(The Center Square) – Despite a huge amount of campaign spending, Washington Republicans appear to have failed in picking up an additional Senate seat in Tuesday’s election.
Democratic state Sen. Deb Krishnadasan was holding off Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier in initial returns by a healthy margin of 52.7% to 47.3% in the 26th Legislative District, which includes parts of Pierce and Kitsap counties and the cities of Bremerton, Port Orchard and Gig Harbor.
More ballots will be added to the total later on Wednesday.
Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh, who also serves in the state House of Representatives, was not ready to concede defeat on election night.
“I wish she [Caldier] were a couple of points higher, but she’s in the zone and the late ballots should cut her way,” he explained. “So, we will wait and see where she’s at in a couple of days.”
With voter turnout appearing to be quite low, Krishnadasan’s lead amounts to 1,826 votes.
“I knew from the ballot returns we got last night that tonight was not going to be a good night,” Caldier admitted at a Tuesday evening campaign watch party at a home in Gig Harbor. “We had a headwind, I think, with the government shutdown and everything, that we couldn’t overcome. It is what it is, and we worked very hard, and if people don’t want to turn in their ballots, I don’t know what to do about that.”
Krishnadasen’s campaign emailed The Center Square a statement after initial results were posted late Tuesday.
“We are encouraged by tonight’s results and expect this lead to hold. We will be closely monitoring additional results over the coming days, but for now, we are optimistic that our campaign has beaten back one of the most expensive onslaughts of corporate-funded attack ads in state history. I am committed to bipartisan, sensible solutions to the biggest issues facing our region,” the campaign said.
In the 5th Legislative District, Democratic Sen. Victoria Hunt appears to have defeated Republican challenger Chad Magendanz.
Based on initial returns Tuesday night, Hunt is leading Magendanz in the district – which includes parts of south and east King County, including Issaquah, Black Diamond and Enumclaw – by a margin of 54.5% to Magendanz’s 45.3%.
Hunt moved from the House of Representatives to the Senate after the death of Bill Ramos during this year’s legislative session.
At the same campaign watch party gathering in Gig Harbor Tuesday night, Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, told The Center Square the results are discouraging and could mean more strain on Washingtonians’ pocketbooks next year.
Washington faces a projected $2 billion funding gap in the 2026 supplemental budget due to slowing revenue growth combined with rapidly rising costs for state programs. That means state spending is expected to outpace tax collections over the next two budget cycles, necessitating difficult decisions for legislators next year.
“If the Democrats win both of these seats in the 5th and the 26th legislative districts after passing record-breaking taxes of $9.5 billion in new and increased taxes, and then they don’t pay a price at the ballot box, I think they’re going to feel very emboldened this next legislative session,” Gildon reasoned. “With the progressives in Olympia, their thirst for new and additional taxes is never-ending, and some of their leadership has been apprehensive about passing new taxes in an election year, but if they win both of these seats, I think they’re going to feel very emboldened to pass new taxes next session.”
