Recount confirms Upthegrove will face Herrera Beutler for lands commissioner

A hand recount has confirmed that Democrat Dave Upthegrove will face Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler in the race for Washington state's commissioner of public lands this November.

Why it matters: The race is the closest on record for a state primary election in Washington, according to the secretary of state's office, which certified the recount results Wednesday.

• Upthegrove, a King County Council member, edged out Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson by 49 votes in the final tally, narrowly ensuring that Democrats aren't shut out of the general election.

Catch up quick: Before the recount, Upthegrove led Pederson, a real estate investor and retired utility analyst, by 51 votes , a margin tight enough to trigger a hand recount under state law.

Context: In Washington primaries, the top two candidates advance regardless of party.

• That meant Pederson and Herrera Beutler could have faced each other in a Republican vs. Republican matchup this November — an outcome that looked possible in initial vote counts, when Pederson was slightly ahead of Upthegrove as they battled for second place.

The big picture: Both candidates won fewer votes than Herrera Beutler, a former congresswoman who lost her seat in 2022 after being one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach then-President Trump.

• Herrera Beutler won just over 22% of the primary vote, while Upthegrove and Pederson won slightly under 21%.
• The remaining votes were split among four other Democratic candidates.

Flashback: Before this, the closest statewide primary election was in 1960, according to state election officials .

• That year, the second- and third-place finishers in the race for state superintendent of public instruction were separated by fewer than 300 votes, election records show .

What's next: The general election is Nov. 5.