Today King County Elections added 95,000 votes to their tally. With the ballots from drop boxes now accounted for, we’re sitting at over 40% turnout, a smidge ahead of projections, which is very nice! That said, far less than half of registered voters voting in the primary is not exactly representative, so, ya know, tell a friend!
At the moment, the county still has 121,000 accepted ballots left to count, including about 50,000 in Seattle. KCE also records more than 1,500 active signature challenges in Seattle and nearly 4,200 signature challenges countywide. If you have a signature issue with your ballot, then you have until Monday, August 19 at 4:30 pm to resolve it. You can now fix any signature issues online here. Hop to it!
Now, onto business. Thursday’s ballot drop normally clarifies some mysteries from election night, but many of those same mysteries remain. Let’s review them! (Numbers may shift as counties turn in ballots late, so please pardon the discrepancy.)
As of press time, Congressional hopeful Melissa Chaudhry, who challenged longtime incumbent Adam Smith in the Seattle ‘burbs, inched closer to Republican transphobe Paul Martin. Yesterday she was a full point behind him, 18% to 19%, and now she’s just 0.4 points and a little more than 550 votes behind him. Tomorrow’s ballot drop might bring her enough votes to squeak by him. Still, finishing in the high teens pales in comparison to the 27% progressive challenger Sarah Smith put up against Congressman Smith (no relation) during the progressive wave in 2018. Bummer to see a drop there.
Things arguably look better for Stranger-endorsed Public Lands Commissioner candidate Dave Upthegrove today. In the latest tally, the environmentalist now trails MAGA Republican Sue Pederson by 1,940 votes, down from 3,000 votes yesterday. A big lead in King County buoys him, but he’s trailing in Pierce, Snohomish, and Clark, which will make this one a nail-biter until the bitter end.
I wanted to do a statewide analysis of the potential for Dem pickups in the State House and state Senate, but my email melted down and I basically had to write all of this post on my phone. So that’ll come tomorrow!
Here in Seattle, 43rd Legislative District Democrat and Stranger endorsee Shaun Scott reached a new cruising altitude of 56%, increasing his share by 2%. Seattle Times-endorsed candidate Daniel Carusello still hovers around 17% of the vote, and We Heart Seattle Founder Andrea Suarez lost a little ground, down to 22%.
Alexis Mercedes Rinck extended her already wide lead over Council Member Tanya Woo. Rinck now leads Woo 48 to 40.5, which will only grow. Those who voted for progressive Tariq Yusuf and Saunatina Sanchez will very likely vote Rinck come November, so you might as well add 8 points to Rinck’s 7.5-point lead.
Boy, don’t it just seem like even-year elections work better for progressives due to higher turnout? We should really get on that.
Great article, you compiled all the information I’m looking for. This primary has really highlighted the problem with WA’s “top two” system, hasn’t it? Hoping Upthegrove will pull through.
There is hardly anything less worth writing about than these no-hoper challengers to Adam Smith. Just give it up, will you?
Surreal to see the Seattle Times reporting on the Land Commissioner race and not pointing out the absurdity that Democratic-labeled candidates have pulled 57% of the vote and may be completely shut out of the general. I mean, I know it’s the Seattle Times, but I still feel gaslit that there’s no one talking about this in print.
If Upthegrove had only come out against the genocide in Gaza, the extra support from those left wing radicals would have him winning by a landslide
@2: The 9th CD extends into Seattle, but not so far as onto Capitol Hill. Therefore, every so often, the Stranger feels a need to show they know nothing about politics in the 9th CD.
@4: Yeah, the Stranger was pretty much All Gaza All The Time, until voters shrugged at the Stranger’s ten-month festival of “GENOCIDE!!” I wonder what the Stranger’s next object of obsession will be?