Washington's 8th congressional district
| Washington's 8th congressional district | |
|---|---|
 | |
| U.S. Representative | Dave Reichert (R–Auburn) |
| Area | 7,359.70 sq mi (19,061.5 km2) |
| Distribution |
|
| Population (2010) | 672,463[1] |
| Median income | 63,854 |
| Ethnicity |
|
| Cook PVI | EVEN[2] |
Washington's 8th congressional district includes the eastern portions of King and Pierce counties and crosses the Cascade mountains to include Chelan and Kittitas counties. The population centers on the west side of the mountains include the exurban communities of Sammamish, Issaquah, and Auburn. On the east side, the 8th's population centers are rural communities Wenatchee, Leavenworth, and Ellensburg.[3] It is currently represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Republican Dave Reichert. He announced he would not run for an eighth term in 2018.[4] Dr. Kim Schrier was elected on November 6 and is representative-elect.
Contents
Creation[edit]
The 8th district was created after the 1980 U.S. Census. After the 2010 U.S. Census, The state responded to population changes by shifting much of the "Eastside" portions of what was the 8th District to the 9th District, and added regions east of the Cascades to the 8th District.
Since its creation, the 8th district has consistently been held by a Republican. At the same time, the 8th district has voted for the Democratic nominee in the past seven Presidential elections (since 1992). Prior to the 2011 redistricting, the district had the peculiarity of having a Democratic advantage according to its Cook PVI, but only having elected Republicans to Congress throughout its history. The District's PVI is now even, after the 2010 redistricting and the GOP winning streak ended with the 2018 election.
Recent history[edit]
2004[edit]
In 2004, Reichert, at the time serving as the sheriff of King County, beat his Democratic opponent Dave Ross by 52% to 48% in the race to replace 12-year incumbent Jennifer Dunn; that year, voters in the district favored Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
2006[edit]
Responding to Reichert's perceived vulnerability, former Microsoft program manager Darcy Burner (D) challenged Rep. Reichert in 2006, in what was widely expected to be a close election. Influential election analyst Charlie Cook listed the contest among 68 competitive or potentially competitive House races to watch in 2006, categorizing it as a "toss-up" (defined as "the most competitive; Either party has a good chance of winning").[5] Burner was one of 22 House challengers selected by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for fundraising assistance with its "Red to Blue" program, aimed at unseating vulnerable Republican incumbents around the country.[6]
In the end, Reichert won re-election, defeating Burner by just 7,341 votes out of more than 250,000 cast.[7] The outcome of the race was not decided for almost a week after the election, as severe flooding in the eastern part of the district delayed the counting of absentee ballots.[8]
2008[edit]
In the 2008 election, Reichert faced Burner again in a rematch that many election watchers again described as one of the nation's hottest contests. This time, Reichert defeated Burner 53 percent to 47 percent, a solid victory despite Barack Obama's 15-point margin in the district.
2010[edit]
In the 2010 election, Reichert and Democrat Suzan DelBene advanced out of the Washington State Top 2 Primaries with 47.2% and 26.9% of the vote, respectively. Reichert prevailed over DelBene in the General Election 52.1% to 47.9%. In this election, Reichert won both King and Pierce counties even after losing some key endorsements, including the Seattle Times, which endorsed Suzan DelBene and Tim Dillon in the primaries.[9][10]
2012[edit]
In the 2012 election, Reichert ran against Democrat Karen Porterfield, Associate Dean and Public Administration Lecturer at Seattle University. James Windle of Snoqualmie Pass also ran against Reichert as an independent candidate, but dropped out of the race in August 2012.[11]
2014[edit]
In the 2014 election, Reichert defeated Democrat Jason Ritchie, a small business owner from Issaquah.
2016[edit]
In the 2016 election, Reichert defeated Democrat Tony Ventrella, a former newscaster. Ventrella did not think he would beat the other candidates in the field and dropped out in July 2016 only to finish second overall and restart his campaign in the general election.[12]
2018[edit]
Reichert announced in September 2017 that he would not seek re-election.[13] Former State Senator and gubernatorial nominee Dino Rossi advanced from the top-two primary alongside pediatrician Kim Schrier.[14] In the general election, Democrat Kim Schrier defeated Rossi with 53 percent of the vote.[15]
Election results from statewide races[edit]
| Year | Office | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | President | Reagan 62 - 37% |
| 1988 | President | Bush 56 - 43% |
| 1992 | President | Clinton 38 - 34% |
| 1996 | President | Clinton 47 - 41% |
| 2000 | President | Gore 49 - 47% |
| 2004 | President | Kerry 51 - 48% |
| 2008 | President | Obama 57 - 42% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 50 - 48% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 48 - 45% |
List of members representing the district[edit]
| Representative | Party | Dates | District Home | Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | January 3, 1983 | |||
 Rod Chandler |
Republican | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 |
Redmond[16] | |
 Jennifer Dunn |
Republican | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2005 |
Bellevue[17] | |
 Dave Reichert |
Republican | January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2019 |
Auburn | Incumbent. Retiring. |
| Kim Schrier | Democratic | Elect. | Sammamish | Term starting January 3, 2019 |
See also[edit]
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2008
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2010
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2012
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2014
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2018
References[edit]
- Specific
- ^ "American Factfinder". United States Census Bureau. 2010. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
- ^ "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Brunner, Jim (January 11, 2012). "The new 8th district: a bridge across the state?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ David Weigel (2017-09-06). "Dave Reichert, a swing seat Republican, will retire from the House". Washington Post.
- ^ Cook, Charlie. "2006 competitive House race chart." The Cook Political Report, October 11th, 2006. (warning: PDF)
- ^ Hearn, Josephine. "Internal DCCC list pins hopes on 22 challengers." The Hill, April 27, 2006.
- ^ Office of the Washington Secretary of State. 2006 General Election Results. Accessed January 3, 2007.
- ^ Kapochunas, Rachel. "WA 8: GOP Survivor Reichert Prevails Over Burner." The New York Times, November 14, 2006.
- ^ Seattle Times Endorses DelBene
- ^ 2010 General Election Results
- ^ Garber, Andrew (May 18, 2012). "Final filing day in state offers wealth of choices". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- ^ Orenstein, Walker. "Ex-sports anchor Tony Ventrella drops out of congressional race". Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Weigel, David (September 6, 2017). "Dave Reichert, a swing seat Republican, will retire from the House". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Brunner, Jim (August 13, 2018). "Kim Schrier edges out Jason Rittereiser to face Dino Rossi in 8th Congressional District". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Brunner, Jim (November 7, 2018). "Dino Rossi concedes 8th District race to Kim Schrier as new votes widen her lead". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Turner, Wallace (3 September 1983). "G.O.P. expected to get Jackson seat". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ "Late Bellevue Congresswoman Dunn Honored by Son in County DVT Awareness Month Proclamation". Bellevue, WA Patch. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
Jennifer Dunn, who lived in Bellevue, represented Washington's 8th District in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2004.
- General
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
