Primaries in Washington, 2018

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Top-two Party primaries, 2018
Flag of Washington.png
Primary Date
August 7, 2018
Federal elections
Top-two primaries for U.S. House
State elections
Top-two primaries for Washington legislature
State party
State political party revenue

Washington uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot, for congressional and state-level elections. The top two vote-getters move on to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[1][2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page concerns the primary elections that took place in Washington on August 7, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.


Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

Federal elections

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Washington (August 7, 2018 top-two primaries)
The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Washington took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected 10 candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's 10 congressional districts. In 2017, the DCCC identified Washington's 3rd, 5th, and 8th Congressional Districts as targeted races. The NRCC identified Washington's 6th and 10th Congressional Districts as targeted races. To see a full list of candidates in the Democratic primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

General election candidates

Primary candidates

District 2

General election candidates

Primary candidates

District 3

General election candidates

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 4

General election candidates

Primary candidates

District 5

General election candidates

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 6

General election candidates

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 7

General election candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 8

General election candidates

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 9

General election candidates

Primary candidates

District 10

General election candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Write-in candidates:
Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

State elections

Washington Party Control: 1992-2024
Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
Senate R D D D D R R D D D D R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R[3] D D D D D D D
House D D D R R R R S S S D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

State legislative elections

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Washington state legislative primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the memberships of the Democratic or Republican caucuses or had an impact on general election races.

To determine the Washington state legislative primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

  1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
  2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
  3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.

Senate District 35

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Incumbent Tim Sheldon (D) and educator Irene Bowling (D) advanced to the general election following the top-two primary for Washington State Senate District 35 on August 7, 2018, setting up a rematch between the two candidates. Sheldon defeated Bowling by a margin of 8 points, 54 percent to 46 percent, in 2014. Sheldon, who held the seat for two decades, caucused with Republicans. Several Democratic organizations, including the 35th Legislative District Democrats, passed over Sheldon to contribute to Bowling's campaign.[4][5]

State party overviews

Democratic Party of Washington

See also: Democratic Party of Washington

Republican Party of Washington

See also: Republican Party of Washington


State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016 for both the Democratic Party of Washington and the Republican Party of Washington. Revenue totals are broken down by party, account type, and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Washington state political party revenue, 2011 to 2016
State Year Democratic Republican
Federal account State account(s) Total Federal account State account(s) Total
Washington[6][7] 2011 $598,315.19 $1,873,931.75 $2,472,246.94 $766,542.81 $3,812,774.80 $4,579,317.61
2012 $3,907,409.76 $4,881,916.66 $8,789,326.42 $1,554,288.54 $1,026,192.40 $2,580,480.94
2013 $714,253.68 $818,281.51 $1,532,535.19 $636,316.04 $369,760.89 $1,006,076.93
2014 $1,527,189.66 $1,907,165.92 $3,434,355.58 $1,067,610.42 $1,464,829.78 $2,532,440.20
2015 $797,316.56 $2,181,634.03 $2,978,950.59 $1,036,850.03 $642,331.44 $1,679,181.47
2016 $57,906.82 $5,096,614.86 $5,154,521.68 $1,999,477.12 $3,732,565.90 $5,732,043.02

Washington compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Washington was one of four states to hold a primary election on August 7, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

Washington uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot, for congressional and state-level elections. The top two vote-getters move on to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[1][8]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

Washington is an all-mail voting state. Individuals who prefer to vote in person rather than by mail may do so at local voting centers, which are open for 18 days prior to the election. The voting period ends at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Contact your county elections department for more information on voting center locations and times.[9]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Washington, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the state, and at least 18 years of age.[10]

One may register to vote online, by mail, or in-person at a county elections department. Registration must be completed eight days in advance if done by mail or online. In-person registration is available through Election Day.[11]

In 2018, Washington lawmakers enacted legislation providing for same-day voter registration and automatic voter registration.[12]

Automatic registration

Washington automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles, health benefit exchange, and other state agencies approved by the governor.[12]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Washington has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Washington allows same-day voter registration.[12]

Residency requirements

Washington law requires 30 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.[10]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Washington does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who knowingly provides false information or knowingly make a false declaration about their qualifications "will have committed a class C felony that is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to ten thousand dollars, or both."[13]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[14] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Vote WA, run by the Washington Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Washington is an all-mail voting state and does not require voters to present photo identification (ID). Voters may choose to vote in person at a local voting center. According to state law RCW 29A.40.160, “The county auditor shall require any person desiring to vote at a voting center to either sign a ballot declaration or provide identification.” Accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state ID cards, and student ID cards. For a list of all accepted forms of ID, see below.[15]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Washington State Legislature's voter ID regulations to ensure you have the most current information.

  • Driver's license
  • State identification card
  • Student identification card
  • Tribal identification card
  • Employer identification card

Absentee and early voting

Washington conducts what are commonly referred to as all-mail elections. In Washington, voting is conducted primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail. Election officials automatically distribute mail-in ballots to eligible electors.

See also

Federal primaries in Washington State primaries in Washington Washington state party apparatus Washington voter information
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Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 3, 2024
  2. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Top 2 Primary: FAQs for Candidates," accessed October 3, 2024
  3. ↑ Democrats gained full control of the state Senate after a special election on November 7, 2017.
  4. ↑ Kitsap Sun, "Sheldon faces familiar challenger in state Senate race," July 16, 2018
  5. ↑ Public Disclosure Commission, "Irene Bowling, 2018," accessed July 20, 2018
  6. ↑ Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, "Search the Database," accessed May 2016 (Search terms WA State Repub Party and WA State Demo Cent Comm)
  7. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Washington State Republican Party and Washington State Democratic Central Committee)
  8. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Top 2 Primary: FAQs for Candidates," accessed October 3, 2024
  9. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions on Voting by Mail,” accessed April 20, 2023
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Washington Secretary of State, "Voter Eligibility," accessed April 20, 2023
  11. ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Voter registration deadlines," accessed April 20, 2023
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 The Hill, "Wash. gov signs universal voter registration law," March 20, 2018
  13. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Washington State Voter Registration Form," accessed November 2, 2024
  14. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  15. ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 29A.40.160," accessed April 20, 2023
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Party primaries by state, 2018
Republican primaries, 2018
Democratic primaries, 2018
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