Incumbents are in the lead for the 30th Legislative District, early King County Elections results show as of Wednesday afternoon’s update.
The 30th Legislative District covers Federal Way, Des Moines, Auburn, Algona, Pacific and Milton, along with portions of unincorporated King County.
For state senator, incumbent Claire Wilson (D-Federal Way) has garnered 55% of votes, or about 13,214 votes. Challenger Linda Kochmar (R-Federal Way), the current Federal Way City Council president, received 44% of votes, or about 10,494 votes, as of Nov. 9.
“Although there are ballots left to count, I’m heartened and incredibly proud of the trust that these initial results demonstrate,” said Wilson. “We talked to people in every corner of our community about their concerns and priorities — protecting reproductive rights, managing the cost of living, advocating on behalf of our children, and more. I look forward to continuing my work as their voice in Olympia.”
Wilson added that it is “truly the honor of a lifetime to represent all of the residents of the 30th Legislative District.”
Kochmar thanked everyone who supported her campaign, which she said was run by grassroots efforts.
“We have knocked on thousands of doors and connected with so many wonderful voters in the 30th district,” Kochmar told the Mirror on Nov. 9. “Every vote deserves to be counted and there are still a lot of votes left to count. Over the next week we will be monitoring results and look forward to seeing the final results.”
Kochmar said she believes the Legislators and the City Council will continue to work together on the issues that affect the 30th District, in particular crime, homelessness, drug addiction, and the economy.
In the state representative positions, incumbent Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way) is showing 55% of votes or about 13,269 votes for Position 1. Opponent and political newcomer Casey Jones (R-Federal Way), a Federal Way Police commander, has about 44% of votes, or 10,454 votes.
“What we consistently heard from voters in our district was that they wanted a legislator who would protect reproductive freedom, address public safety responsibly, and advocate for shared economic prosperity,” said Taylor. “Voters know that I will work across party lines to address the very real challenges that folks in our community are facing.”
For Position 2, Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way), a former state representative, received 57% of votes on Wednesday night, or about 13,686. Also a new challenger on the political spectrum is opponent Ashli Tagoai (R-Milton), who rallied approximately 42% of votes, or about 10,008 votes, early returns show.
VOTER TURNOUT
According to King County Elections, 24,158 of ballots were counted in the 30th District upon the first return. This is approximately 29% of the 81,894 registered voters.
In Washington, voter turnout as of Nov. 8 lingers at 35% — with 492,821 ballots counted of 1,383,660 total registered voters.
General election results are certified Nov. 29. To view the results, visit kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.aspx.
CAMPAIGN FINANCES
Wilson raised $316,466.91 and spent $302,751.75. Kochmar raised $229,075.68 and spent $207,688.18, according to the Public Disclosure Commission on Nov. 8.
Taylor raised $312,484.69 and spent $265,615.55 while Casey collected $126,096.96 in contributions and spent $117,967.39.
Reeves raised $248,618.08 in contributions and spent $193,643.70. Tagoai raised $142,491.18 and spent $98,107.22.
