2017 Washington's 45th state senate district special election

2017 Washington State Senate
45th District special election
Washington's 45th state senate district
Senator before election; Dino Rossi; Republican	Senator ; Manka Dhingra; Democratic

A special election was held on November 7, 2017, to fill the vacant seat in the Washington State Senate representing the 45th district. The seat was left vacant after the death of incumbent Andy Hill in October 2016. Dino Rossi, a former candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010 and for governor in 2004 and 2008, was appointed to fill the seat until the election. He announced that he would not run for the seat. The election was then contested between Manka Dhingra of the Democratic Party and Jinyoung Lee Englund of the Republican Party, who advanced as the top two finishers in the August primary. Dhingra won the election by more than ten percent, giving the Democratic caucus a 25–24 majority for the 2018 session.

Hill, a Republican, held the district from 2011 to 2016, helping give the Republican Party a one-seat majority coalition in the state senate with a Democrat. The election attracted interest from national Democratic and Republican donors, contributing more than $9 million in the state's costliest ever state legislative race.^[1]^[2]

Background

The 45th legislative district comprised the northeastern suburbs of Seattle in King County, including the cities of Duvall and Woodinville and parts of Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish. In 2017, the district's residents had a median household income of $110,881, twice the state median, and were more likely to hold bachelor's degrees; the region included employees of the area's high tech industry alongside traditional industries such as horse farms and wineries. The 45th district's population was 74 percent white, 15 percent Asian, and 6 percent Hispanic of any race.^[3] In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton carried the district with 64.8 percent of votes.^[3]

The Eastside region was historically a Republican stronghold, but Democratic candidates began winning seats in the early 2000s.^[4] The 45th district elected former Microsoft executive Eric Oemig to the state senate in 2006, during a close election with the district's Republican representative Toby Nixon.^[5]^[6] Oemig lost re-election in 2010 to Republican Andy Hill, also a former Microsoft executive, during a campaign partially funded by the Koch-directed national Americans for Prosperity organization.^[7] Hill was re-elected in 2014 during a high-profile contest against Amazon.com product manager Matt Isenhower that attracted funding from out of state due to its potential to flip the state senate.^[8]^[9]

Hill remained popular among constituents of the district and was the chief budget writer for the Republican Party during his second term; the Republican Party had also considered him as a potential gubernatorial candidate.^[1]^[10] He died of lung cancer on October 31, 2016.^[10] Two-time unsuccessful gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi was appointed by the Republican Party and Metropolitan King County Council to fill the vacant seat. Rossi declined to run for election to the seat, leaving the 2017 special election open for candidates of both major parties.^[11]

Prior to the election, majority control of the 49-member state senate rested with the 25 members of the Majority Coalition Caucus, composed of 24 Republicans and one self-identified Democrat.^[12] The Governor's office and a narrow majority in the state House of Representatives were both held by the Democrats. The change of party for the 45th district, the most competitive of several special elections for the state senate in 2017, would complete a Democrat trifecta for the 2018 legislative session.^[1]^[13] The Democrats last held a trifecta in the Washington state government from 2005 to 2012.^[14]^[15]

Candidates

The district's Democratic representatives, Larry Springer and Roger Goodman, both declined to run for the seat.^[16] Deputy King County prosecutor Manka Dhingra emerged as an early Democratic front-runner, announcing her candidacy in February and earning the 45th District Democrats's endorsement in April.^[17] Dhingra, a Sikh, immigrated to the United States from India with her family at the age of 13 and was raised in California.^[13] She has been part of the King County Prosecutor's Office since 2000,^[18] supervising the regional mental health and veteran court systems.^[19] Dhingra was involved in various non-profit organizations centered around advocacy for mental health and domestic violence survivors;^[20] she described herself as non-partisan until the 2016 presidential election.^[21] Ian Stratton, a Democratic activist from Sammamish, initially filed to run but dropped out before the primary election.^[22]

Jinyoung Lee Englund announced her campaign for the Republican nominating in April, after being recruited by Dino Rossi.^[23] Englund was born in South Korea and raised in University Place, attending the University of Washington. She worked for Christian missionary organization Iris Global in Mozambique before returning to Washington as an aide to Republican congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Englund also worked for Dino Rossi's unsuccessful Senate campaign in 2010, for Elaine Chao at The Heritage Foundation, and as an advocate for Bitcoin.^[23] A second Republican candidate, Ken Smith, filed to run but withdrew in May.^[24]

Parker Harris, a teacher and engineer from Woodinville, filed to run as an independent candidate in May.^[25]

Campaign

Endorsements

Dhingra attracted endorsements from local and prominent national Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Governor Jay Inslee, and King County Executive Dow Constantine.^[26]

Fundraising

The election generated national interest due to its potential to determine control of the state government. During the primary campaign, a total $3 million in campaign contributions were reported for the Democratic and Republican candidates. By the end of the general campaign in November, a total of $9 million had been spent in the race, making it the costliest ever for a Washington state legislative election. A total of $4.2 million was raised by Democrats for Dhingra, and $4.8 million by Republicans for Englund. Negative campaign ads cost $1.8 million for Democratic supporters and $2.5 million for Republican supporters.^[27]

Advertising

The national prominence and fundraising for the election brought an unusually large number of attack ads and amount of advertising to the Eastside. Several ads from both campaigns were criticized for misleading the public on the candidate's past histories and political positions.^[28] The Republican campaign, without authorization from Englund, produced a series of spoof advertisements that painted Dhingra supporters as stereotypical "Seattle liberals".^[29]^[30]

Primary election results

The primary election garnered $3 million in total fundraising. Dhingra won the primary election, with 51 percent of the vote, followed by Englund with 41 percent and Harris with 7 percent. Dhingra and Englund advanced to the general election.^[31]

Primary election
August 1, 2017^[32]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Manka Dhingra	19,707	51.49
	Republican	Jinyoung Lee Englund	15,856	41.43
	Independent	Parker Harris	2,685	7.02
Total votes			38,889	100

General election polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Manka Dhingra (D)	Jinyoung Lee Englund (R)	Undecided
Myers Research & Strategic Services	September 5–10, 2017	400	± 4.9%	51%	41%	8%

General election results

In the second round, with over $9 million spent on the election through campaign contributions and political action committee expenditures, with a small number of votes yet to be counted, Manka Dhingra led Republican Jinyoung Englund by over a 10% margin. Anticipating the Dhingra victory, Democrat Senate Democratic Minority Leader Sharon Nelson had described a comprehensive agenda for the 60-day legislative session beginning in January that included proposed voting rights reform and campaign-finance disclosure revision, as well as women's reproductive health, clean energy and firearms safety measures.^[33]^[34]

General election
November 7, 2017^[35]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Manka Dhingra	27,755	55.21
	Republican	Jinyoung Lee Englund	22,361	44.48
Total votes			50,939	100
	Democratic gain from Republican

Aftermath

Dhingra's election gave the Democratic Party a one-seat majority in the state senate, completing one-party rule of the state legislative and executive branches. Washington joined the states of California and Oregon to complete a "blue wall" along the West Coast, all sharing a Democrat government trifecta.^[36] Dhingra was named as the deputy majority leader in the Senate and assigned as the chair of the Behavioral Health Subcommittee.^[37] She retained the 45th district seat by being re-elected in 2018.^[38]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Burns, Alexander; Johnson, Kirk (November 4, 2017). "Poised for West Coast Dominance, Democrats Eye Grand Agenda". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ Strauss, Daniel (July 3, 2017). "The next national special election clash". Politico. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ ^a ^b O'Sullivan, Joseph (September 24, 2017). "Get to know district that could change state's political landscape". The Seattle Times. p. B7. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ Bach, Ashley (October 5, 2006). "For GOP candidates on Eastside, easy ride to Capitol is no more". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ "Race to fill Finkbeiner's Senate seat proves lively". The Seattle Times. October 18, 2006. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ "2006 general election results". The Seattle Times. December 8, 2006. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ Buck, Howard (December 28, 2010). "Bill targets secret campaign spending". The Columbian. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 27, 2014). "Eastside race one that could determine state Senate control". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Kamb, Lewis (November 4, 2014). "GOP holding onto control of state Senate". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ ^a ^b O'Sullivan, Joseph (November 2, 2016). "Sen. Andy Hill was 'quiet smart' GOP budget writer". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Gutman, David (December 6, 2016). "Dino Rossi chosen to fill vacant 45th District state Senate seat". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Brand, Natalie (April 13, 2017). "Two female frontrunners in state Senate race for balance of power". KING 5 News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ ^a ^b Norimine, Hayat (August 22, 2017). "Is the Democratic "Trifecta" Coming?". Seattle Met. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Meyer, Theodric (August 8, 2012). "Legislature: Republicans will struggle to take back the state Senate". The Seattle Times. p. A6. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Garber, Andrew (January 15, 2013). "Legislature: Power play puts Senate in GOP hands". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ James, Tom (January 19, 2017). "The real fight for control of the state lies ahead". Crosscut.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ "Senate Republicans unveil their candidate in WA's 45th District: Jinyoung Lee Englund". Northwest Progressive Institute. April 11, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ "Senior deputy King County prosecutor to challenge for 45th District senate seat". Kirkland Reporter. February 13, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ O'Sullivan, Joseph; Mayo, Justin (July 23, 2017). "Big money fuels Eastside race, with control of Washington state Senate at stake". The Seattle Times. p. B7. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 22, 2017). "Trump victory helped propel Eastside Democrat into high-stakes Senate race". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Barabak, Mark Z. (November 6, 2017). "With Washington statehouse at stake, Democrats seek to build a West Coast wall of Trump resistance". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ McClanahan, Mike (May 31, 2017). ""The Impact" – Legislative balance of power may hinge on Special Election". TVW. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ ^a ^b O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 22, 2017). "GOP state Senate candidate targets Seattle 'extremism' in her 45th District race". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ O'Sullivan, Joseph (May 15, 2017). "Eastside contest to decide power in Olympia". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Kunkler, Aaron (May 26, 2017). "Harris announces candidacy for 45th District race". Redmond Reporter. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ Connelly, Joel (November 7, 2017). "Democrat Dhingra way ahead in Senate race to control Legislature". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ Norimine, Hayat (November 8, 2017). "With Dhingra's Win, Democrats Take Control of the State Senate". Seattle Met. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ Humbert, Jon (October 26, 2017). "'They're blatantly lying': Vicious ads taint state Senate race in 45th District". Q13 Fox News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ Groover, Heidi (October 23, 2017). "State Republicans Run Fake Manka Dhingra Ads to Make Fun of Seattle Liberals". The Stranger. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
^ Kunkler, Aaron (October 25, 2017). "Fake pro-Dhingra ads target the 45th district candidate". Redmond Reporter. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
^ Brand, Natalie (August 7, 2017). "Democrat Dhingra leads Republican Englund for King County legislative seat". KING 5 News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ "Election Results, August 01, 2017: Official Final" (PDF). King County Elections. August 15, 2017. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
^ Manka Dhingra leading Jinyoung Englund in pivotal 45th District Senate race Archived November 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Seattle Times, Joseph O'Sullivan, November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
^ O'Sullivan, Joseph (November 8, 2017). "Democrat Manka Dhingra defeats Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund in state Senate race". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ "November 2017 General Election Results, Official Final" (PDF). King County Elections. November 27, 2017. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
^ May, Patrick (November 8, 2017). "On election night, Democratic voters erect 'big blue wall' on the West Coast". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ Santos, Melissa (April 5, 2019). "With Jay Inslee running for president, here's who might lead WA next". Crosscut.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
^ Baumgarten, Mark; Stang, John (November 6, 2018). "State Democrats tighten hold on Olympia". Crosscut.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

[NYT-1] Burns, Alexander; Johnson, Kirk (November 4, 2017). "Poised for West Coast Dominance, Democrats Eye Grand Agenda". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[Politico-2] Strauss, Daniel (July 3, 2017). "The next national special election clash". Politico. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[Times-Stats-3] O'Sullivan, Joseph (September 24, 2017). "Get to know district that could change state's political landscape". The Seattle Times. p. B7. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[4] Bach, Ashley (October 5, 2006). "For GOP candidates on Eastside, easy ride to Capitol is no more". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[5] "Race to fill Finkbeiner's Senate seat proves lively". The Seattle Times. October 18, 2006. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[6] "2006 general election results". The Seattle Times. December 8, 2006. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[7] Buck, Howard (December 28, 2010). "Bill targets secret campaign spending". The Columbian. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[8] O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 27, 2014). "Eastside race one that could determine state Senate control". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[9] Kamb, Lewis (November 4, 2014). "GOP holding onto control of state Senate". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[Times-Hill-10] O'Sullivan, Joseph (November 2, 2016). "Sen. Andy Hill was 'quiet smart' GOP budget writer". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[11] Gutman, David (December 6, 2016). "Dino Rossi chosen to fill vacant 45th District state Senate seat". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[12] Brand, Natalie (April 13, 2017). "Two female frontrunners in state Senate race for balance of power". KING 5 News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[Met-Trifecta-13] Norimine, Hayat (August 22, 2017). "Is the Democratic "Trifecta" Coming?". Seattle Met. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[14] Meyer, Theodric (August 8, 2012). "Legislature: Republicans will struggle to take back the state Senate". The Seattle Times. p. A6. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[15] Garber, Andrew (January 15, 2013). "Legislature: Power play puts Senate in GOP hands". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[16] James, Tom (January 19, 2017). "The real fight for control of the state lies ahead". Crosscut.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[17] "Senate Republicans unveil their candidate in WA's 45th District: Jinyoung Lee Englund". Northwest Progressive Institute. April 11, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[18] "Senior deputy King County prosecutor to challenge for 45th District senate seat". Kirkland Reporter. February 13, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[19] O'Sullivan, Joseph; Mayo, Justin (July 23, 2017). "Big money fuels Eastside race, with control of Washington state Senate at stake". The Seattle Times. p. B7. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[20] O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 22, 2017). "Trump victory helped propel Eastside Democrat into high-stakes Senate race". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[21] Barabak, Mark Z. (November 6, 2017). "With Washington statehouse at stake, Democrats seek to build a West Coast wall of Trump resistance". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[22] McClanahan, Mike (May 31, 2017). ""The Impact" – Legislative balance of power may hinge on Special Election". TVW. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[Times-Englund-23] O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 22, 2017). "GOP state Senate candidate targets Seattle 'extremism' in her 45th District race". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[24] O'Sullivan, Joseph (May 15, 2017). "Eastside contest to decide power in Olympia". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[25] Kunkler, Aaron (May 26, 2017). "Harris announces candidacy for 45th District race". Redmond Reporter. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[26] Connelly, Joel (November 7, 2017). "Democrat Dhingra way ahead in Senate race to control Legislature". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.

[27] Norimine, Hayat (November 8, 2017). "With Dhingra's Win, Democrats Take Control of the State Senate". Seattle Met. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.

[28] Humbert, Jon (October 26, 2017). "'They're blatantly lying': Vicious ads taint state Senate race in 45th District". Q13 Fox News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.

[29] Groover, Heidi (October 23, 2017). "State Republicans Run Fake Manka Dhingra Ads to Make Fun of Seattle Liberals". The Stranger. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.

[30] Kunkler, Aaron (October 25, 2017). "Fake pro-Dhingra ads target the 45th district candidate". Redmond Reporter. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.

[31] Brand, Natalie (August 7, 2017). "Democrat Dhingra leads Republican Englund for King County legislative seat". KING 5 News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.

[32] "Election Results, August 01, 2017: Official Final" (PDF). King County Elections. August 15, 2017. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.

[33] Manka Dhingra leading Jinyoung Englund in pivotal 45th District Senate race Archived November 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Seattle Times, Joseph O'Sullivan, November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.

[34] O'Sullivan, Joseph (November 8, 2017). "Democrat Manka Dhingra defeats Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund in state Senate race". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.

[35] "November 2017 General Election Results, Official Final" (PDF). King County Elections. November 27, 2017. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2017.

[36] May, Patrick (November 8, 2017). "On election night, Democratic voters erect 'big blue wall' on the West Coast". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.

[37] Santos, Melissa (April 5, 2019). "With Jay Inslee running for president, here's who might lead WA next". Crosscut.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

[38] Baumgarten, Mark; Stang, John (November 6, 2018). "State Democrats tighten hold on Olympia". Crosscut.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

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2017 Washington's 45th state senate district special election

Background

Candidates

Campaign

Endorsements

Fundraising

Advertising

Primary election results

General election polling

General election results

Aftermath

References

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