Prime-time debates set for WA income tax repeal measure, high-stakes US House race

Two of Washington’s hottest ballot battles will be the subject of prime-time televised debates next month.

On Oct. 8, a former congresswoman and the leader of a statewide labor organization will square off on Initiative 645, which, if passed, would repeal the income tax on households earning more than a million dollars a year. 

Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican former state lawmaker who also served six terms in Congress, will represent initiative supporters. April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council, will make the case against the measure.

The event will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. on KONG-TV in Seattle, KING5’s independent station. KING5 and the Seattle Times are hosting the event, which will be held in a studio without an audience. It will also be streamed live digitally by KING5 and the Seattle Times.

Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and state Senate Republican leader John Braun, who are dueling in southwest Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, have agreed to two televised matchups.

This is a high-stakes electoral contest as Gluesenkamp Perez defends her seat, one of a handful that will help determine which political party controls the U.S. House next year. These events will mark the first time many voters will be able to see the candidates side-by-side answering questions. 

On Oct. 7, they will take part in a live debate hosted by KOIN. The following week, on Oct. 13, the two will answer questions in an event on KATU. Though both stations are based in Portland, Oregon, each is aired in the district.

Gluesenkamp Perez, who succeeded Herrera Beutler in representing the district, is seeking a third term. She entered Congress after beating Republican Joe Kent in 2022, flipping the seat for Democrats in one of the year’s biggest electoral surprises. She beat Kent in a rematch in 2024.

“I’ve accepted both invitations, and I’ll show up and take the tough questions on the issues that actually affect people’s lives here in Southwest Washington,” Gluesenkamp Perez said late last month.

Braun is trying to help Republicans regain a seat in a congressional district that voted for Donald Trump in all three of his presidential campaigns.

“I’ve hoped for debates earlier than October but am grateful these will finally be held on TV for everyone in our district to watch,” Braun said. “The contrast between me and my opponent will be on full display for  Southwest Washington voters.”