OLYMPIA, Wash. (Azat TV) – Following the conclusion of voting in Washington’s November 3, 2026 midterm elections, state and national results show sweeping Democratic gains alongside high-stakes local outcomes. According to NewsBreak, voters weighed in on all 98 state House seats, 24 state Senate seats, and critical congressional contests as county election offices began releasing initial tallies following the 8 p.m. ballot deadline.
At the federal level, Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez secured a third term in the 3rd Congressional District, holding off a challenge from Republican state Sen. John Braun by more than 10 percentage points. The local victory added to broader Democratic momentum as national projections confirmed the party regained control of the U.S. House and Senate.
Initiative 645 and the State Income Tax Fight
For the first time in nearly a century, Washington voters rejected an effort to dismantle a state tax targeting high earners. NewsBreak reported that voters defeated Initiative 645, which sought to repeal the levy on individuals and households with annual incomes exceeding $1 million.
While the measure’s defeat allows the tax to survive its first electoral test, the legal battle is far from over. Opponents have already filed a lawsuit challenging the measure’s constitutionality, setting up a definitive judicial review that will play out in state courts next year.
Legislative and Congressional Contests Across the State
Local legislative races highlighted sharp partisan divides across different regions of the state. In Spokane County’s 6th Legislative District, Democratic candidate Michaela Kelso pursued her third run for the Legislature, trailing Republican opponent Alan Nolan by approximately 1,200 votes with 48.38% of the total as election night tallies continued.
Meanwhile, in the 5th Congressional District, sitting Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner held a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Carmela Conroy by 1,857 votes as ballots trickled in from regional drop boxes. County election officials emphasized that mail-in ballots will continue to be processed and counted over the coming days, meaning close legislative and congressional margins remain subject to shift.
The broader electoral landscape reflected intense voter engagement across the state’s diverse districts, featuring conservative-backed measures addressing school sports and parental rights alongside the prominent high-earner tax fight. Turnout figures released by the Secretary of State’s office indicated that more than 2.1 million of Washington’s 5.1 million registered voters returned ballots by the final deadline, with nearly three-quarters of those ballots submitted securely through local drop boxes rather than traditional mail.
In King County and several other jurisdictions, election operations received supplemental security support through Governor Bob Ferguson’s deployment of National Guard members to monitor drop boxes overnight. County election spokespersons reported that while the presence offered extra eyes and ears, teams logged no major incidents or nefarious activities throughout the voting window.
As county election divisions press forward with processing remaining mail-in ballots over the coming days, political observers and legislative caucuses are closely tracking final tallies to determine the ultimate balance of power in Olympia. Potential shifts in majorities carry direct implications for upcoming leadership elections, committee structures, and the advancement of policy priorities during the next legislative session.