Despite an elaborate get-out-the-vote ground game and huge amounts of money, including a cool million and a quarter from California billionaire and climate activist Tom Stever, Democrats have fallen short of their goal of reclaiming control of the Washington State Senate.
Frustrated and downright angry at the past two legislative sessions of partisan deadlock—which they squarely blamed on the Tim Sheldon-Rodney Tom alliance that fractured their wafer-thin majority—Democrats needed to gain two seats to grasp a 25-24 advantage in the upper chamber. Instead, they gained nothing. Nada.
If the results from last night’s initial count of almost two-third of ballots holds, Republicans will maintain Senate control with a 26-23 coalition majority. The House and the Governor’s office, however, remain under Democratic control.
“I’m disappointed,” state Democratic Party chairman Jaxon Ravens told Seattle Weekly today. “Did we do everything we could to get a higher turnou? Yes, we did.”
Democrats were banking hard that Matt Isenhower, running in the Eastside’s 45th District, would take down Sen. Andy Hill, the lead budget writer for the GOP-dominated Majority Coalition. In the Aug. 5 primary, the 33-year-old Isenhower was the only Democratic challenger to crack 45 percent, fueling high hopes that he could prevail in this suburban swing district.
Of all the races throughout the state, this was the biggest, the most expensive, and closest watched of the fall campaign. More than $1.4 million was spent by outside groups. But as of last night, Hill, a target of environmentalists, is leading the Democratic challenger 53 to 47 percent and seems headed for victory.
Former state GOP chairman Chris Vance predicted weeks ago that Democrats would stall in their efforts to pick up even a single seat. “I was right on the money,” declared Vance. “What happened was low turnout, which we saw coming. The exit polls show that those who did vote were older, wealthier and whiter than they were in 2012.”
There were several other races where Democrats felt they had a fighting chance, but they are trailing badly in all of them. GOP Sen. Steve O’Ban, who is rolling up 55 percent of the vote, looks to have successfully fended off his challenge by longtime Democratic State Rep. Tammi Green in Pierce County’s 28th District.
Incumbent Sen. Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale), is comfortably ahead of former Bellingham City Councilman Seth Fleetwood in the 42nd District in Whatcom County. Fleetwood, too, attracted financial support of environmental groups. Ericksen, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, was called by the Washington Conservation Voters “the biggest roadblock to environmental progress in the state Legislature.”
In another hotly contested race, Democrats also lost the open seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Tracey Eide in the 30th District to Mark Miloscia of Federal Way. He represented the south Sound for years as a conservative Democrat, but switched parties earlier this year and was able to defeat real-estate broker Shari Song.
Sen. Tim Sheldon, who told Seattle Weekly last month that he intends to caucus again with Republicans, appears to have an invincible lead, nearly 10 points, over piano teacher Irene Bowling in the 35th District, which encompasses most of Mason County. On Saturday, state Republican chairwoman Susan Hutchison was out knocking on doors on behalf of Sheldon, handing out literature and talking to likely GOP voters in heavily Democratic Olympia.
Rep. Cyrus Habid of Kirkland, considered a rising star in Democratic Party ranks, is well ahead of his opponent in the 48th District and will replace retiring Sen. Rodney Tom, the Medina Democrat who infuriated his party when he decided to collaborate with Republicans to give them a narrow majority the past two years.
Meanwhile, the ever combative Sen. Pam Roach (R-Auburn) looks to have escaped with her political life in the 31st District. Roach is leading Cathy Dahlquist, also a conservative Republican, 53 percent to 47 percent. From the outset, this was one of nastiest and most fiercely fought contests in the state. Both side filed more than a half-dozen ethics complaints, though the Washington Legislative Ethics Board dismissed all of them. In the primary, Roach captured 41 percent of the vote to Dahlquist’s 40 percent.
The apparent failure by Democrats to capture the Senate means Gov. Jay Inslee will face a tougher challenger next year when he is expected roll out some of the most ambitious proposals in the nation to reduce carbon pollution.
The Democratic governor was hoping for additional allies in the next legislative session when he is likely to introduce a bill to cap greenhouse gases through a market-based system, whether it be a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program.
Ritzville wheat farmer Mark Schoesler, the current GOP Caucus chair, is expected to lead the Senate as its majority leader if last night’s results hold, while Sen. Sharon Nelson of Maury Island will remain the Democratic minority leader.
econklin@seattleweekly.com
