Dems still aim to win new Central WA Latino-majority district despite dreadful turnout

Democrats running in a new Hispanic-majority legislative district in Central Washington are hoping for better general election results after a lackluster performance in the Aug. 6 primary.

Three seats in Washington’s 14th Legislative District are up for reelection this year following a controversial redistricting process that aimed to make them much more competitive.

Republicans currently hold all three seats in the district, but a trio of Latinas are hoping to flip them blue.

But the initial outcry from Republicans that the new district unfairly favors Democrats didn’t come to pass in the first election. Republicans captured from 54% to 63% of the vote in the three races. Democrats received just 37% to 42%.

Now, three Democrats and three Republicans will face off against one another in the Nov. 5 general election that could decide if Democrats are handed super majorities in the Washington Legislature.

Neither side appears confident they’ll be a shoo-in this fall.

Dems say they still have a shot in new Central WA Latino-majority district. Low turnout was big problem

Curtis King, the only incumbent running in the 14th, described his 17-point edge over challenger Maria Beltran not as a “win,” but as a “good showing.”

“We’re pleased with those results,” the four-term state senator told the Tri-City Herald. “We’re very thankful for the support people have given me with their vote and monetarily. I work hard and I try to listen to both sides of an issue and, hopefully, people recognized that.”

Beltran contended during the campaign that it was less about the political divide and more about representing the “community’s values.”

“It’s not just about Latino voters,” she said. “It’s about everyone in this new district who has been left behind.”

On Friday, she told the Herald that the primary results “exceeded expectations.”

In a Wednesday post to Facebook , Beltran said she “always knew the primary was going to be tough,” but past general elections have resulted in a 10-point swing for statewide Democrats in the district when compared with primary results.

“With today’s results we’re at 41%, well over where we needed to be to win in the general election,” wrote Beltran, a deputy director with the House Democratic Campaign Committee. “The work continues, on to the general election and with your help we’re going to win this thing!”

‘Left behind.’ WA Latina candidates focus on overlooked Pasco, Yakima Valley voters

Low voter turnout

Aug. 6 voter turnout appears to be incredibly thin in the new district at just 14%.

While the four counties that make up the 14th — Benton, Franklin, Yakima and Klickitat — still had about 24,000 ballots left to tally, by Thursday evening only about 8,800 voters had weighed in on the three races.

There are just 61,000 registered voters residing in the 14th. That’s the lowest when compared with any of Washington’s 48 other legislative districts.

In the wider context, Washington is also experiencing “historically low” turnout, but it’s unclear for what reason. Some point to the exhaustive number of candidates running for governor, while others cite disinterest in the local elections.

Washington primary turnout is projected to settle at about 40% of registered voters — low for a presidential year, when politicos anticipate engagement to be substantially higher.

WA 14th District results

The state’s top-two primary system ensures the two primary candidates with the most votes move on to the general election, regardless of political party.

Beltran and King will move on to the general election since there are no other candidates in the race.

King, a woodworker, has notched 58% to Beltran’s 42% in the race for the district’s lone state Senate seat, as of Thursday evening’s count .

Democrat Chelsea Dimas, a communications professional from Sunnyside, leads in the race for State Representative Pos. 1 with 37%.

She’ll advance to the November election with Republican Gloria Mendoza, the former Grandview mayor and a business owner, who captured 32%.

Andy Kallinen, another Republican in the race, trails Mendoza by less than 100 votes, having captured 31% of the vote, but is at risk of being knocked out.

And in the race for State Representative Pos. 2, Democrat Ana Ruiz Kennedy and Deb Manjarrez will advance after securing sizable leads over independent Eddie Perez, who had received less than 7% of the vote.

Manjarrez earned the top spot in the primary with 54% and Ruiz Kennedy has about 39%.

‘Not going to sit on our laurels’

Democrats don’t appear disheartened by the strong Republican support in the primary.

“We remain energized and excited about the 14th Legislative District,” wrote a spokesperson for the Washington State Democratic Party.

“With the presidential race on the ticket for the general, we expect there to be even higher turnout in November. Voters know there’s a lot at stake in this election — from support for working families, to our reproductive freedoms — and we have full confidence they will make their voices heard.”

Manjarrez, a certified public accountant from Yakima, and lifelong valley resident, said she was “honored” to receive voters’ support.

“I look forward to meeting many more people who I don’t know as we campaign toward the general,” she said in an interview with the Herald. “We’re not going to sit on our laurels. We’re going to campaign right up until election day. I’m very pleased right now, but we’re not going to take it for granted. We’re going to work for it.”

Ruiz Kennedy, a business liaison from Pasco, who will face off against Manjarrez, echoed Beltran’s assessment of low Democratic voter turnout during primaries.

“We know our message and hard work will ensure every voice is heard in the November election,” Ruiz Kennedy said via text message. “We are proud of the momentum that our campaign has built, and we’re going to continue engaging voters and earning their support to deliver a victory in the general.”

General election turnout could exceed expectations with the addition of several voter-backed initiatives and the presidential race on the ballot.

The Washington Secretary of State has approved four initiatives to go to the voters that, if passed, would prohibit government natural gas restrictions, repeal the state’s capital gains tax, prohibit sections of the Climate Commitment Act and allow employees to opt out of the tax funding WA Cares, a long-term care benefits program.

Democrats also are close to scoring super majorities in both the state House and Senate that would allow them to make landmark changes to the state constitution, such as abortion protections. They’re just 12 seats away — four in the Senate and eight in the House.

Washington Republican Party Chairman Jim Walsh in a radio interview Wednesday said it’s likely Democrats won’t earn 60% supermajorities in the Legislature come 2025. Primary results lead him to believe Republicans may even flip some seats.

“We need to focus on our local races and I think we’ll end up picking up, I don’t know, maybe three, four seats in the state House and maybe a couple of seats in the state Senate. And that will be a cushion, that will be a safety margin away from the tax-and-spend leftists getting supermajorities,” he said.