Chance of supermajority for WA House Democrats grows Tuesday night

Democrats were ahead in several key legislative districts around Washington after Tuesday night’s ballot count, raising the possibility of Republicans losing long-held seats in Olympia and increasing the odds that Democrats could gain a supermajority in the state House.

In four House races in southwest Washington — in the 17th and 18th Legislative Districts — Democrats held early leads over Republican officeholders. A Democrat was up in the race for an open House seat in the 26th District, which includes Bremerton and Gig Harbor, that was held by Republicans for over a decade. And in a south-central Washington district that was at the center of a redistricting dispute, two Democratic challengers for House seats were also ahead.

This year’s election also saw multiple Democrat-on-Democrat contests, with many incumbents fighting to keep their seats as their opponents framed themselves as the more progressive alternative. Results in those races were mixed after Tuesday’s count.

All 98 state House seats and 24 of 49 Senate seats were up for election this cycle.

House Democrats currently hold 59 seats and need seven more to clinch a two-thirds supermajority. Senate Democrats hold 30 seats and to get a supermajority they’d need to pick up three. Supermajorities would give the party enough power to send proposed constitutional amendments to voters and to more easily suspend legislative rules, among other advantages.

Ballot counting will continue for the coming days, so results may change as more ballots are processed.

32nd Legislative District

Results in this Shoreline-area race were tight between Democratic Sen. Jesse Salomon and his Democratic challenger Rep. Cindy Ryu. As of Tuesday, Ryu had nearly 50% while Salomon had nearly 49%.

The final election tallies will determine which lawmaker will stay in the Legislature and who will go home. Salomon first assumed the Senate seat in 2019, while Ryu has been a House lawmaker since 2011.

37th Legislative District

After Tuesday’s counts, incumbent Democratic Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos was trailing her Democratic opponent Kelabe Tewolde, an educator at Rainier Scholars, a nonprofit supporting underserved students. Tomiko Santos had 37% to Tewolde’s nearly 62% in the race for House position 1.

Tomiko Santos has served in the 37th Legislative District since 1999. The district is located in south Seattle and includes the Central District, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley and Columbia City.

For the House position 2 seat in the district, political newcomer and Democratic candidate Jaelynn Scott was ahead of her opponent, independent candidate and college student Evon McCorkle. Scott had 87% Tuesday evening to McCorkle’s nearly 12%.

If results hold, Scott will become the first transgender legislator in the Washington state Legislature.

43rd Legislative District

Tuesday night’s counts showed Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen solidly in the lead against fellow Democrat Hannah Sabio-Howell, with Pedersen garnering nearly 76% of the vote to Sabio-Howell’s 23% in this central Seattle district.

A political newcomer, Sabio-Howell entered the race framing her campaign and approach as a more progressive alternative to Pedersen, who has been in the Legislature for nearly 20 years.

46th Legislative District

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Gerry Pollet was in the lead with nearly 65% of the vote in this northeast Seattle district against his Democratic challenger Will Dreher, who had 34% of the vote after Tuesday’s counts.

Pollet has a strong track record focused on K-12 and higher education funding, and was one of many sponsors of the state’s income tax on high-earners. Dreher, who also supports a more progressive tax structure, has said that his focus in the Legislature would be more geared toward AI protections.

26th Legislative District

In one of the most hard-fought House races this election cycle, Democrat Renee Hernandez Greenfield was leading over Republican Katy Cornell Tuesday night. Hernandez Greenfield had nearly 55% to Cornell’s about 45%.

The seat was left open by Republican Rep. Michelle Valdez, who announced earlier this year that she would not return to the Legislature to represent the district, which includes southeastern Kitsap Peninsula and the Key Peninsula.

29th Legislative District

In the 29th Legislative District, which includes parts of Tacoma, Parkland and Lakewood, Democrat Krista Perez was ahead of incumbent Democratic Rep. Melanie Morgan. As of Tuesday Morgan had 46% to Perez’s 49%.

Morgan was one of a handful of Democratic candidates who voted against the so-called millionaires tax. Perez, meanwhile, has said she would support a tax on high-income earners.

17th Legislative District

Both Democratic challengers were ahead of Republican House incumbents Tuesday in a district that sprawls north and east of Vancouver, into Skamania and Klickitat counties. Democrats said they believed the 17th District was one of their biggest pickup opportunities this election.

For House seat position 1, Republican incumbent Rep. Kevin Waters had nearly 44% of the vote, while Democrat Ben Christly had about 56%.

For position 2, incumbent Republican Rep. David Stuebe had about 43% of the vote to his Democratic challenger Diana Perez’s 56%.

18th Legislative District

Democrats were also ahead in a Clark County district where they saw one of their biggest pickup opportunities this election.

For House seat Position 1, Republican incumbent Rep. Stephanie McClintock had about 45% of the vote, while her Democratic opponent Randi Knott had about 54%.

For Position 2, incumbent Republican Rep. John Ley had about 44% of the vote to his Democratic challenger Deken Letinich’s nearly 56%.

12th Legislative District

Incumbent Republican Rep. Brian Burnett was trailing his Democratic opponent Stacy Willoughby, a community banker and political novice, after first counts on Tuesday. Willoughby had about 51% to Burnett’s 48%.

If results hold and Willoughby wins, she would be the first Democrat to hold the House seat since 1971. The 12th District covers Chelan County and eastern parts of King and Snohomish counties.

14th Legislative District

Both House Republican incumbents were trailing against Democratic challengers after Tuesday night counts in the 14th Legislative District, which includes much of Yakima County and parts of Klickitat, Benton and Franklin counties. This is the district that was at the center of a legal fight that resulted in a court-ordered redrawing of multiple legislative district boundaries in 2024.

In House position 1, Democrat Chelsea Dimas had nearly 55%. Rep. Gloria Mendoza had nearly 45%. Republicans have held the seat since 1985.

For House position 2, Democrat Ezequiel Morfin had about 55%, while Rep. Deb Manjarrez had about 44%. The last time Democrats held the seat was in 1993.

35th Legislative District

Republican incumbents also appeared potentially vulnerable in the 35th District, which includes all of Mason and parts of Kitsap and Thurston counties.

Sen. Drew MacEwen, who has served in the state Senate since 2023 after a decade in the House, trailed Democratic challenger Carolina Mejia. Mejia, a Thurston County commissioner, led with 51% of the vote to MacEwen’s 48%.

Both House races were also close. Rep. Dan Griffey, a Republican, led Jim Pierson, a Democrat, by a margin of around 50% to 49% — with a difference of only about 200 votes. Griffey has held his seat since 2015 and serves in caucus leadership.

Rep. Travis Couture, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee and an outspoken critic of Democrats on budget and tax issues, was also in a tight race. He had about 50% of the vote, while Democrat Maria Littlesun had around 49%.

Shauna Sowersby : 206-652-7619 or ssowersby@seattletimes.com . Shauna Sowersby is the state politics reporter for The Seattle Times. She covers the state Legislature, government agencies and the inner workings of state government from Olympia.