An election worker processes ballots at the Clark County Elections Office in Vancouver, Wash. on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
It’s primary Election Day in Washington state. From the state Supreme Court to Congress to county councils, voters will narrow the field for contested races up and down the ballot.
But many in the Southwest corner of the state are most focused on who will advance to the November election in one of the country’s most high-profile congressional districts.
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District will be critical for both Democrats and Republicans hoping to control the U.S. House. Out of 435 House seats on the ballot this year, it’s one of only a handful of races political experts say will be a toss-up.
Nine candidates from across the political spectrum are in the mix. Only the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the general election.
Ballot sorters sort ballots by hand into different categories to be counted and certified again after the initial machine sort in Vancouver, Wash., on Aug., 4, 2026.
Saj Sundaram / OPB
Republican state Sen. John Braun and Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez lead the pack in terms of campaign spending, advertising and institutional backing. Braun has secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement, while Gluesenkamp Perez has touted her track record of working across the aisle with the current administration. She has also weathered criticisms from within her own party over her willingness to work with the GOP.
As the deadline to cast a ballot nears, OPB caught up with voters across Southwest Washington to hear which issues were top of mind in this swing district.
Helen Leith of Longview, Washington, was out walking in downtown Vancouver Monday. She said she voted for Gluesenkamp Perez in past elections and intended to do so again before the Aug. 4 deadline at 8 p.m.
“I don’t agree with her on everything, but I think she’s the very best candidate and the candidate who has the best chance of winning,” Leith said.
Visiting a bank in Battle Ground that day, Jim Bettelyoun of Kelso said he had already voted for Republican John Braun. Whoever wins, said the self-described 20-year GOP voter, should focus on eliminating corruption and inflation, and on improving livable wages, including for those with Social Security benefits. Still, Bettelyoun was skeptical that elected officials from either party will change much.
“As much as I vote, I don’t hold much hope for Congress or government in general,” he said. “I really don’t.”
Hiking near a lake in Camas, Washington, Greg Cox said he voted for Gluesenkamp Perez this year.
“I want as many people at the national level voting to stem the tide,” Cox, who lives in the Camas-Washougal area, said. His primary concerns included climate change, overseas conflicts, and the federal government’s current immigration policies.
Other Southwest Washington Democrats have soured on their moderate Congresswoman in recent years as she has crossed party lines to vote on issues including funding for ICE and the $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act.
“I’m not impressed with her at all,” said Battle Ground resident Nancy Wall while waiting for lunch in that city’s downtown. She said she votes as a Democrat, but “I’m not happy with anyone that sides with what Trump is doing right now.”
Voters drop off ballots in a ballot box at Vancouver Mall in Vancouver, Wash. on Aug. 4, 2026.
Saj Sundaram / OPB
Supreme Court revamp
In November, five of the nine seats on the Washington State Supreme Court will be up for grabs. It’s expected to be a high-stakes competition, in seats that voters frequently overlook. Tuesday’s primary will winnow down a field of 16 candidates to just 10. Washington state’s highest court plays a critical role in some of the biggest legal decisions in the state. Many expect the fate of Washington’s so-called “millionaires” income tax on high earners to be among those decisions to go before the court.
Contested seats in the 17 and 18 Legislative Districts
Two legislative districts that include parts of Clark County are attracting significant outside spending targeting Democrats who hope to turn those seats blue in 2027. Political action committees have spent more than $450,000 against the four Democratic candidates in Washington’s 17th and 18th districts, according to campaign filings from the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Republicans hope to defend the four incumbents in those seats while the state Democratic Party sees a chance to expand its control of the state legislature.
Makeup of the Clark County Council
Three seats on the five-member Clark County Council are up for election. The nonpartisan council oversees local issues like managing growth and development in a rapidly urbanizing county, as well as setting property tax rates to pay for sheriff’s deputies and a new county jail. The council also occasionally takes positions on larger topics like funding for light rail on the planned Interstate Bridge Replacement. Which candidates make it through the primary and general election could shift the board’s approach on these issues.
Elections for Pacific and Klickitat counties top law man
Voters in Pacific and Klickitat counties will decide who they want to be the chief law enforcement officer through two contested sheriff elections.
In Pacific County, incumbent Daniel Garcia is facing three challengers. Garcia, a Navy veteran, was elected in 2022 without previous law enforcement experience.
Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer is retiring next year after six decades in law enforcement. Songer’s use of a citizen posse — volunteers with limited training working in high-stakes situations who sometimes carry firearms — has led to worries about liability for the county. Songer’s retirement opened the field to three challengers hoping to be the next top lawman in the county along the Columbia River Gorge just east of the Cascades.
Primary ballots must be returned to official drop boxes by 8 p.m. Tuesday, or postmarked by election day, Aug. 4, to be counted. Election officials encourage last-minute voters to turn in ballots at official drop boxes to ensure they get counted. Locations of drop boxes across the state can be found on the Washington Secretary of State website.
OPB’s Holly Bartholomew and Elena Neale-Sacks contributed to this reporting.