send at least two new lawmakers to Congress next year, though their party affiliations are not likely to flip.

The 5th Congressional District in eastern Washington and the 6th Congressional District in the northwestern corner of the state both had open seats due to retirements.

As of Tuesday, Republican Michael Baumgartner had a commanding lead – almost 60% of the vote – over Democrat Carmela Conroy, who carried 40% of the vote, in the 5th District. Conroy conceded in the race on Tuesday night.

Baumgartner is the Spokane County treasurer and a former state senator. He is on track to take over for Republican U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who announced earlier this year she would not seek reelection after holding the position since 2005. 

The new face in the 6th Congressional District will likely be state Sen. Emily Randall, a Democrat. In Tuesday’s results, Randall received 57.3% of the vote while her Republican opponent state Sen. Drew MacEwen received 42.6%. 

Randall would take over for U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Democrat who announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection. It’s the first new representative for the district since 2013.

3 statewide initiatives are defeated

Voters have rejected three of the four statewide initiatives on Washington’s ballot.

Initiative 2117, which would have repealed the state’s landmark cap-and-trade climate law, was losing with 61.7% of the vote against it Tuesday night. Initiative 2109, which would have ended Washington’s capital gains tax was failing with 63.2% of voters opposed. And about 55.5% were siding against Initiative 2124, the measure to make the state’s long-term care program, and the tax that funds it, optional for workers in Washington.

The Associated Press called the outcomes for the three measures Tuesday night, saying each was defeated. Voting margins will change as more ballots are counted throughout the week.

These are the three initiatives pushed by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood and the group Let’s Go Washington.

A fourth measure, to block state and local efforts to phase out natural gas, was narrowly passing Tuesday with 51.2% of the vote.

For more on each of the initiatives, see below.

– Voters reject measure to repeal Washington climate law
– Washington’s capital gains tax survives repeal effort
– Long-term care initiative failing in early election results
– Voters show support for slowing WA natural gas phase-out

Inslee takes a victory lap

“I’ve been waiting for Bob Ferguson to take over my job for years, and he’s finally here,” Gov. Jay Inslee joked on Tuesday night. Ferguson, the state attorney general, won the governor’s race Tuesday and will succeed Inslee who is not running for a fourth term. Both men are Democrats.

Even though he wasn’t running for office, Inslee was still enjoying a victory lap, after crisscrossing the state to campaign against four initiatives on Washington’s ballot that sought to repeal several of Democrats’ signature tax and climate policies — including the Climate Commitment Act. Three of the four initiatives had heavy financial backing from hedge fund manager Brian Heywood.

Voters rejected the measures to overturn the climate law and to repeal Washington’s capital gains tax. Another to roll back the state’s long-term care program was failing as of Tuesday. In ballot counting so far, voters are backing an initiative to rein in state efforts to phase out natural gas.

Inslee framed the initiatives as outside operatives attempting to “destroy” Washington’s ability to take care of schools and senior citizens, as well as the state’s ability to fight climate change. 

“We didn’t just defeat them, we thrashed them. We humiliated them. We dominated them,” Inslee said of the outcomes with the initiatives. “It was a tidal wave. The message to those people, those billionaires who came to our state: You should never come back.”

Upthegrove invokes Stonewall

Dave Upthegrove was ahead Tuesday in the race to lead the state’s Department of Natural Resources. If he wins and becomes Washington’s next commissioner of public lands, Upthegrove would be the first openly LGBTQ+ statewide executive official in Washington. He invoked the history of LGBTQ+ people in politics in a speech Tuesday night, referencing the Stonewall riots and Harvey Milk – one of the first openly gay lawmakers in the United States. 

“Together, we will manage these lands, not just for some, but for everyone in Washington — for all of us who are on this journey towards equality, justice and a healthy planet now and for the next generation,” Upthegrove said. 

Republicans react to results

Despite poor outcomes in races at the state level, Republicans at a gathering in Bellevue were upbeat about the presidential race tilting in favor of their party’s nominee, former President Donald Trump.

Sparkly and colorful MAGA hats stood out in the crowd as voters watched vote counts come in.

State party chairman Jim Walsh offered this take: “The political parties have shifted and, in Washington state, the republican party represents working people and families.”

“Fight, fight, fight,” the crowd yelled at one point.

“This country is worth fighting for our freedom, our rights, and our resources,” said Pete Serrano, the Republican candidate for attorney general who was headed toward defeat on Tuesday. “It is worth planting those seeds.” 

Raul Garcia, who lost in a U.S. Senate race against Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, struck a conciliatory tone and tried to put a positive spin on the night.

“Whether we win or lose we have to be committed to making Washington better and making our country better,” he said. “We have been pushing a message of unity and we will continue to push that.”

Reichert not ready to concede

Democrat Bob Ferguson claimed victory in the governor’s race on Tuesday after the Associated Press called the contest in his favor. But Dave Reichert, his Republican opponent, wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. “We are not going to concede this race until the last vote is counted,” he said.

“We are going to stay and we are going to hold this government accountable and even more so if we lose,” Reichert added, speaking during a state Republican Party gathering in Bellevue.

Ferguson’s victory speech

Bob Ferguson’s victory speech in the Washington governor’s race included shoutouts to his opponent Dave Reichert, his family, and his cat. 

He was wearing a lucky red tie his wife, Colleen, gave him when he first ran for office 20 years ago, he said. Ferguson, who delivered his remarks at a state Democratic party gathering in Seattle, also took a moment to plug his cat Peter’s Instagram page and joked that his cat has more Instagram followers than he does.

He asked Democrats to applaud his challenger, Reichert, resulting in a tepid but polite round of clapping. “I appreciate Dave Reichert stepping up and running for governor. He ran a hard-fought campaign,” Ferguson said.

Overall, Ferguson attempted to strike a unifying tone. 

“As your governor I will center you — each and every one of you — red counties, blue counties, Republicans, Democrats, Independents,” he said. “You are top of my mind. I’m thinking of you, We’ll advocate for you. We’ll make Washington even a greater state than it is today.”

Harris poised to win Washington’s 12 electoral votes

Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has won Washington’s 12 electoral votes, according to the Associated Press. AP called the race shortly after polls closed on Tuesday night.

Cheers and boos

The crowd at the state Democrats’ election party in Seattle is getting a little rowdier: There were big cheers for California’s 54 electoral votes for Harris, followed by loud boos after NBC News, which is being projected on large screens, called Idaho for Trump. 

The mood in the room is anxious, reflecting Trump’s lead. But that doesn’t concern Kenan Block, a 70-year-old Democrat from Seattle. 

“Too many Democrats are pessimists,” said Block. “Yeah, it’s close, a little nerve-wracking.” 

“But I’m convinced Americans have enough common sense, and you know why? Women, women, women,” he said, gesturing toward the three women sitting with him. 

One of those women, Laurie Werner, 52, also of Seattle, said she just got back from canvassing in Phoenix, Arizona, and she felt like there was a “lot of energy for Harris.” 

“I just want to stay optimistic until all the votes are counted,” Werner said.

‘Nauseously optimistic’

State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad did the rounds with press at the state party’s gathering in Seattle.

She said she’s feeling “nauseously optimistic” about tonight, but “very confident” that the Democrats will win big statewide, including a supermajority in the state House and Senate. If Donald Trump wins, she said her upcoming birthday party may not be as celebratory — but “well, then we’re all just in community together.” 

Views from voters at a Seattle drop box

Tuesday evening, voters were streaming to a drop box in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, depositing their ballots.

Elise Barrett said local races were the primary motivator for her to vote. “For me, it’s most important to turn out to elections not just to big names tickets but the people who are going to be making the decisions that affect my day-to-day life,” Barrett said. 

One race she’s paying attention to is for state auditor because of how the person in that position works to ensure fiscal responsibility and to ferret out corruption. 

Corey Taylor said voting against Donald Trump was the primary reason why she came out to vote. “I can’t complain about it if I don’t put my voice in,” Taylor said. 

Bo Samson was another voter who stopped by. “I believe in exercising my civic duty to vote because not everyone has that right in other places so it’s kind of a waste to not exercise that right,” Samson said.

Reproductive rights were a top issue for Carolyn Lappin. 

“We can’t go backwards,” Lappin said. “If we don’t have bodily autonomy and the right to our own decisions, then how can you think about other things? If you’re so distracted because you don’t have safety in your own body then what does the rest of it matter?”

Turning out in Tacoma

Hundreds of people were lined up at a voting center in Tacoma, according to Derrick Nunnally, communications manager for the Pierce County Auditor’s office. It’s been steady all day.

“When I got to work at 7:30 a.m, a couple dozen people were waiting outside our building to vote,” he said.

Some sought to register and cast ballots as allowed under Washington’s same-day voting law. Others came to get a replacement for a lost ballot. Some never received a ballot and needed to get one.

What happens if people are standing in line when polls close at 8 p.m.?

Anyone in line at 7:59 p.m. will get to vote, Nunnally said. Arrive after 8 p.m. you won’t.

‘Cowboy Kamala’ hats make a comeback

At their election night gathering in Seattle, the Washington State Democratic Party is handing out free, light-up cowboy hats, a throwback to the light-up hats and “Cowboy Kamala” sashes that caught national attention during the Democratic National Convention in August. 

Eric Scheir and Kay Acholonu, who were delegates at the convention, came prepared with the original look, complete with a “Kamala” sign, the original white cowboy hats that appeared at the convention and their delegate badges.

Watching for a Trump effect

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse is a rare breed. He is one of only two Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives who voted to impeach former president (and maybe future president) Donald Trump back in 2021.

There were 10 at the time. The other eight are gone, some by choice and others defeated by Trump-backed challengers in the 2022 election cycle. One of them was Jaime Herrera Beutler, ousted in that year’s primary. She’s running this year for state lands commissioner.

Newhouse survived in 2022. It looks tougher this year. His opponent is Jerrod Sessler, a staunch MAGA Republican, who wants voters to know about that impeachment vote. Trump joined Sessler in a recent telephone town hall where both railed against the five-term incumbent.

Read more on the race here.

A Republican will win in the deep red 4th Congressional District in central Washington but Democratic and independent votes may be what tips the race. Sessler knows it. Read more on his strategy here.

WA voter turnout lags behind the last presidential election

Ballot returns are well below four years ago. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, 64.6% of ballots had been returned statewide in Washington, according to the secretary of state’s website. That’s more than 3.2 million ballots returned so far. 

In 2020, 79.1% of ballots had been returned by this time. 

Election officials still expect turnout to be around 80% once everything is counted. That’s on par with most other presidential elections, aside from 2020 and 2008, which both saw record high levels near 84%. In 2016, 78.7% of voters turned in a ballot, and in 2012, 81.3% voted.

Still, the low turnout is worrying some Democrats. Read more here.

‘Feels like a reality show’

Abdi, 31, said he believes the local elections in Washington are more important than the presidential race.

“There’s so many issues that are impacting the American public and impacting me – I’m seeing that a little bit more now that I’m in my 30s,” said Abdi, who didn’t want to give his last name, as he shared his thoughts on the election at a ballot box in Seattle.

“Neither candidate presidentially is really focusing on that,” he added. “It feels like they’re fighting one another and not thinking fully about the impact that they’re aiming to do for the nation. It literally feels like a reality show.” 

He called himself a “recovering Democrat” but said he still voted for Democrat Bob Ferguson for governor, instead of Republican Dave Reichert, because he sees Ferguson as the “lesser of two evils.” He believes Ferguson was a good attorney general, and considers him the more experienced candidate best suited to handle issues that matter to him, including gun violence, homelessness, housing and transportation. 

“As a voter, I don’t want to go back,” Abdi said. “Reichert — I just think he’s a MAGA — he’s very MAGA Republican. He’s very focused on one population of Washington and it doesn’t feel like that’s what we need.”

And the winners are…

Not every incumbent state legislator is involved in an expensive electoral brawl this year.

Nineteen representatives and five senators drew no opponents. They’re just waiting until 8 p.m. to formally declare victory.

‘Glad that I’m in Washington’

Mahina Williams, 22, voted early, but she was at a Seattle ballot box today to accompany her boyfriend, Ty Okazaki, also 22: “I wanted to make sure his [ballot] got in.” Both voted for Harris. 

Williams said women’s rights is the biggest issue for her. “I feel like ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned, it’s been a little scary. I’m glad that I’m in Washington, and at the state level, women’s rights are protected. I just want to make sure more bad stuff doesn’t go down.” 

A legislative makeover

There’s an abundance of electoral opportunities in the state Legislature with retirements, departures and redistricting.

Democrats hold majorities of 58-40 in the House and 29-20 in the Senate. They are looking to enlarge those margins as Republicans strive not to cede any seats.

With Republican Sens. Ann Rivers and Lynda Wilson retiring, their legislative districts in southwest Washington became electoral battlegrounds.

In the 18th Legislative District, Republican Brad Benton and Democrat Adrian Cortes are dueling to succeed Rivers. 

In the primary, Benton, the son of former state lawmaker Don Benton, beat state Rep. Greg Cheney, who had the endorsement of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. When those votes were counted, Senate Republican leaders undertook a focused attack on Cortes as they didn’t want to lose the seat.

It’s a different story in the nearby 17th District where Republican Rep. Paul Harris is the GOP choice against Democrat Marla Keethler, mayor of White Salmon. Harris won the primary by a mere 643 votes so it may take a few days to determine the outcome.

It’s one of the spendiest contests with more than $2.5 million expended by the campaigns and independent political committees entering the final week before Election Day.

Republican Sen. Ron Muzzall’s duel with Democrat Janet St. Clair in the 10th Legislative District is the most expensive legislative contest this cycle. Candidates and outside forces have collectively expended nearly $3.5 million to sway voters.

This is one of the state’s few swing districts in which voters routinely elect members of both parties to represent them in Olympia. Muzzall won by fewer than 2,000 votes in 2020.

One coworker convinces another to vote

Daniel, 52, and Noah, 25, are coworkers who dropped off their ballots together in Seattle. Daniel said Noah is the reason he voted: “He convinced me. He said if you don’t vote, you got no room to [complain].” Noah, who voted for Harris, said he doesn’t care who people vote for — as long as they vote. Daniel refused to say who he voted for. 

‘I hate this division’

Bruk Alkadir, 32, a Democrat, voted for Kamala Harris because he believes she’s the more unifying of the two presidential contenders. “I hate this division that we’ve started having nowadays. I don’t think there’s a government that solves all our problems. If we give each other the benefit of the doubt, we live better,” said Alkadir, after casting his ballot at a drop box in Seattle’s International District.

Heading out the door

Before results start rolling in, we wanted to remind you of some of the legislative and executive heavyweights who won’t be back. 

Gov. Jay Inslee is stepping aside after 12 years and Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is calling it quits after six terms. The two Democrats are closing out lengthy careers in Washington politics as each served in the state Legislature and Congress before winning their current state executive jobs.

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig is one of nine state senators we know won’t be back. Billig and venerable Democratic colleagues Sam Hunt and Karen Keiser are retiring. So too are Republican Sens. Lynda Wilson, Mike Padden, Ann Rivers and Brad Hawkins.

Keiser is exiting in December, midway through her current term, so an appointment to the seat will be made after she leaves.

Meanwhile, Democrats Mark Mullet and Kevin Van De Wege will be gone too. Each opted to run for a statewide office in lieu of re-election – Mullet for governor and Van De Wege as lands commissioner – but neither made it through the primary. 

There will be two more openings soon. That’s because two state senators, Democrat Emily Randall and Republican Drew MacEwen, are battling for a seat in the U.S. House, and two others, Democrat Patty Kuderer and Republican Phil Fortunato, are competing for insurance commissioner. Winners of those races will be vacating their Senate seats.

In the House, Democrat Rep. Frank Chopp, the former House speaker and arguably one of the most influential legislators in state history, is retiring.

Five Republican representatives – J.T. Wilcox, Joel Kretz, Spencer Hutchins, Bruce Chandler and Gina Mosbrucker – are also hanging up their legislative cleats.

Calling up the Guard

Washington, like the rest of the nation, is on alert for potential Election Day and post-election troubles. 

There’s been one high-profile incident in this state recently. It occurred Oct. 28 in Vancouver when an incendiary device damaged and destroyed hundreds of ballots in a drop box. The FBI along with local and state authorities are investigating and no arrests have been made.

Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday activated the Washington National Guard “to ensure we are fully prepared to respond” to any potential civil unrest or violence. They will be on standby and available to assist local law enforcement and the state patrol through midnight Thursday.

As of Monday afternoon, the Guard had received no requests for assistance.

Heated words

In the final lap of the election, the state GOP ignited a political firestorm with texts attacking the three Democratic candidates in the 14th Legislative District in central Washington.

This is the district which a federal judge redrew to resolve a voting rights lawsuit and it went from safely Republican to favorable for Democrats.

In sum, the party, led by chairman and state lawmaker Jim Walsh, sent text messages to about 7,500 Spanish-speaking voters on Friday alleging that the Latina Democratic candidates “support the chemical castration of your children in school without your knowledge or consent.”

The Spanish-language message also claimed that Maria Beltran, who is running for Senate, and Ana Ruiz Kennedy and Chelsea Dimas, who are vying for the House, “reject God’s design of two genders and want to confuse your children about whether they are boys or girls.”

“They hate you, they hate your family, they hate God and they hate the truth,” reads another line.

Democratic Party leaders and the candidates blasted the texts. Walsh didn’t back down on the messages. But some Republican Party leaders and Republican Sen. Curtis King, who is running against Beltran, disavowed the texts. 

You can read a full story on the furor here.

On Monday, the state Democratic Party filed a complaint to the Public Disclosure Commission alleging the GOP party violated provisions in state campaign finance law banning the use of statements that are knowingly false and libelous and might expose a person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule.

Walsh said in a statement Democratic leaders and their allies “are panicking” that their candidates are losing. “Why? Because those candidates do not represent the values of the people and the families that live in that district,” he said.

Getting out the vote

As voters weighed their choices the last few weeks, Washington’s political parties were focused on getting as many people as possible to vote. 

The state Democratic party held get out the vote rallies across Washington from Oct. 31 through Election Day. At each stop, elected officials rallied with party volunteers who then went out and knocked on doors or made phone calls. 

At an event in Olympia on Sunday, around 50 volunteers heard from state elected officials and candidates, and two of Washington’s congresswomen up for reelection this year. 

Volunteers took signs and stickers, learned how to canvas, took pictures and rallied with chants like “When we fight, we win!” 

As turnout lags behind four years ago, party leaders and elected officials reminded volunteers of the importance of the final push to Tuesday.

“There are ballots sitting on kitchen tables right now,” state Democratic Party chair Shasti Conrad said. “It matters. All these conversations matter.” 

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell thanked organizers for the work they were doing in Thurston County, which contains some voters in the close 3rd Congressional District. The race between Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican Joe Kent is one of a handful around the country expected to decide control of the House of Representatives.

“We’ve got to go down there and get those precincts out,” Cantwell said. “We’ve got to get people to turn out to vote.”

Meanwhile, across the political aisle, a few hardy souls in the Washington State Republican Party gathered in the wind and rain a week earlier on the steps of the state Capitol for the same purpose.

“We need to make people see and believe that their vote matters,” party chair Jim Walsh implored the couple dozen folks in attendance. Those on hand included Republican candidates for state attorney general, state treasurer, secretary of state and the 8th Congressional District.

Walsh and Glenn Morgan, a conservative activist and founder of We the Governed, touted the practice of ballot harvesting, which is essentially helping other voters by collecting and turning in their ballots.

“Our state allows ballot harvesting,” Morgan said. “You will make a bigger difference than you realize.”

Mathew Patrick Thomas, chair of the King County Republican Party, called on those attending to get 10 friends and family members to vote, and then get 10 more.

“Do not sit on the sidelines. Get excited and let’s go win this thing,” he said.