Washington's 1st congressional district
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Washington's 1st congressional district encompasses parts of King and Snohomish counties. The district covers several cities in the north of the Seattle metropolitan area, east of Interstate 5, including parts of Bellevue, Marysville, and up north toward Arlington.
In presidential elections, the 1st district has leaned Democratic. Under current boundaries, Barack Obama swept the district in 2008 and 2012, with 60% of the vote each time. Hillary Clinton won the district with 59% in 2016, Joe Biden received 63% in the district in 2020, and Kamala Harris received 62% here in 2024.
History
Pre-2012
Prior to the 2012 redistricting, the district encompassed part of Northwest Seattle and largely suburban areas north and east of Seattle, including Shoreline, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Kenmore, Bothell, Kirkland, and Redmond, as well as Bainbridge Island and part of the Kitsap Peninsula. Until March 20, 2012, it was represented by Democrat Jay Inslee from Bainbridge Island. Inslee resigned to focus on his run for Governor of the state; the seat remained vacant until the special election that coincided with the November 2012 general election.
The former House seat of powerful U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson, the district was a swing district throughout much of the 1990s, changing hands and parties three times in four elections. Before the election of future U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell in 1992, the district had been in Republican hands for 40 years (and 42 of the previous 46 years). Since the 1998 election, when Inslee was first elected, the growing Democratic trend in the Seattle area enabled him to turn it into a fairly safe seat. He had been re-elected six times, with little difficulty, most recently in 2010.
Post-2012
The 2012 redistricting drastically changed the 1st district. Much of this area was previously part of the 2nd district, but in the new map, the 2nd has shrunk significantly. Jay Inslee (D) was the representative of the 1st district until resigning to run for governor of the state, but most of the district has been represented by Rick Larsen (D), of the 2nd district, in the past.
Soon after the 2012 general election polls closed, the Seattle Times and national news organizations called the district for Democrat Suzan DelBene, defeating Republican John Koster with a margin that the Seattle Times called "unexpectedly decisive", reflecting the difficulty of predicting the vote in the new district. The certified results confirmed her significant margin. DelBene also won the election for the remainder of Inslee's term in the old first district, and after being sworn in on November 13, 2012.
Recent election results from statewide races
| Year | Office | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | President | Obama 60%–38% |
| 2010 | Senate | Murray 53%–47% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 60%–40% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 59%–33% |
| Senate | Murray 60%–40% | |
| Governor | Inslee 55%–45% | |
| Lt. Governor | Habib 58%–42% | |
| Secretary of State | Wyman 54%–46% | |
| Auditor | McCarthy 52%–48% | |
| 2018 | Senate | Cantwell 62%–38% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 63%–33% |
| Governor | Inslee 61%–38% | |
| Secretary of State | Wyman 52%–48% | |
| Treasurer | Pellicciotti 57%–43% | |
| Auditor | McCarthy 62%–38% | |
| Attorney General | Ferguson 60%–40% | |
| 2022 | Senate | Murray 62%–37% |
| Secretary of State (Spec.) | Hobbs 55%–41% | |
| 2024 | President | Harris 62%–34% |
| Senate | Cantwell 63%–37% | |
| Governor | Ferguson 59%–40% | |
| Lt. Governor | Heck 60%–40% | |
| Secretary of State | Hobbs 64%–36% | |
| Treasurer | Pellicciotti 61%–39% | |
| Auditor | McCarthy 62%–38% | |
| Attorney General | Brown 60%–40% | |
| Commissioner of Public Lands | Upthegrove 57%–43% |
Composition
For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
King County (12)
Bellevue (part; also 9th), Bothell (shared with Snohomish County), Clyde Hill, Cottage Lake (part; also 8th), Hunts Point, Kenmore, Kirkland, Medina, Redmond (part; also 8th), Union Hill-Novelty Hill (part; also 8th), Woodinville, Yarrow Point
Snohomish County (32)
Alderwood Manor, Arlington, Bothell (shared with King County), Bothell East, Bothell West, Brier, Bunk Foss, Cathcart, Cavalero, Chain Lake, Clearview, Eastmont, Fobes Hill, High Bridge, Lake Cassidy, Lake Stevens, Larch Way, Lochsloy, Machias, Maltby, Martha Lake, Marysville (part; also 2nd), Mill Creek, Mill Creek East, Monroe, Monroe North, Mountlake Terrace, North Lynwood (part; also 2nd), Silver Firs, Sisco Heights, Snohomish (part; also 8th), Three Lakes
List of members representing the district
Beginning in 1909, members were elected from districted seats, instead of at-large statewide. (See Washington's at-large congressional district.)
Recent election results
2010
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jay Inslee (incumbent) | 172,642 | 57.67 | |
| Republican | James Watkins | 126,737 | 42.33 | |
| Total votes | 299,379 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Democratic hold |
2012 short term (2010 boundaries)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene | 216,144 | 60.42 | |
| Republican | John Koster | 141,591 | 39.58 | |
| Total votes | 357,735 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Democratic hold |
2012
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene (incumbent) | 177,025 | 53.94 | |
| Republican | John Koster | 151,187 | 46.06 | |
| Total votes | 328,212 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Democratic hold |
2014
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene (incumbent) | 124,151 | 55.04 | |
| Republican | Pedro Celis | 101,428 | 44.96 | |
| Total votes | 225,579 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold |
2016
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene (incumbent) | 193,619 | 55.42 | |
| Republican | Robert J. Sutherland | 155,779 | 44.58 | |
| Total votes | 349,398 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold |
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene (incumbent) | 197,209 | 59.27 | |
| Republican | Jeffrey Beeler | 135,534 | 40.73 | |
| Total votes | 332,743 | 100 | ||
| Democratic hold |
2020
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene (incumbent) | 249,944 | 58.6 | |
| Republican | Jeffrey Beeler | 176,407 | 41.3 | |
| Write-in | 511 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 426,862 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold |
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene (incumbent) | 181,992 | 63.5 | |
| Republican | Vincent Cavaleri | 104,329 | 36.4 | |
| Write-in | 363 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 286,684 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold |
2024
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Suzan DelBene (incumbent) | 227,213 | 63.0 | |
| Republican | Jeb Brewer | 132,538 | 36.7 | |
| Write-in | 907 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 360,658 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold |
See also
- 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
Notes
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- April 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
External links
- , Seattle Times, January 13, 2012
47°50′N 122°24′W/47.833°N 122.400°W/ 47.833; -122.400