Two potentially vulnerable Democrats in the Washington state Senate appeared poised to retain their seats after an initial ballot count on Tuesday.
Sen. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, faced a challenge from a more moderate candidate within her own party. And Sen. Victoria Hunt, D-Issaquah, from a Republican opponent hoping to chip away at the lopsided balance of power in favor of Democrats in Olympia.
For each, it was their first time defending their seats. Both were promoted from the House to the Senate via appointment.
On Tuesday, Hunt comfortably led former state lawmaker Chad Magendanz, a moderate Republican, by a margin of 54.5% to 45.3%.
Slatter was ahead of her former state House colleague, Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland, 56% to 42.3% after Tuesday’s ballot drop.
Meanwhile, Rep. Edwin Obras, D-SeaTac, trailed fellow Democrat and Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling. Schilling, considered the moderate candidate in the race, narrowly led with about 50.2% of the vote to Obras’ 47.2%. Roughly 350 votes separated the candidates.
The marquee race this year for a seat in the Legislature was the Senate contest in the 26th District. There, Democratic state Sen. Deb Krishnadasan led Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier on Tuesday night by a margin of 52.7% to 47.3%.
President Donald Trump loomed over the off-year elections, even in the Democrat-on-Democrat battles. Progressive candidates touted their pushback against Trump and tried to link their opponents to the president’s policies.
Five other Democrats in safe western Washington seats are sailing toward re-election.
Reps. Janice Zahn, D-Bellevue, and Osman Salahuddin, D-Redmond, were trouncing Republican opponents in Tuesday’s returns. And state Sens. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, and Emily Alvarado, D-Seattle, as well as Rep. Brianna Thomas, D-West Seattle, ran unopposed.
Voting tallies will be updated as more ballots are counted in the coming days.
5th Legislative District
Hunt has risen quickly in the Legislature, from election to the state House last year to being appointed to the Senate after the unexpected death of Sen. Bill Ramos in April.
Her district stretches from Issaquah to Enumclaw.
Magendanz had represented this district for two terms in the state House, but the backlash to Trump drove a wave of anti-Republican sentiment that swept up Magendanz in 2018. Ramos defeated him that year.
The district has leaned left since. Magendanz ran unsuccessfully for the House there in 2022 and for the Senate in 2024.
Hunt followed the party line this year on voting for billions in new and increased taxes, which largely fall on the shoulders of businesses. Business-backed political committees spent heavily on advertising and mailers opposing her.
Magendanz has pilloried Democrats over approving the tax increases along with a $3.2 billion transportation revenue package anchored by a 6-cent hike to the state’s gas tax.
Hunt tried to associate Magendanz with the unpopular policies of Trump.
As of Monday, she’d spent $404,000 to Magendanz’s $329,000.
48th Legislative District
Slatter, a pharmacist, came into the year as a member of the state House, but was tapped to replace Patty Kuderer, who was elected last November as the state’s insurance commissioner. Walen also vied for the appointment to Kuderer’s seat, which was made by the King County Council. Slatter joined the Legislature in 2017, Walen in 2019.
Walen was previously Kirkland’s mayor and owns a couple of car dealerships.
Pro-Slatter mailers have painted the incumbent as “The Real Democrat” on the “front lines” opposing Trump’s policies.
The two lawmakers voted similarly on a couple major tax bills last session, though they did diverge on some key policies. Slatter approved the gas tax increase. Walen did not. Walen opposed the new cap on residential rent increases. Slatter voted for it. Slatter voted for providing striking workers with unemployment benefits. Walen opposed that policy.
The district covers parts of Redmond, Bellevue and Kirkland. In her bid to unseat Slatter, Walen spent more than $578,000, compared to Slatter’s $361,000.
33rd Legislative District
Obras was appointed to Orwall’s seat in the House after Orwall moved to the Senate to replace retiring former state Sen. Karen Keiser.
Despite no Republican appearing on the ballot here, Trump played an outsized role.
Obras supporters painted Schilling, the more moderate of the two candidates, as aligned with pro-Trump interests.
“This year, there are two Democrats on the ballot — but only one who represents us,” reads one of the hit pieces paid for by the New Direction PAC, a political committee funded by the Democratic caucuses in the House and Senate and major labor unions.
Schilling took issue with that tactic.
“They make everything about Trump and if they make everything about Trump, they hope people forget about what is going on in the state,” Schilling said.
The Burien mayor had some big names in his corner, including U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Bellevue, Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove and Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. Obras boasts endorsements from U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal and numerous legislative colleagues.
Obras largely remained in lockstep with his party on contentious issues this past legislative session, though he voted against the most far-reaching tax bill Democrats approved, which boosted business and occupation tax rates. Schilling has argued Democrats went too far in passing increased taxes to fill a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.
The south King County district includes Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, SeaTac and much of Kent.
Schilling outspent the incumbent, with $283,000 to Obras’ $237,000. Hundreds of thousands more have been spent by outside groups supporting or opposing the candidates.
