Three contested U.S. House races are on a crowded Washington state ballot that includes four ballot measures, a U.S. Senate seat, and more than 100 legislative contests.
Among the congressional races, Eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District contest pits Republican incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers against Democrat Lisa Brown, a former chancellor of Washington State University-Spokane who previously served as majority leader in the state Senate.
The hotly contested open seat in the 8th Congressional District has been one of the costliest in the nation as Democrats see a potential pickup that could help determine control of the U.S. House. Dr. Kim Schrier, a Democrat and pediatrician, and Republican Dino Rossi, a former state senator who had previous unsuccessful runs for governor and the U.S. Senate, are vying to replace Republican U.S. Representative Dave Reichert, who is retiring after more than a decade.
In the 3rd Congressional District, Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler faces a strong challenge from Democrat Carolyn Long, a political science professor at WSU’s campus in Vancouver.
In the race for U.S. Senate, former state GOP chairwoman Susan Hutchison is challenging Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, a three-term incumbent.
All 98 seats in the state House are up for election, and voters will decide 25 of the Senate’s 49 seats. While Democrats hold most statewide offices in Washington, the political split in the Legislature is much narrower – Democrats currently hold a one-seat advantage in the Senate and a two-seat advantage in the House. (AP)
