Washington has one of the year's most competitive House races
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Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, left, and Republican Joe Kent. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images and Nathan Howard/Getty Images
All 10 U.S. House seats in Washington state are on the ballot this year, with one race in Southwest Washington among the most closely watched in the country.
Why it matters: For Democrats, defending Washington's two swing districts — the 3rd and the 8th — is crucial as they seek to flip control of the U.S. House, where Republicans hold a slim majority.
- Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to take control of the 435-member chamber.
Zoom in: Here's a look at Washington's most competitive races, as well as who is on the ballot in Seattle.
Washington's 3rd Congressional District
First-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is defending her seat against Joe Kent, a Republican who she narrowly defeated two years ago.
- Before Gluesenkamp Perez's upset victory in 2022, the district in Southwest Washington had been in Republican hands for 12 years.
State of play: The nonpartisan Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball, a publication of the University of Virginia, list the race as one of only a handful of toss-up House contests nationwide.
Zoom in: Immigration has become a flashpoint in the race, with Kent — who is endorsed by former President Trump — supporting mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and ending birthright citizenship.
- He's accused Gluesenkamp Perez of being too lax about border security.
- For her part, Gluesenkamp Perez has sought to distance herself from the Biden administration on the issue, running ads promising to "secure the border" and voting last month for a GOP-sponsored bill that would make it easier to deport immigrants convicted of sex crimes.
Between the lines: Gluesenkamp Perez's campaign has highlighted Kent's past comments denying the 2020 election results, as well as his opposition to abortion, as evidence he's "too extreme."
- Kent in turn has increased his focus this year on the economy, attacking Gluesenkamp Perez for supporting policies he says have contributed to inflation.
Washington's 8th Congressional District
Three-term U.S. Rep Kim Schrier (D-Sammamish) faces a challenge from Republican Carmen Goers, a commercial banker.
- The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball both list the race as competitive, but place it in the "likely Democratic" outcome category.
Seattle districts
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Seattle) is up for re-election in Seattle's 7th Congressional District, facing Republican Dan Alexander, a longtime Boeing engineering manager.
- Meanwhile, in the 9th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Bellevue) faces a challenge from the left in Democrat Melissa Chaudhry.
Other races of interest
WA-04: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Sunnyside) is one of only two Republicans still in office who voted to impeach former President Trump in 2021.
- He's fending off a challenge from another Republican, Jerrod Sessler, who has won Trump's endorsement.
WA-06: State Sen. Emily Randall (D-Bremerton) is facing Republican state Sen. Drew MacEwen (R-Union) as they fight for the seat left open by the retirement of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor).
- The two state senators are competing head-to-head after edging out Democrat Hilary Franz, Washington's commissioner of public lands, who lost in the August primary.