Washington's_8th_congressional_district
Washington's 8th congressional district
U.S. House district for Washington
Washington's 8th congressional district is a district for the United States House of Representatives located in western Washington State. It includes the eastern portions of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, and crosses the Cascade mountains to include Chelan and Kittitas counties. The district's western part includes the exurban communities of Sammamish, Issaquah, and Maple Valley but does not include Seattle and Tacoma's more immediate suburbs. On its east side, the 8th's population centers include the rural communities Wenatchee, Leavenworth, and Ellensburg.[4] It is currently represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Democrat Kim Schrier, who was first elected to the seat in 2018.
| Washington's 8th congressional district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 (King County highlighted, where most of the district's population resides) | |||
| Representative |
| ||
| Area | 7,359.70 sq mi (19,061.5 km2) | ||
| Distribution |
| ||
| Population (2022) | 765,776[1] | ||
| Median household income | $119,767[2] | ||
| Ethnicity |
| ||
| Cook PVI | D+1[3] | ||
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| Year | Office | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | President | Reagan 62 - 37% |
| 1988 | President | Bush 56 - 43% |
| 1992 | President | Clinton 38 - 34% |
| 1996 | President | Clinton 47 - 41% |
| 2000 | President | Gore 49 - 47% |
| 2004 | President | Kerry 51 - 48% |
| 2008 | President | Obama 57 - 42% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 50 - 48% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 48 - 45% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 52 - 45% |
The 8th district was created after redistricting cycle after the 1980 census. For its first 30 years, it was centered on the Eastside region of the Seattle metropolitan area. After the 2010 U.S. census, the state responded to population changes by shifting much of the Eastside to the 9th district. To make up for the loss in population, areas east of the Cascades were shifted to the 8th district.
For the first 35 years of its existence, the 8th district was held by a Republican. It was located in an area that was historically the most Republican portion of the Seattle area. However, it was swept up in the larger Democratic trend in the Pacific Northwest since the 1990s, and has supported the Democratic nominee in every presidential election since 1992. Prior to the 2011 redistricting, the district had the peculiarity of having a Democratic advantage according to its Cook PVI, but only having elected Republicans to Congress throughout its history. After the district was pushed east of the Cascades with the 2010 redistricting, its PVI became even. The GOP winning streak ended with the 2018 election.
2004
In 2004, Dave Reichert, at the time serving as the sheriff of King County, beat his Democratic opponent Dave Ross by 52% to 48% in the race to replace 12-year incumbent Jennifer Dunn; that year, voters in the district favored Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert | 173,298 | 51.50 | |
| Democratic | Dave Ross | 157,148 | 46.70 | |
| Libertarian | Spencer Garrett | 6,053 | 1.80 | |
| Total votes | 336,499 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2006
Responding to Reichert's perceived vulnerability, former Microsoft program manager Darcy Burner (D) challenged Rep. Reichert in 2006, in what was widely expected to be a close election. Influential election analyst Charlie Cook listed the contest among 68 competitive or potentially competitive House races to watch in 2006, categorizing it as a "toss-up" (defined as "the most competitive; Either party has a good chance of winning").[5] Burner was one of 22 House challengers selected by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for fundraising assistance with its "Red to Blue" program, aimed at unseating vulnerable Republican incumbents around the country.[6]
In the end, Reichert won re-election, defeating Burner by just 7,341 votes out of more than 250,000 cast.[7] The outcome of the race was not decided for almost a week after the election, as severe flooding in the eastern part of the district delayed the counting of absentee ballots.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (inc.) | 129,362 | 51.46 | |
| Democratic | Darcy Burner | 122,021 | 48.54 | |
| Total votes | 251,383 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2008
In the 2008 election, Reichert faced Burner again in a rematch that many election watchers again described as one of the nation's hottest contests. This time, Reichert defeated Burner 53 percent to 47 percent, a solid victory despite Barack Obama's 15-point margin in the district.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert | 74,140 | 48.54% | |
| Democratic | Darcy Burner | 68,010 | 44.53% | |
| Democratic | James E. Vaughn | 5,051 | 3.31% | |
| Independent | Richard Todd | 2,116 | 1.39% | |
| Democratic | Keith Arnold | 1,886 | 1.23% | |
| Independent | Boleslaw Orlinski | 1,523 | 1.00% | |
| Total votes | 152,726 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert | 191,568 | 52.78% | |
| Democratic | Darcy Burner | 171,358 | 47.22% | |
| Total votes | 362,926 | 100% | ||
2010
In the 2010 election, Reichert and Democrat Suzan DelBene advanced out of the Washington State Top 2 Primaries with 47.2% and 26.9% of the vote, respectively. Reichert prevailed over DelBene in the General Election 52.1% to 47.9%. In this election, Reichert won both King and Pierce counties even after losing some key endorsements, including the Seattle Times, which endorsed Suzan DelBene and Tim Dillon in the primaries.[11][12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (incumbent) | 76,118 | 47.23 | |
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene | 43,272 | 26.85 | |
| Democratic | Tom Cramer | 15,313 | 9.50 | |
| Republican | Ernest Huber | 9,376 | 5.82 | |
| Republican | Tim Dillon | 8,291 | 5.14 | |
| Democratic | Keith Arnold | 3,405 | 2.11 | |
| Independent | Robin Adair | 2,648 | 1.64 | |
| Democratic | Boleslaw (John) Orlinski | 1,761 | 1.09 | |
| Independent | Caleb Love Mardini | 987 | 0.61 | |
| Total votes | 161,171 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (incumbent) | 161,296 | 52.05 | |
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene | 148,581 | 47.95 | |
| Total votes | 309,877 | 100.00 | ||
2012
In the 2012 election, Reichert ran against Democrat Karen Porterfield, Associate Dean and Public Administration Lecturer at Seattle University. James Windle of Snoqualmie Pass also ran against Reichert as an independent candidate, but dropped out of the race in August 2012.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (Incumbent) | 180,204 | 59.7 | |
| Democratic | Karen Porterfield | 121,886 | 40.3 | |
| Total votes | 302,090 | 100.0 | ||
2014
In the 2014 election, Reichert defeated Democrat Jason Ritchie, a small business owner from Issaquah.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (incumbent) | 66,715 | 62.5 | |
| Democratic | Jason Ritchie | 30,759 | 28.8 | |
| Democratic | Keith Arnold | 9,273 | 8.7 | |
| Total votes | 105,746 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (incumbent) | 125,741 | 63.3 | |
| Democratic | Jason Ritchie | 73,003 | 36.7 | |
| Total votes | 198,744 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2016
In the 2016 election, Reichert defeated Democrat Tony Ventrella, a former sportscaster. Ventrella did not think he would beat the other candidates in the field and dropped out in July 2016 only to finish second overall and restart his campaign in the general election.[15]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (incumbent) | 73,600 | 56.8 | |
| Democratic | Tony Ventrella | 22,035 | 17.0 | |
| Democratic | Santiago Ramos | 17,900 | 13.8 | |
| Democratic | Alida Skold | 10,825 | 8.4 | |
| Independent | Keith Arnold | 3,153 | 2.4 | |
| Independent | Margaret M. Walsh | 2,024 | 1.6 | |
| Total votes | 129,537 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Reichert (incumbent) | 193,145 | 60.2 | |
| Democratic | Tony Ventrella | 127,720 | 39.8 | |
| Total votes | 320,865 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2018
Reichert announced in September 2017 that he would not seek re-election.[16] Former State Senator and gubernatorial nominee Dino Rossi advanced from the top-two primary alongside pediatrician Kim Schrier.[17] In the general election, Schrier defeated Rossi with 52% of the vote to become the first Democrat to represent the district.[18]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dino Rossi | 73,288 | 43.1 | |
| Democratic | Kim Schrier | 31,837 | 18.7 | |
| Democratic | Jason Rittereiser | 30,708 | 18.1 | |
| Democratic | Shannon Hader | 21,317 | 12.5 | |
| Republican | Jack Hughes-Hageman | 4,270 | 2.5 | |
| Republican | Gordon Allen Pross | 2,081 | 1.2 | |
| Democratic | Tom Cramer | 1,468 | 0.9 | |
| Independent Centrist | Bill Grassie | 1,163 | 0.7 | |
| Libertarian | Richard Travis Reyes | 1,154 | 0.7 | |
| Independent | Keith Arnold | 1,090 | 0.6 | |
| Neither Major Party | Patrick Dillon | 898 | 0.5 | |
| No party preference | Todd Mahaffey | 673 | 0.4 | |
| Total votes | 169,947 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kim Schrier | 164,089 | 52.4 | |
| Republican | Dino Rossi | 148,968 | 47.6 | |
| Total votes | 313,057 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
2020
Schrier defeated Republican Jesse Jensen with 52% of the vote, a similar percentage as in 2018.[19]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kim Schrier (incumbent) | 106,611 | 43.3 | |
| Republican | Jesse Jensen | 49,368 | 20.0 | |
| Republican | Keith R. Swank | 42,809 | 17.4 | |
| Trump Republican Party | Dean Saulibio | 28,976 | 11.8 | |
| Independent | Corey Bailey | 6,552 | 2.7 | |
| Democratic | James Mitchell | 6,187 | 2.5 | |
| Democratic | Keith Arnold | 4,111 | 1.7 | |
| No party preference | Ryan Dean Burkett | 1,458 | 0.6 | |
| Write-in | 289 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 246,361 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kim Schrier (incumbent) | 213,123 | 51.7 | |
| Republican | Jesse Jensen | 198,423 | 48.2 | |
| Write-in | 566 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 412,112 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2022
Schrier defeated Republican Matt Larkin with 53% of the vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kim Schrier (incumbent) | 97,700 | 47.9 | |
| Republican | Matt Larkin | 34,684 | 17.0 | |
| Republican | Reagan Dunn | 29,494 | 14.4 | |
| Republican | Jesse Jensen | 26,350 | 12.9 | |
| Republican | Scott Stephenson | 7,954 | 3.9 | |
| Democratic | Emet Ward | 1,832 | 0.9 | |
| Republican | Dave Chapman | 1,811 | 0.9 | |
| Democratic | Keith Arnold | 1,669 | 0.8 | |
| Libertarian | Justin Greywolf | 1,518 | 0.7 | |
| Independent | Ryan Burkett | 701 | 0.3 | |
| Independent | Patrick Dillon | 296 | 0.1 | |
| Write-in | 122 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 204,131 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kim Schrier (incumbent) | 179,003 | 53.3 | |
| Republican | Matt Larkin | 155,976 | 46.4 | |
| Write-in | 1,059 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 336,038 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
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- 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
- 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
- 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
- 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
- 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
- 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
- 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
- "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- Brunner, Jim (January 11, 2012). "The new 8th district: a bridge across the state?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- Cook, Charlie. "2006 competitive House race chart." The Cook Political Report, October 11, 2006. (warning: PDF)
- Hearn, Josephine. "Internal DCCC list pins hopes on 22 challengers." The Hill, April 27, 2006.
- Office of the Washington Secretary of State. 2006 General Election Results. Accessed January 3, 2007.
- Kapochunas, Rachel. "WA 8: GOP Survivor Reichert Prevails Over Burner." The New York Times, November 14, 2006.
- "Congressional District 8". Secretary of State of Washington. September 4, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
- "Congressional District 8". Secretary of State of Washington. November 26, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
- "Voter Portal". voter.votewa.gov.
- "Congressional District 8". Secretary of State of Washington. September 3, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- Garber, Andrew (May 18, 2012). "Final filing day in state offers wealth of choices". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- Orenstein, Walker. "Ex-sports anchor Tony Ventrella drops out of congressional race". Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- Weigel, David (September 6, 2017). "Dave Reichert, a swing seat Republican, will retire from the House". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- Brunner, Jim (August 13, 2018). "Kim Schrier edges out Jason Rittereiser to face Dino Rossi in 8th Congressional District". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- Brunner, Jim (November 7, 2018). "Dino Rossi concedes 8th District race to Kim Schrier as new votes widen her lead". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- "November 3, 2020 General Election Results". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- "August 2, 2022 Primary Results - CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 8". Secretary of State of Washington. August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- "November 8, 2022 General Election Results - CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 8". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- "Late Bellevue Congresswoman Dunn Honored by Son in County DVT Awareness Month Proclamation". Bellevue, WA Patch. March 22, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
Jennifer Dunn, who lived in Bellevue, represented Washington's 8th District in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2004.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present