UPDATED: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland declared winner in 10th Congressional District

UPDATE: Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland was declared the winner by the Associated Press and CNN on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland is leading in her bid to retain the 10th Congressional District seat after the first results were counted Tuesday.

The results from the first night of counting showed Strickland at 56.9% while Republican challenger Keith Swank captured 42.9% of the vote.

Strickland is completing her first term in the 10th district seat representing Olympia, Yelm and parts of Tacoma. She succeeded Denny Heck who left Congress to run for Lieutenant Governor in Washington, which he was elected to in 2020. He first assumed office as a congressman in 2013.

In a phone call with McClatchy Tuesday night, Swank said he wasn’t concerned at all with the first counts. He said that since Republicans tend to vote later, he expects he will see a larger push as the additional votes are tallied.

However, Strickland’s campaign declared victory in a press release sent out Tuesday night.

“I am honored to be the South Sound’s voice in Congress and to continue serving our region,” Strickland said in the release. “Thank you to the volunteers and voters, and to all of you who shared our vision for a nation that is more safe, more just, and more secure. “

Strickland has campaigned on issues such as economic improvement, education and veteran’s affairs, including her co-sponsoring of the Military Hunger Prevention Act.

Swank has campaigned on tougher stances on crime, opposition to Critical Race Theory and increased border security. Swank is an infantry combat veteran and works with the Seattle Police Department as a Police Commander.

During the primary, Strickland received 55% of the vote, while Swank came in at nearly 40%.

Ballots will continue to be counted until results are officially certified by each county on Nov. 29. They will be certified by the Secretary of State on Dec. 8.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 9:44 PM.