Power

Washington State Legislature Remains Split

Washington state Republicans had little success advancing anti-choice and discriminatory bills during the 2016 legislative session. GOP lawmakers tried and failed to block a rule permitting people to use bathrooms based on their gender identity or gender expression.

Spending in four key state senate contests reached nearly $8 million, with more than 70 percent of that coming from outside groups. Shutterstock

Washington state Democrats were unable to wrest control of the state Senate Tuesday night despite millions being spent on campaigns in four pivotal races.

Democrats maintained a slim majority in the state House of Representatives. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) handily won reelection Tuesday.

Spending in four key state senate contests reached nearly $8 million, with more than 70 percent of that coming from outside groups, as the Seattle Times reported, underscoring the high stakes for Democrats and Republicans.

The four hotly contested state senate races included the 41st District, in the northeastern part of the state, where Democratic challenger Lisa Wellman defeated incumbent state Sen. Steve Litzow (R). Wellman, a former Apple executive, was endorsed by President Obama and several labor and reproductive rights groups, including NARAL Pro-Choice America.

In the 5th District, incumbent state Sen. Mark Mullet (D) held onto his seat, defeating Republican challenger state Rep. Chad Magendanz. Both candidates had disavowed president-elect Donald Trump, with Magendanz, a Republican, telling reporters he wasn’t voting for Trump.

Meanwhile, Mullet said, “I honestly think I’m going to have to send Donald Trump a Christmas card for all he’s done for me in this election.”

Vying for an open seat in the 17th District, Democrat Tim Probst lost to state Rep. Lynda Wilson (R). Wilson had co-sponsored a failed 2016 measure to repeal state protections allowing transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Probst had been endorsed by many labor groups.

In the 28th District, incumbent state Sen. Steve O’Ban (R) beat back a challenge by Democrat Marisa Peloquin.

Peloquin had won the endorsements of NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, the state governor, and several unions. O’Ban is senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona-based nonprofit that has attempted to criminalize abortion care and deny rights to LGBTQ people.

Washington state Republicans had little success advancing anti-choice and discriminatory bills during the 2016 legislative session. GOP-backed measures to restrict public funds from being used for abortion care and prohibit state grants from going to abortion providers failed to pass, as did a pair of GOP-led bills intended to force transgender people to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the gender assigned to them at birth.

Republicans also tried and failed to block a rule by the state Human Rights Commission permitting people to use bathrooms based on their gender identity or gender expression.