Digesting the 2024 General Election

The race to elect Pierce County’s next Executive was indeed close for Ryan Mello, who defeated Kelly Chambers by about 2.5%. Congratulations on a hard-earned victory and a successful defense from right-wing attacks. His decisions and appointments will provide much-needed changes to our county government, but he will need our help to shape and pass important environmental legislation. The Coalition is ready to contribute to this process.

In County Council District 6, Jani Hitchen secured a monumental victory over challenger L.J. Rohrer, winning by a margin of 5%. In addition, Rosie Ayala finished with 69% of the vote in District 4, a strong showing of support as she begins her first term. Therefore, Democrats will maintain a 4-3 majority for the next two years at least. In District 2, Davida Haygood finished with about 43% in an area that continues to have a Republican lean.

On the state level, Dave Upthegrove has emerged as our next Public Lands Commissioner, securing a 6% victory over Jaime Herrera Beutler. Dave has been a lifelong advocate for the environment in the state Legislature and on the King County Council. The Commissioner oversees the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and makes critical decisions pertaining to our public lands, including legacy forests and other critical wildlife habitat. Upthegrove secured a second-place finish in the primary election after a statewide recount produced a razor-thin victory of just 49 votes. Of critical importance were the vote-curing efforts of volunteers in the days following the primary election. Other than the Governor’s race, this was the most significant statewide victory of this cycle for the environment.

In the race for the 6th Congressional District, Emily Randall secured nearly 57% of the vote. Emily made some history as the first LGBTQ member of Washington’s Congressional delegation. She has solid in-district roots and a keen understanding of environmental issues, and we look forward to working with her along with her fellow Congresswomen who represent Pierce County, Marilyn Strickland and Kim Schrier.

Looking at state legislative seats, endorsed incumbents in the 27th and 28th districts did very well and won re-election with strong margins. The closest race featured T’wina Nobles defeating Maia Espinoza for re-election to the State Senate in the 28th. In the 26th district, Adison Richards defeated Jesse Young and successfully flipped a House seat! Tiffiny Mitchell gave incumbent Republican Michelle Caldier a strong challenge but fell short. In the 25th district, both Cameron Severns and Shellie Willis earned close to 44% in a suburban area that continues to exhibit a Republican lean.

General election returns suggest that the 27th Legislative District harbors a growing number of left-wing voters. About 22% voted for DSA leader Devin Rydel Kelly, who challenged incumbent Democrat Jake Fey from the left. At the same time, about 28% supported Republican Ken Paulson, who challenged incumbent Democrat and House Speaker Laurie Jinkins from the right. Combined, these results indicate that future competitive races in this district might start looking like races we see in some areas of Seattle, where progressive candidates compete with moderate candidates while Republican candidates are becoming less viable.

The Coalition was proud to support Kamala Harris for President and Tim Walz for Vice President. The results were not what we had hoped for, and those of us who care about the environment have plenty of work to do on the national level to rebuild coalitions and gird up to defend critical, hard-won policies. Clearly, we need to do a better job of reaching persuadable voters where they are at and listening and responding to their concerns. Candidates must connect with people who live in areas other than the coasts, cities, college towns, and other liberal enclaves.

If there is a national silver lining, several competitive Senate seats were retained by Democratic candidates, even as Trump carried all seven swing states. Democrats will retain seats in Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona, but lose seats in conservative West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio. In Pennsylvania, votes are still being counted to determine the winner, but the GOP will likely begin the next Congress with a 53-47 majority. In 2026, only two realistic pickup opportunities are available to Democrats in Maine and North Carolina. They must also re-elect incumbents in Georgia and Michigan. As such, the incoming GOP Senate majority may yet persist through Trump’s entire four-year term, even if the political environment in 2026 is friendly to Democrats. Unexpected retirements and other unforeseen events can certainly shake things up–we’ll see how it all plays out.

Our Full List of 2024 Endorsed Candidates

ELECTED:  Pierce County Executive:  Ryan Mello

ELECTED:  Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer:  Marty Campbell

RE-ELECTED:  Pierce County Council – District 6:  Jani Hitchen

ELECTED:  Pierce County Council – District 4:  Rosie Ayala

(Pierce County Council – District 2:  Davida Haygood)

(WA Legislative District 25 – Pos. 1:  Cameron Severns)

(WA Legislative District 25 – Pos. 2:  Shellie Willis)

(WA Legislative District 25 – Senate:  Kenneth King)

ELECTED:  WA Legislative District 26 – Pos. 1:  Adison Richards

(WA Legislative District 26 – Pos. 2:  Tiffiny Mitchell)

RE-ELECTED:  WA Legislative District 27 – Pos. 1:  Laurie Jinkins

RE-ELECTED:  WA Legislative District 27 – Pos. 2:  Jake Fey

RE-ELECTED:  WA Legislative District 27 – Senate:  Yasmin Trudeau

RE-ELECTED:  WA Legislative District 28 – Pos. 1:  Mari Leavitt

RE-ELECTED:  WA Legislative District 28 – Pos. 2:  Dan Bronoske

RE-ELECTED:  WA Legislative District 28 – Senate:  T’wina Nobles

ELECTED:  WA Commissioner of Public Lands:  Dave Upthegrove

RE-ELECTED:  WA Lieutenant Governor:  Denny Heck

ELECTED:  WA Governor:  Bob Ferguson

ELECTED:  U.S. Congress – District 6:  Emily Randall

RE-ELECTED:  U.S. Congress – District 8:  Kim Schrier

RE-ELECTED:  U.S. Congress – District 10:  Marilyn Strickland

RE-ELECTED:  U.S. Senate:  Maria Cantwell

(U.S. President & Vice President:  Kamala Harris & Tim Walz)