Democrats lead in WA 22nd Legislative District, Republicans hold their ground in 35th

Election results for legislative district races in the South Sound area remain split along traditional lines, with Democrats holding strong in the 22nd District and Republicans holding onto the 35th District.

District 22, House Position 1

Beth Doglio, a Democrat, is leading with more than 66% of the vote after Tuesday night’s tally, according to the Thurston County auditor. Her opponent, Loretta Byrnes, had about 33% of the vote.

Doglio told The Olympian she was celebrating at a downtown Olympia brewery with seatmate Rep. Jessica Bateman and other local officials. She said she’s excited about the preliminary results, not only for her race but for all races across the state.

“It feels like we’re going to hold strong majorities in both the House and Senate,” she said of the Democrats, “and we’ll be able to move forward with legislation that is beneficial both to humans and the climate.”

Doglio represented the 22nd District from 2017 to 2021 before running unsuccessfully for Washington’s 10th District seat in Congress against Marilyn Strickland. She currently serves as the president of the Board of the Parks Arts Recreation and Culture Foundation, and she’s a member of the Quixote Communities board.

Her campaign focused heavily on the fight against climate change and the need for investments in housing. Other issues she addressed on her campaign website include investing in education, reforming the criminal justice system and addressing gun violence.

According to the state Public Disclosure Commission, Dogio raised about $145,000. Her largest donors include the Puget Sound Pilots PAC, Olympia Firefighters Local 468 and Progress for Public Safety PAC. Her campaign spent $112,082.

Her opponent Loretta Byrnes, a Republican, was heavily supported by her party, with $10,000 donated by the House Republican Organizational Committee and $4,100 donated by the Thurston County Republican Central Committee.

According to her campaign website, Byrnes’ platform focused on increasing transparency and accountability in Washington schools. She believes there should be greater support for substance abuse and/or mental health treatment, but alludes to the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of drugs as a potential solution.

Byrnes said Tuesday night she was surprised at how consistent voting was with the primary results, and that “it is what it is.” She said running for office was a great experience alongside meeting so many Washington residents. She said her main focus was education, and she plans to continue working to shed light on the state’s education issues.

Doglio led Byrnes in the August primary with 50.4% to 19.9% of nearly 42,000 total votes.

District 22, House Position 2

Democrat Jessica Bateman was leading with 67.2% or 24,961 votes. Her opponent, Republican Kate Plager, had 32.7% or 12,131 votes.

On election night, Bateman celebrated with Representative-elect Beth Doglio and other Thurston County officials. She said though she’s very optimistic about the outcome, there are still ballots left to be counted. She said she’s honored by the support she’s received from the 22nd District and looks forward to continuing work in addressing housing issues, protecting reproductive freedom and more.

Bateman was endorsed by The Olympian partly for her work to tackle housing and homelessness issues. In her interview, she said she was pleased with progress made on tenant protections and capital funding during her first term. But moving forward, she wants to address zoning and other regulatory issues that limit housing construction.

Her campaign also focused on reproductive healthcare, having an equitable tax system, investing in public education and the environment.

Bateman’s campaign raised just shy of $90,000, and she spent nearly $70,000. Her largest contributors include the Washington Medical PAC CMTE, Gilead Sciences Inc., and the Nisqually Indian Tribe.

Plager was heavily supported by her party, with the Thurston County Republican Party contributing $2,600. The Washington State Republican Party contributed $550. According to her campaign website, she used to be a Democrat but “finds that the Democrat Party today no longer represents the traditional values of individual rights and personal freedoms (particularly the freedom of speech) that it once did.”

Her platform focused on handling the economy in a “fiscally responsible way,” as well as making the streets safe again and investing in education.

Bateman beat Plager in the Aug. 2 primary 63% to 32.5%.

District 35 Senate

The 35th Legislative District represents all of Mason County, as well as parts of Kitsap and Thurston counties.

Rep. Drew MacEwen appeared to have secured a seat in the Senate, jumping from the House after serving there since 2013. He’ll replace Tim Sheldon, a longtime Democratic lawmaker who caucused with the Republicans. He announced his retirement earlier this year.

Tuesday night’s tallies gave MacEwen 54.5% of the vote, compared to his opponent Julianne Gale, who received 45.4% of the vote.

MacEwen’s campaign focused on government accountability, tax relief and public safety. He’s described himself as a “reasonable Republican.” He’s raised more than $266,000 and spent more than $222,000. Some contributors include the Squaxin Tribe, the Washington Federation of State Employees, and both the Building Trades Council and the Association of Building Contractors.

Gale raised nearly $180,000 and spent more than $153,000. Her campaign focused on food and housing security, as well as access to education and protecting the environment.

District 35, House Position 1

Republican incumbent Daniel Griffey was leading his opponent James DeHart, a Democrat, after Tuesday’s tallies. He had 57.1% of the vote, compared to 42.8% for DeHart.

Griffey’s campaign focused on fighting for victims and survivors of violent crimes, improving education and holding the government accountable. He raised about $139,000 and spent about $119,000.

DeHart’s campaign raised about $25,000 and spent close to $17,000. His largest contributors include $1,500 from the Thurston County Democrats and $1,000 from the Thurston County Democratic Women’s Club. His campaign focused on upgrading human infrastructure and combating climate change. He’s worked in several state departments, including transportation, utilities, and social and health services.

District 35, House Position 2

Republican newcomer Travis Couture was leading his Democratic opponent, Sandy Kaiser, with 51% of the vote Tuesday night. They were vying for the seat MacEwen was vacating to seek the district’s Senate seat.

Couture ran his campaign focused on keeping taxes down and running the economy smoothly, as well as getting politics out of schools and upholding constitutional rights. He raised more than $155,000 and spent nearly $140,000. His largest contributors include more than $68,000 from the House Republican Organizational Committee, as well as $5,000 from the Kitsap County Republican Party.

Kaiser led her opponent in the primary election, receiving 45.5% of the vote compared to Couture’s 26.9%. Her campaign raised more than $165,000 and spent more than $155,000. Her largest contributors include $50,000 from the House Democrats Campaign Committee and $3,000 from the Mason County Democratic Central Committee.

Her campaign focused on narrowing the gap between rural and urban areas in their access to services, as well as healthcare and school funding.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 10:21 PM.