Washington State Senate elections, 2016
← 2014 November 8, 2016 2018 →
26 seats of the Washington State Senate
25 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Pam Roach Sharon Nelson
Party Majority Coalition Caucus[a] Democratic
Leader's seat 31st-Auburn 34th-Vashon
Last election 26 23
Seats won 25 24
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1
Popular vote 787,912 708,898
Percentage 50.86% 45.82%
Results:
     Democratic gain
     Republican hold      Democratic hold
     No election
President pro tempore before election

Pam Roach
Republican (Coalition)

Elected President pro tempore

Tim Sheldon
Democratic (Coalition)

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The 2016 Washington State Senate elections is one of the biennial legislative elections in Washington in which about half of the state's 49 legislative districts choose a state senator for a four-year term to the Washington State Senate. The other half of state senators are chosen in the next biennial election, so that about half of the senators, along with all the members of the Washington State House of Representatives, are elected every two years. 25 seats are regularly scheduled to be up this cycle, along with 1 additional seat holding a special election to fill an unexpired term: the 36th district, currently held by appointed Senator Reuven Carlyle, whose former incumbent Jeanne Kohl-Welles vacated the seat.

A top two primary election on August 9, 2016 determines which candidates appear on the November ballot. Candidates were allowed to declare a party preference.[1] The general election took place on November 8, 2016.[2]

The 2016 Election maintained effective Republican control of the Senate, because self-identified Democrat Tim Sheldon caucuses with the Republicans.

Overview

Washington State Senate election, 2016
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 787,912 50.86% 25[b] Decrease 1
Democratic 709,898 45.82% 24 Increase 1
Libertarian 28,405 1.83% 0 0
Independent 22,986 1.48% 0 0
Totals 1,549,201 100.0% 49 —

Composition

Races by type Seats
  Democratic Incumbent uncontested 5
  Democratic Incumbent vs. Democrat 0
  Democratic Incumbent vs. Republican 5
  Contested, Open Seats[c] 6
  Republican Incumbent vs. Democrat 5
  Republican Incumbent vs. Republican 0
  Republican Incumbent uncontested 5

Results

District 1

Washington's 1st legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mindie Wirth 11,959 40.0
Democratic Guy Palumbo 9,369 31.3
Democratic Luis Moscoso 8,568 28.7
Total votes 29,896 100.0
General election
Democratic Guy Palumbo 40,758 56.9
Republican Mindie Wirth 30,850 43.1
Total votes 71,608 100.0
Democratic hold

District 2

Washington's 2nd legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Randi Becker (incumbent) 14,103 58.1
Democratic Marilyn Rasmussen 6,517 26.8
Democratic Tamborine Borrelli 3,680 15.1
Total votes 24,300 100.0
General election
Republican Randi Becker (incumbent) 36,739 61.3
Democratic Marilyn Rasmussen 23,149 38.7
Total votes 59,888 100.0
Republican hold

District 3

Washington's 3rd legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Andy Billig (incumbent) 14,751 73.1
Libertarian James R. Apker 5,428 26.9
Total votes 20,179 100.0
General election
Democratic Andy Billig (incumbent) 33,777 67.3
Libertarian James R. Apker 16,395 32.7
Total votes 50,172 100.0
Democratic hold

District 4

Washington's 4th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Padden (incumbent) 21,255 100.0
General election
Republican Mike Padden (incumbent) 55,715 100.0
Republican hold

District 5

Washington's 5th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Mullet (incumbent) 15,199 50.7
Republican Chad Magendanz 14,787 49.3
Total votes 29,986 100.0
General election
Democratic Mark Mullet (incumbent) 37,342 50.3
Republican Chad Magendanz 36,826 49.7
Total votes 74,168 100.0
Democratic hold

District 9

Washington's 9th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Schoesler (incumbent) 16,271 100.0
General election
Republican Mark Schoesler (incumbent) 41,951 100.0
Republican hold

District 10

Washington's 10th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Barbara Bailey (incumbent) 18,860 51.5
Democratic Angie Homola 13,928 38.0
Democratic Nick Petrish 3,851 10.5
Total votes 36,639 100.0
General election
Republican Barbara Bailey (incumbent) 42,309 56.7
Democratic Angie Homola 32,309 43.3
Total votes 74,618 100.0
Republican hold

District 11

Washington's 11th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa (incumbent) 15,283 79.0
Libertarian Dennis Price 4,058 21.0
Total votes 19,341 100.0
General election
Democratic Bob Hasegawa (incumbent) 38,785 76.4
Libertarian Dennis Price 12,010 23.6
Total votes 50,795 100.0
Democratic hold

District 12

Washington's 12th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brad Hawkins 16,723 66.2
Republican Jon Wyss 8,538 33.8
Total votes 25,261 100.0
General election
Republican Brad Hawkins 30,882 56.0
Republican Jon Wyss 24,258 44.0
Total votes 55,140 100.0
Republican hold

District 14

Washington's 14th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Curtis King (incumbent) 14,153 69.8
Republican Amanda Richards 6,132 30.2
Total votes 20,285 100.0
General election
Republican Curtis King (incumbent) 31,156 61.0
Republican Amanda Richards[d] 19,900 39.0
Total votes 51,056 100.0
Republican hold

District 16

Washington's 16th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Maureen Walsh 16,044 100.0
General election
Republican Maureen Walsh 40,354 100.0
Republican hold

District 17

Washington's 17th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lynda Wilson 11,603 50.1
Democratic Tim Probst 11,553 49.9
Total votes 23,156 100.0
General election
Republican Lynda Wilson 32,766 55.1
Democratic Tim Probst[e] 26,686 44.9
Total votes 59,452 100.0
Republican hold

District 18

Washington's 18th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ann Rivers (incumbent) 16,717 60.2
Democratic Eric K. Holt 11,029 37.8
Total votes 24,300 100.0
General election
Republican Ann Rivers (incumbent) 45,316 63.8
Democratic Eric K. Holt 25,699 36.2
Total votes 71,015 100.0
Republican hold

District 19

Washington's 19th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dean Takko (incumbent) 14,848 57.7
Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson 10,909 42.3
Total votes 25,757 100.0
General election
Democratic Dean Takko (incumbent) 30,850 55.2
Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson[f] 25,064 44.8
Total votes 55,914 100.0
Democratic hold

District 20

Washington's 20th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John E. Braun (incumbent) 20,063 100.0
General election
Republican John E. Braun (incumbent) 49,936 100.0
Republican hold

District 22

Washington's 22nd legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sam Hunt 17,992 55.4
Independent Steve Owens 6,934 21.4
Democratic Erik Lee 4,872 15.0
Democratic Spencer Baldwin 2,662 8.2
Total votes 32,460 100.0
General election
Democratic Sam Hunt 45,882 66.6
Independent Steve Owens 22,986 33.4
Total votes 68,868 100.0
Democratic hold

District 23

Washington's 23rd legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Christine Rolfes (incumbent) 22,794 100.0
General election
Democratic Christine Rolfes (incumbent) 51,541 100.0
Democratic hold

District 24

Washington's 24th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kevin Van De Wege 21,700 60.8
Republican Danille Turissini 14,016 39.2
Total votes 35,716 100.0
General election
Democratic Kevin Van De Wege 40,808 56.6
Republican Danille Turissini[g] 31,342 43.4
Total votes 72,150 100.0
Democratic hold

District 25

Washington's 25th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Hans Zeiger 14,492 59.4
Democratic Karl Mecklenburg 9,912 40.6
Total votes 24,404 100.0
General election
Republican Hans Zeiger 35,138 59.3
Democratic Karl Mecklenburg 24,088 40.7
Total votes 59,226 100.0
Republican hold

District 27

Washington's 27th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jeannie Darneille (incumbent) 15,141 62.1
Republican Greg Taylor 6,356 26.1
Democratic Martin Cline 2,882 11.8
Total votes 24,379 100.0
General election
Democratic Jeannie Darneille (incumbent) 40,241 69.3
Republican Greg Taylor 17,859 30.7
Total votes 58,100 100.0
Democratic hold

District 28

Washington's 28th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve O'Ban (incumbent) 14,229 53.6
Democratic Marisa Peloquin 12,309 46.4
Total votes 26,538 100.0
General election
Republican Steve O'Ban (incumbent) 30,139 52.9
Democratic Marisa Peloquin 26,835 47.1
Total votes 56,974 100.0
Republican hold

District 36

Washington's 36th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Reuven Carlyle (incumbent) 34,600 100.0
General election
Democratic Reuven Carlyle (incumbent) 72,385 100.0
Democratic hold

District 39

Washington's 39th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kirk Pearson (incumbent) 19,810 100.0
General election
Republican Kirk Pearson (incumbent) 50,942 100.0
Republican hold

District 40

Washington's 40th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kevin Ranker (incumbent) 21,404 67.4
Republican Daniel R. Miller 10,377 32.6
Total votes 31,781 100.0
General election
Democratic Kevin Ranker (incumbent) 47,108 67.1
Republican Daniel R. Miller 23,081 32.9
Total votes 70,189 100.0
Democratic hold

District 41

Washington's 41st legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lisa Wellman 14,800 48.8
Republican Steve Litzow (incumbent) 14,344 47.3
Libertarian Bryan Simonson 1,189 3.9
Total votes 30,333 100.0
General election
Democratic Lisa Wellman 37,107 51.9
Republican Steve Litzow (incumbent) 34,446 48.1
Total votes 71,553 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

District 49

Washington's 49th legislative district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Annette Cleveland (incumbent) 12,581 56.9
Republican Lewis Gerhardt 6,980 31.5
Democratic Vaughn Gregor Henderson 1,366 6.2
Independent Justin M. Forsman 1,194 5.4
Total votes 22,121 100.0
General election
Democratic Annette Cleveland (incumbent) 34,548 62.3
Republican Lewis Gerhardt 20,943 37.7
Total votes 55,491 100.0
Democratic hold

Notes

  1. ^ Democrat Tim Sheldon caucused with all 25 Republicans to allow republicans to hold the majority.
  2. ^ Includes Democrat Tim Sheldon (35th-Potlatch) who caucuses with Republicans, allowing them to retain the majority.
  3. ^ Including open seats with two candidates of the same party competing in the general election.
  4. ^ Listed on ballot as an Independent Republican.
  5. ^ Listed on ballot as an Independent Democrat.
  6. ^ Listed on ballot as an Independent Republican.
  7. ^ Listed on ballot as an Independent Republican.

References

  1. ^ "Top 2 Primary: FAQs for Voters".
  2. ^ November 8, 2016 General Election Results: Legislative - All Results (Report).
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