MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Hello Democrats,
Congratulations on an amazing year! Now that 2022 election results are certified and final we wanted to provide a quick update on how things panned out:
- Senator Patty Murray won with a commanding 57.15% of the vote and defeated MAGA extremist Tiffany Smiley.
- Every Incumbent Member of Congress won by more than 6% of the vote, including Congresswoman Kim Schrier who performed even better than she did in 2020. I also want to highlight a truly impressive showing from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who beat her Republican opponent with a sixfold advantage!
- We flipped a key Congressional seat in WA-03, sending Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez to D.C. and declaring loud and clear that white nationalist candidates like Joe Kent will never hold high office in WA State.
- We helped SoS Steve Hobbs win – marking the first time a Democrat has carried this seat in more than 50 years and the first time in history every single WA statewide office is in Democratic control.
- Democrats held onto every single one of our seats in the WA legislature, flipped a state Senate seat in LD 42, and despite an impending recount, we are confident that we are on track to flip a state House seat in LD 10!
We are also proud to report that final statewide voter turnout reached nearly 64%. While not the best performance on record, this is a solid result for a midterm year and we are pleased with this showing.
Please join me in giving a huge shout out to the Washington Democrats organizers and volunteers who worked around the clock to execute 2.3M voter contacts – we couldn’t have accomplished what we did without their hard work!
If you want to see all election results and turnout statistics in one place, you can check them on the WA Secretary of State’s website here:
https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20221108/default.htm
We’re still watching LD 10 closely – where a machine recount has been called to determine if Democrat Clyde Shavers can flip a red state House seat blue! We are feeling confident; late returns broke in our direction and it would take a fairly large upset to tilt the scales. With that being said, we may not have a final result for some time – so please join us in crossing your fingers for a Democratic victory!
Again, thank you so much for all you did this cycle to make these victories possible – we are so grateful for our whole WA State Democratic Team!
WORKING FOR WASHINGTON
Gearing up for 2023:
We’re so proud of all we have accomplished, but our work cannot stop – in 2023 we intend to work tirelessly for the thousands of Democrats running in local races statewide!
This work is critical for two reasons. First – it helps ensure that progressive policy that works for every Washingtonian is passed across our state. Second – and just as importantly – it allows us to build our Democratic “bench” across Washington. I’m not exaggerating when I say today’s Fire Commissioner could be tomorrow’s Governor and it’s critical that we don’t let even one terrific Democrat slip through the cracks!
The future of our Party, and our state depends on cultivating and helping these great candidates and we’re so excited to get to work. We will keep you in the loop about our efforts and priorities in the coming weeks!
Interested in running for local office in 2023? Check out what’s available at your local county auditor website and reach out to your local Democratic Party organization, either at the county or legislative district level. We’re here to help!
Local Party Reorganization:
As we pull into the last month of 2022 we are kicking off some of the most exciting Party business of the cycle – reorganizing all of our great local parties. Reorganization is the process by which local parties, who have newly elected Precinct Committee Officers from the midterm elections, meet for the first time with their new memberships and elect their officers. All 88 Legislative Districts and Counties meet to reorganize between the beginning of December, 2022, and the end of January, 2023.
If you’ve ever been interested in getting more involved in your local party organization, now is a great time to bring your voice forward. Please reach out to your local county or LD organization if you’d like to get involved!
DEMOCRATS IN THE NEWS
Republicans hit blue wall in WA: Meet your new state Legislature
Republicans hit a blue wall in the Washington state Legislature election last month, repulsed by Democrats who continue to build power in Olympia.
Senate passes bill to protect same-sex, interracial marriages
The Senate on Tuesday passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which would enshrine marriage equality in federal law, granting protections to same-sex and interracial couples.
Patty Murray likely to be first female Senate president pro tem, 3rd in line for presidency
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray will likely be the first woman to serve as Senate president pro tempore, a position that would place her third in line for the presidency. Murray will also likely chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, controlling the federal purse strings and directing billions of dollars of spending.
Native representation to increase in Washington Legislature
Washington state is home to 29 federally recognized Native American Tribes, but only one Native person currently serves in the state Legislature. That will change next year. Three enrolled members of Native tribes [won] their elections this fall.
GET INVOLVED
With Georgia’s special election coming up on December 9th, the strength of our US Senate majority hangs in the balance. Our friends in GA need support in the runoff to re-elect Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock and expand our Democratic majority!
- If you would like to CANVASS, you can sign up HERE: https://www.mobilize.us/
gavotes/event/521492/ - If you would like to MAKE CALLS, you can sign up HERE: https://www.mobilize.us/
gavotes/event/488467/ - If you plan to TRAVEL TO GA, please complete THIS FORM: https://docs.google.com/forms/
d/e/1FAIpQLSdCN-LUeoAF_ R7nukP54ZpYNQgxOjQ9UIvmuxxQiyH 3HV0evw/viewform
It’s difficult to overstate how consequential this seat is and the impact it will have on our ability to pass progressive policy over the next two years. And with the US House now in GOP control, it is doubly important that we fight tooth and nail for any and every advantage possible!
We hope you will help if you are able!
No one person wins an election. It takes a community, and we are a community and in many ways, a family of Democrats. We are so grateful for each and every one of you.
Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!
With gratitude,
Washington State Democratic Party
The work we do today wins elections this November. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now.
Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!
Washington State Democrats PO Box 4027 Seattle, WA 98194 United States