Candidates running with endorsements from organized labor in Southwest Washington had mixed success as results rolled in from Washington’s Aug. 4 primary election.
In the state’s top-two primary system, all candidates of whatever party preference appear on the same primary ballot, and then the top two vote-getters go on to the November general election. Many of the November races amount to a rematch in which the primary was the first “test” round.
The most heavily watched race this time was Washington’s Third Congressional District, which is considered to be one of the most competitive in the country; it’s one of 18 races nationally that the Cook Political Report considers a toss-up. Two-term incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, broadly backed by labor, is fighting for re-election in a district that voted for Trump by 54% in 2024. In the primary she came in second place with 37%, and yet in some ways that’s a respectable showing. In November, she’ll face off against Republican challenger John Braun (40%), a state senator and senate minority leader. But there’s a decent chance she may pick up support from the 17% of voters who chose progressive Democrat Brent Hennrich or the 1% each who voted for two other Democrats. Hennrich, representing the point of view of Democrats who are stung by several of her votes, says he’s not endorsing her. But if the pattern holds with the larger November electorate, Braun would pick up the 3% who voted for two other Republicans in the primary, not enough to out-poll Gluesenkamp Perez.
Three Southwest Washington union members were candidates, and all three will be on the November ballot as well:
- Laborers Local 335 member Deken Letinich was the top vote-getter for Legislative District 18, Position 2, winning 53% against incumbent Republican John Ley (46%). Ley narrowly won over union teacher John Zingale in 2024 but has since pleaded guilty to voter fraud related to filing a false address in his 2022 campaign for legislature. It’s Letinich’s second run for state house, and a much better showing than the 44% he won in 2024 against Stephanie McClintock.
- Weyerhaeuser logger Terry Carlson, president of the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Central Labor Council and former recording secretary of Machinists Local W536, placed first with 43% in a challenge to Republican incumbent Joel McEntire (42%). But with two other Republican candidates garnering 15% total, it’s likely to remain an uphill battle for Carlson in November.
- IBEW Local 48 member Evan Jones, who serves as Longview Port Commissioner, got 37% of the vote in his challenge to 12-term incumbent Republican Ed Orcutt (63%). That’s better than the last three Democratic challengers did, but it means a lot of work remains if he’s to win the majority in the November rematch.
Here’s how other labor-endorsed candidates for the Washington state house of representatives fared:
- District 17, Position 1 Democrat Ben Christly (52%) will face Republican Kevin Waters (44%).
- District 17, Position 2 Democrat Diana Perez (55%) will face Republican David Stub (45%).
- District 18, Position 1 Democrat Randi Knott (52%) will face Republican incumbent Stephanie McClintock (48%).
- District 19, Position 1 Democrat Kevin Moynihan (44%) will face Republican incumbent Jim Walsh (56%).
- District 49, Position 1 Democrat Kim Harless (53%) will face Republican Sarah Mittelman (28%) after her fellow union-endorsed Democrat Mike Pond (19%) was eliminated.
- District 49, Position 2 Democratic incumbent Monica Jurado Stonier (73%) will face Republican Derek Thompson (27%).
Clark County
- Assessor incumbent Peter VanNortwick won with 69%.
- Auditor Mitchell Kelly placed second with 28% in a tight four-way race and will face Eileen Quiring O’Brien in November.
- Council District 2 John Zingale placed second with 37% and will face Michelle Belkot (50%) in November.
- Council District 5 Troy McCoy was the top vote-getter with 51% and will face Peter Silliman (49%) in November.
Clark County Utilities
- Commissioner District 3 (Vancouver west of I-205) Gordon Matthews got 28%, second place in his challenge longterm incumbent Jane Van Dyke and will appear on the ballot with her again in November.
Cowlitz County
- Council District 2 Chelsea Chandler got 42% and will face Richard Dahl (58%) again in November.
