November 6, 2012 (2012-11-06) 2014 → 1,636,726 1,369,540 2.15% 0.22% | 5 4 54.44% 45.56% Start date November 6, 2012 | |
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The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the ten U.S. Representatives from the state, one from each of the state's ten congressional districts, a gain of one seat following the 2010 United States Census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election, and a U.S. Senate election. The state certified the returns on December 6, 2012. Primary elections were held on August 7, 2012.
Contents
Overview
District 1
Democrat Jay Inslee, who represented the 1st district starting in 1999, resigned March 20, 2012, to focus on his run for Governor of Washington. Republican John Koster and Democrat Suzan DelBene received the most votes in the nonpartisan blanket primary on August 7 for both the brief period of office remaining in the old 1st district and the redistricted 1st district, and faced each other in two separate ballot positions, with different boundaries, in the special election on November 6. DelBene won both races and was sworn in to serve the remainder of Inslee's term on November 13, 2012.
Running as Democrats in the primary were Darcy Burner, a former manager at Microsoft and unsuccessful candidate for the 8th district in 2006 and 2008; DelBene, a former director at the Washington State Department of Revenue, who unsuccessfully ran in the 8th district in 2010; state Senator Steve Hobbs; Darshan Rauniyar, a businessman and political activist; and former state Representative Laura Ruderman,.
Democratic state Representative Roger Goodman had also planned to run, but dropped out of the race in April 2012. Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat who represented Ohio's 10th congressional district since 1997, had considered running in this district; however, he decided to seek re-election in Ohio following the passage of the redistricting plan in that state in September 2011. Tax attorney Andrew Hughes and state representative Marko Liias had planned to run in the 1st district; however, both ended their campaigns due to redistricting. Brian Baird, who represented Washington's 3rd congressional district from 1999 until 2011, said in June 2011 he had no plans to run in the 1st district.
The only Republican candidate in the two primaries was Koster, a member of the Snohomish County Council who unsuccessfully ran in the 2nd district in 2010. Greg Anders, the executive director of the Bellingham Heritage Flight Museum, and James Watkins, who unsuccessfully ran in the 1st district in 2010, had planned to run as Republicans, but ended their campaigns in January 2012.
Larry Ishmael, a former member of the Issaquah School Board who unsuccessfully challenged Inslee as the Republican nominee in 2006 and as a Republican in 2008, ran as an independent candidate.
On March 20, 2012, then Representative Jay Inslee resigned his seat in the House of Representatives to run for Governor. A Special Election was held at the same time as the General Election for a Representative to serve out the remainder of Inslee's term in the 112th Congress. The winner of the Special Election, Suzan DelBene, assumed the seat on November 13, 2012.
District 2
Democrat Rick Larsen, who represented the 2nd district since 2001, ran for re-election.
John C. W. Shoop, a United States Marine, combat veteran and survival instructor; Eli Olson; and Dan Matthews, an Air Force veteran and pilot ran as Republicans.
Republicans Greg Anders, the director of the Bellingham Heritage Flight Museum; and John Koster, a member of the Snohomish County Council and unsuccessful candidate for the 2nd district in 2010, had both planned to run in the 2nd district; however, as a result of redistricting, both instead ran in the 1st district.
Other candidates included independent Glen S. Johnson and Mike Lapointe of the 99% Party.
In the December 2011 redistricting proposal, the 2nd district was made more favorable to Democrats.
District 3
Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, who represented the 3rd district since January 2011, ran for re-election and won.
Jon Haugen, a commercial pilot for Delta Air Lines, ran as a Democrat to challenge Herrera Beutler. Elizabeth Uelmen, a middle school associate principal, had also planned to run as a Democrat but dropped out of the race in April 2012. Tim Leavitt, the mayor of Vancouver, and Steve Stuart, a Clark County Commissioner; both of whom had considered running as Democrats, did not run.
District 4
Republican Doc Hastings, who represented the 4th district since 1995, successfully ran for re-election. Jamie Wheeler, the state director for FairTax.org and member of the Tri-Cities Tea Party, also ran as a Republican.
Mary Baechler, a businesswoman, ran as a Democrat. Jay Clough, a radiological control technician who unsuccessfully challenged Hastings as the Democratic nominee in 2010, had planned to run again, but dropped his bid for the seat in February 2012.
District 5
Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who represented the 5th district since 2005, ran successfully for re-election in 2012.
Rich Cowan, the president and CEO of a film production company, ran as a Democrat. Dan Morrissey, a professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, and Mary Verner, the former mayor of Spokane, decided not to run.
District 6
Democrat Norm Dicks, who represented the 6th district since 1977, decided to retire rather than seeking re-election. Democratic state Senator Derek Kilmer ran to succeed Dicks. Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer; Kitsap County Commissioner Josh Brown; state Senator James Hargrove; Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist; Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy; state Senator Christine Rolfes; state Senator and Mason County Commissioner Tim Sheldon; state Auditor Brian Sonntag; Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland; and state Representative Kevin Van De Wege, will not run.
Stephan Brodhead, a small business owner; Doug Cloud, an attorney who unsuccessfully challenged Dicks as the Republican nominee in 2004 and 2006, and as a Republican in 2008 and 2010; Bill Driscoll, a businessman; David "Ike" Eichner, an accountant ; and Jesse Young, a technology consultant who also ran as a Republican in 2010, ran. Bob Sauerwein, an insurance agent, had also planned to run as a Republican, but dropped out of the race in February 2012. Republican state Representative Jan Angel did not run.
District 7
Democrat Jim McDermott, who represented the 7th district since 1989, successfully ran for re-election. Tax attorney Andrew Hughes also sought the Democratic nomination.
District 8
Republican Dave Reichert, who represented the 8th district since 2005, ran for re-election and won. Karen Porterfield Associate Dean and Public Administration Lecturer at Seattle University sought the Democratic nomination. James Windle of Snoqualmie Pass ran as an independent candidate opposing Reichert for the seat, but dropped out of the race in August 2012.
District 9
Democrat Adam Smith, who represented the 9th district since 1997, was re-elected.
Republican Jim Postma, a businessman and unsuccessful candidate for the 9th district in 2008 and 2010, ran again.
District 10
Democrat Denny Heck, a former majority leader of the Washington House of Representatives who ran in the 3rd district in 2010, ran in this district.
Pierce County Councilmembers Stan Flemming and Dick Muri, who was also the unsuccessful candidate for the 9th district in 2010, ran as a Republican. Dick Muri was the nominee of the Republican party.
Heck defeated Muri 58.6% to 41.4%.