OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Latest on Washington state’s primary election (all times local):
9:11 p.m.
A Washington state representative who resigned his chairmanship following allegations of inappropriate conduct was finishing in third place in early primary returns.
Democratic Rep. David Sawyer on Tuesday trailed Melanie Morgan, a Democrat and a local school board member, and Republican Terry Harder. Under Washington’s primary system, the top two vote getters advance to November, regardless of party.
Sawyer represents a district that includes parts of Tacoma.
In June, Sawyer resigned as the chairman of the House Commerce and Gaming Committee a day after an outside investigation that he violated the chamber’s policies on harassment, decorum and ethics.
The investigation found Sawyer sent a House employee multiple “inappropriate and offensive” text messages over a period of three months. It also found he made comments and jokes about another House employee’s sexual orientation, and used employees’ time to discuss a newspaper’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.
Sawyer apologized and said in an email at the time that it was “clear that I messed up and that it’s time for me to acknowledge some personal mistakes.”
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8:55 p.m.
Democrat Kim Schrier was narrowly leading other Democrats in early returns in Washington’s 8th District Congressional primary as she sought to be the first member of her party to ever win the seat.
Schrier, a pediatrician, was coming in second place in early votes Tuesday, with fellow Democrat Jason Rittereiser, a labor-rights lawyer, a close third. The top two vote getters are placed on the November ballot, regardless of party.
The Democrat who advances will face Republican Dino Rossi, a long-time state lawmaker and former candidate for governor and the Senate, in November. Long-time incumbent Dave Reichert is retiring. A Republican has held the 8th District position since it was created in 1980.
The district includes the eastern suburbs of Seattle and stretches into the rural Cascade Mountains. It is among about two dozen across the country that are held by Republicans but whose voters chose Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, making it a critical potential pickup for the Democrats trying to gain control of the House for the first time since 2010.
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8:49 p.m.
Former Democratic state Sen. Lisa Brown has won a top spot in Washington’s primary and advances to the November election for the 5th Congressional District seat.
Brown, who posted a strong showing in early returns Tuesday, hopes to become the first Democrat to represent the region since former House Speaker Tom Foley’s shock defeat in 1994. She will face Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in the fall, who narrowly took the most early primary votes.
Under Washington’s Top 2 primary system the top two vote getters advance, regardless of party.
A former state Democratic Senate majority leader, Brown served 29 years in the Legislature representing Spokane.
Washington’s 5th District hugs the Idaho border and is dominated by Spokane, the state’s second-largest city.
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8:43 p.m.
Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the only woman in House GOP leadership, has won a top spot in Washington state’s primary and advances to the November election in Washington state’s primary.
McMorris Rodgers was barely ahead of her Democratic challenger in early voting Tuesday. In Washington’s primary, the top two vote getters advance to the fall ballot, regardless of party. She will face former Democratic state Sen. Lisa Brown.
McMorris Rodgers spent more than a decade in the state Legislature before winning the 5th District seat in an open 2004 election when the incumbent ran unsuccessfully for the Senate. McMorris Rodgers chairs the House Republican Conference and is the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the chamber.
Washington’s 5th Congressional District hugs the Idaho border and is dominated by Spokane, the state’s second-largest city.
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8:37 p.m.
Republican Dino Rossi has advanced in Washington’s 8th District Congressional primary as the GOP tries to hold on to a seat they’ve controlled since it was created nearly 40 years ago.
Rossi, a long-time state lawmaker and former candidate for governor and the Senate, was leading in Tuesday’s election as Democrats fielded several high-profile candidates. Under Washington’s primary system, the top two vote getters go on to the November ballot regardless of party.
Long-time 8th District incumbent Dave Reichert is retiring. A Republican has held the position since it was created in 1980.
The district includes the eastern suburbs of Seattle and stretches into the rural Cascade Mountains. It is among about two dozen across the country that are held by Republicans but whose voters chose Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, making it a critical potential pickup for the Democrats trying to gain control of the House for the first time since 2010.
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8:33 p.m.
Republican Susan Hutchison has gained a “top two” finish in Washington state’s primary to advance to the November general election.
The former television newscaster and GOP state party chair was finishing second in the voting in Tuesday’s contest. Under Washington’s primary system, the top two vote getters go on to November, regardless of party.
Hutchison is the former state Republican Party chairwoman.
She is making a longshot bid to oust the Democratic incumbent, Sen. Maria Cantwell, who is seeking a fourth term.
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8:26 p.m.
Sen. Maria Cantwell has advanced to the November ballot in Washington’s primary election.
The Democrat seeking her fourth term easily outpaced all other candidates Tuesday. Under Washington’s primary system, the top two vote getters go on to November, regardless of party.
Cantwell is Washington’s junior senator and the ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
She’ll face for state GOP chairwoman Susan Hutchison in November.
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8:00 p.m.
The deadline for turning in primary ballots has passed in Washington state and the contest getting the most attention is an open U.S. House seat Democrats hope to capture in November for the first time since the district east of Seattle was created in 1980.
While voters began receiving their state primary ballots in the mail weeks ago, Tuesday was the last day for voters to get them in or postmarked for mail delivery. In some of the more competitive races, results may not be known for days as most counties will update vote counts only once a day.
In Washington’s 8th District incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is retiring after more than a decade.
Republican Dino Rossi, a former state senator, is expected to advance along with one of three Democrat.
District 8 includes Seattle suburbs that have seen population growth due to Microsoft, Google and other technology companies.
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6:01 p.m.
The secretary of state’s office says nearly 27 percent of primary ballots had been returned as of the evening.
In Tuesday’s primary voters will decide which candidates advance to the November ballot in 10 congressional races, a U.S. Senate seat and dozens of legislative contests.
Washington is a vote-by-mail state and voters have until 8 p.m. to turn in ballots.
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2:07 p.m.
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman says just over 26 percent of primary ballots had been returned as of midday.
Wyman reminded voters that voters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to turn in ballots.
The contest getting the most attention is an open U.S. House seat Democrats hope to capture for the first time since the district east of Seattle was created in 1980.
The 8th District incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is retiring after more than a decade.
Voters will decide which candidates advance to the November ballot in 10 congressional races, a U.S. Senate seat and dozens of legislative contests.
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11:19 p.m.
The Washington state primary contest getting the most attention in Tuesday’s election is an open U.S. House seat Democrats hope to capture for the first time since the district east of Seattle was created in 1980.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is retiring after more than a decade.
Republican Dino Rossi, a former state senator who had unsuccessful runs for governor and U.S. Senate, is expected to advance along with one of three Democrats: pediatrician Kim Schrier, attorney Jason Rittereiser, and former federal public-health official Shannon Hader.
District 8 includes suburbs that have seen population growth due to Microsoft, Google and other technology companies.
The lone statewide race is for U.S. Senate. Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell faces more than two dozen challengers.
The top two vote getters in each race advance to the general election, regardless of party.
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