Primary Election Night Snapshot

Labor Neighbor Aug. 1st door knocking event. Photo: WSLC

Primary Election provides context for Washington voters as WSLC Endorsed Candidates appear posed to secure spots in General

by OSTA DAVIS

(August 11, 2026) — Primary Election night is always abuzz with possibility, and this year was no different. With an open primary in Washington, the top two vote-getters go on to the General Election in November. This top two system intensifies the intra-party contests and opens a lane for the perennially optimistic independent candidates who are hoping that this will finally be the year they break through.

While the results will shift as more ballots are counted, the Primary election night snapshot provided some interesting takeaways.

1)   Governor Ferguson’s Supreme Court appointees fared well in their first electoral contest. Five of the nine State Supreme Court Justice seats will come before voters this November. In positions #1 and #5, appointees Colleen Melody and Theo Angelis are leading in their respective races. The open seat in position #3 is too close to call, with Ferguson-endorsed Jaime Hawk at 32.91% followed closely by Attorney General Brown-endorsed Mike Diaz at 30.94%. The Washington State Supreme Court Elections Visualizer developed by Northwest Progressive Institute is a helpful tool for tracking the various contests.

2)   Challenging an incumbent only works if there’s a clear contrast. Intra-party challenges gained traction in districts where policy contrasts dominated the conversation. In Pierce County’s LD 29, WSLC-endorsed Krista Perez focused on specific votes, such as Rep. Morgan’s vote against the Millionaires’ Tax Legislation (SB 6346) that seemed out of touch with the working-class district. As of last night, she leads the incumbent by just 5 votes out of the total 10,039 cast. Jessica Forsythe took a similar approach in her race against Rep. Walen in King County’s LD 48 and appears within striking distance of a General Election victory.

Challengers had a difficult time gaining a foothold in districts where voting records weren’t the main drivers, despite big money at play. For instance, in LD 46, WSLC-endorsed Gerry Pollet sailed through the Primary with 54%, a 24% gap between him and challenger Will Dreher who had a $100K+ fundraising advantage. The same was true on the Republican side, with WSLC-endorsed Rep. Mike Steele maintaining an 18-point lead over Republican challenger Adam James, who had a 3:1 fundraising advantage over Rep. Steele. In Seattle’s LD 43, WSLC-endorsed Sen. Jamie Pedersen clinched victory in the primary with 71% of the vote share, though in this instance, Sen. Pedersen had the benefit of both public opinion and financial advantage on his side.

Labor Neighbor door knocking event on July 25th. Photo: WSLC

3)   Republican State Legislators face headwinds when running for Congress. For some reason, Republican legislators who are respected and well-liked in their districts can’t seem to break the congressional glass ceiling. Senator Matt Boehnke received just 10% of the vote in the CD 4 open seat contest. In 2024, Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber eked out 13.6% in CD 5’s crowded primary. Perhaps the distance between Olympia and their home districts and the fundraising freeze during legislative session prove to be insurmountable disadvantages. Senator John Braun has advanced through the primary in CD 3, though if WSLC-endorsed Marie Gluesenkamp Perez can consolidate Democrats behind her, she will have the advantage heading into the General.

4)   Union Candidates resonate with voters. In LD 26, AFT-member Renee Hernandez Greenfield soared through a crowded primary, making the case that her background in human services and child welfare equips her to deliver on effective, outcome-driven policies. In Southwest Washington, union candidates made a spectacularly strong showing, with WSLC-endorsed candidates leading in LDs 17 & 18. In particular, LiUNA-member Deken Letinich sits at 53% against incumbent John Ley. Deken received 44.6% of the vote when he ran in 2024, a proof point that momentum built around working class issues over the past few years may reach new heights in 2026.

Leading into the Primary, the WSLC’s Labor Neighbor grassroots political program sought to build independent political power that wasn’t tied to a particular political party. We expanded the political playing field by knocking on doors in Wenatchee, Tacoma, Bremerton, and Seattle, to name a few. If the Primary Election frames the debate for the General, union members should be pleased to see this strategy translate into electoral and relational wins as we head into November.

Updated election results will be posted by the Secretary of State’s office daily after 4 pm. You can find the most updated election results at their election results webpage.

Osta Davis is Political & Strategic Campaigns Director at the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.