Axios Seattle

March 12, 2024
Happy Tuesday and Ramadan Mubarak to those who observe. ☪️
🌥 Today's weather: Partly sunny with a chance of rain. High near 49.
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Today's newsletter is 878 words, a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: What we're watching in today's presidential primary
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Voting ends today in Washington state's presidential primary, as President Biden and former President Trump appear headed toward a rematch in November.
Why it matters: Washington's primary may give Trump the final delegates he needs to clinch the Republican nomination, AP reports.
- Biden could also lock down the Democratic nomination today. He needs only about 40% of the delegates that are at stake in today's elections, which include primaries in Georgia and Mississippi, per AP.
Context: In Washington's vote-by-mail elections, it's typical for only about half of ballots to be counted on election night.
- That means it might take days before it's clear exactly how many delegates each candidate has won.
Here are a few things we're watching as early results roll in around 8pm tonight.
The "uncommitted" vote
Democrats who want Biden to call for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war have been urging other Democratic voters to pick the "uncommitted delegates" option on the ballot as a form of protest.
How it works: If at least 15% of Democrats statewide or in any of Washington's 10 congressional districts choose "uncommitted," Washington will send a pool of delegates to the Democratic National Convention who aren't bound to vote for Biden or any specific candidate when the party chooses its presidential nominee.
How low turnout goes
Turnout in the 2020 presidential primary was 49.55% statewide, and the Washington's secretary of state's office told Axios it is expecting similar participation in 2024.
Yes, but: It's possible fewer voters will return their ballots this year, since both parties' presidential nominees are a near certainty.
State of play: Of the candidates who appear on Washington's Democratic primary ballot, only Biden and self-help author Marianne Williamson are still in the race.
- On the Republican side, all the 2024 candidates besides Trump have ended their presidential campaigns.
- By contrast, in early March 2020, Bernie Sanders was still campaigning hard for the Democratic nomination.
If there's an anti-Trump vote
The former president only garnered about 38% of the statewide vote in November 2016 and just under 39% in 2020.
2. Biden beats Trump among big Washington donors

President Biden has received about $2.9 million from large donors in Washington state so far in his 2024 campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data.
The big picture: Biden has raised far more money in left-leaning Washington than he has in several key swing states, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania.
- That tracks with Washington's history of being a safe blue state, where candidates often raise money they plan to deploy in political battlegrounds elsewhere.
By the numbers: Among Washington's big donors, Biden has outraised former President Trump, who has collected $1.7 million, per the FEC.
- Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has suspended her campaign, has netted nearly $1 million from large donations in Washington, while independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raked in about $465,000.
The fine print: The FEC data doesn't include donations under $200, which means it's not a complete picture of the total money raised.
- But the numbers provide a general sense of a candidate's financial position in Washington going into today's presidential primary election.
Zoom out: Nationally, Biden leads with nearly $106 million, compared to about $89 million for Trump.
3. Morning Buzz: Help for spawning salmon
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
🐟 President Biden's proposed budget includes $500 million that would help Green River salmon reach spawning grounds behind the Howard Hanson Dam. (Seattle Times)
🏈 Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who is soon being released from the Denver Broncos, is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. (CBS)
🦺 Seattle's new civilian 911 response team has gone out on more than 300 calls since launching in fall. (KING 5)
4. Here comes the sun, Seattle
Illustration: Maura Losch, Lindsey Bailey/Axios
After weeks of rain and cooler than average temperatures, sunny and dry weather is expected to herald spring into Western Washington this week.
Why it matters: Daytime highs will reach into the mid-60s and possibly brush up against 70 on Saturday in some parts of Puget Sound, particularly in the Cascade foothills, National Weather Service Seattle meteorologist Anna Lindeman told Axios.
- It will start drying out Wednesday afternoon.
The high on Saturday is expected to be 66 degrees, Lindeman said, but there's a 10–20% chance Seattle could hit 72 degrees, the record high for the date set in 1947.
- By Monday, things will start to cool down, with forecast highs of 63 on Monday and 60 on Tuesday, but it will remain fair and clear, per the weather service.
What they're saying: It'll be a major change from today's blustery weather, said Michael Fagin, a forecaster for Pacific Northwest ski resorts.
Threat level: New snow at the beginning of the week and higher temperatures by the end will lure skiers to the slopes but also increase avalanche risk, Fagin told Axios.
- Be sure to check in with the Northwest Avalanche Center and plan to ski inbound at a resort rather than heading to the backcountry, he said.
Of note: Don't pack away your winter wear quite yet. Denizens of the region are familiar with the trickery of "faux spring."
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5. Where are we?
Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
👋 Melissa here. I snapped this a few weekends ago while exploring Seattle with some out-of-town guests. Can you name the spot? Bonus points for specificity.
- One of the readers who answers correctly will win a prize!
🌸 Melissa is charmed by her son's new habit of collecting cherry blossoms that fall on the sidewalk.
🐦 Clarridge is trying to talk to crows in their own language.
This newsletter was edited by Rachel La Corte and copy edited by Egan Millard.
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