Democrats hoping to flip Southwest Washington state House seats buoyed by primary results

Unofficial primary results for legislative seats in Southwest Washington are giving hope to Democrats who want to unseat Republican incumbents this fall.

Results for four positions in the state’s 17^th and 18^th districts were all led by Democratic challengers as more primary ballot counts rolled in Wednesday.

The seats are a target for the state’s Democratic party in its efforts to gain two-thirds of the legislature. This supermajority would allow the party to act on issues that require a higher threshold of lawmaker support, like codifying abortion rights in the state Constitution and redrawing congressional district maps.

Democratic candidates have led in primary elections for these House seats in past years, only to go on to lose to Republican incumbents in the general election. But in 2024, a senate seat in the 18^th district was flipped by Democrat Adrian Cortes, by just 189 votes.

This year, party organizers expect blue voters to show up nationwide because of low approval ratings for President Donald Trump and broader frustration with GOP leadership.

Shasti Conrad, chair of the Washington State Democrats, has said her party is particularly focused on Southwest Washington.

“We are thrilled to see our candidates exceed expectations,” Conrad said in a statement. “Democrats are on pace to expand our majorities in Olympia for the sixth election cycle in a row.”

Washington State Republican Party Chairman Jim Walsh has dismissed the idea as “fairytales.”

In a midterm election year when the presidency is not on the ballot, the biggest challenge is simply turnout, he said, adding that’s especially true for a primary election.

“It’s can you get people to remember to send their ballot in?” Walsh said.

As of Wednesday, Secretary of State data showed only about 20% of eligible voters participated in the primary, a number that could budge as the last ballots are counted, with official results expected Aug. 18.

The 17^th district runs from the suburbs of east Vancouver through Skamania County and portions of Klickitat County along the Columbia River Gorge, counties that supported President Donald Trump in 2024.

The 18^th district spans north Clark County, including Battle Ground, a county that did not back the president’s reelection.

The races are also notable for the level of political action committee spending against Democratic candidates ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

PACs reported spending more than $450,000 to target the four Democratic candidates, according to records from the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, which tracks money in state politics. No outside spending was reported targeting their Republican opponents.

Unofficial primary election results, Aug. 5, 2026

17^th Legislative District, position 1

• Kevin Waters (R) - 44%
• Ben Christly (D) - 52.6%

17^th Legislative District, position 2

• David Stuebe (R) - 45%
• Diana Perez (D) - 54.8%

18^th Legislative District, position 1

• Stephanie McClintock (R) - 48.2%
• Randi Knott (D) - 51.6%

18^th Legislative District, position 2

• John Ley (R) - 46.6%
• Deken Letinich (D) 53.1%