EVERETT — Friday marked the end of filing week for the 2024 primary and general election.
Over the week, hundreds of candidates filed for races on the local, state and federal level.
All seats in the state House are up for grabs and four districts representing Snohomish County will have elections for Senate seats.
Here are some races to keep an eye on this campaign season.
Republican vs. Republican
The race for a state House seat in the 39th Legislative District could shape up to be a repeat of 2022.
The district spans from Lake Stevens up to Skagit County and covers much of east Snohomish County.
Last election cycle, then-incumbent Robert Sutherland, R-Granite Falls, was looking to defend his seat in the House that he held for two terms.
Redistricting brought Lake Stevens into the district, allowing Republican Snohomish County Council member Sam Low to enter the race. Low was widely considered a more moderate Republican than Sutherland.
After Sutherland won the primary, he lost to Low by a 16% gap in the general election.
This time around, Low is the incumbent looking to defend his seat.
Last year, Sutherland ran for Snohomish County auditor while casting doubt on the validity of the state’s elections. He didn’t make it to the general election, garnering just over 25% of the primary vote.
Independent candidate Kathryn Lewandowsky also filed for the race this week. She previously ran for state Senate with the Washington Progressive Party.
Democratic candidate Zephaniah Borynack, of Lake Stevens, filed close to the deadline Friday afternoon.
A party switch
Nine-year incumbent Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, will face two opponents as he defends his seat in the state House.
Former Mukilteo City Council member Riaz Khan filed to run as a newly declared Republican. Days before filing, Khan resigned from his post as the vice chair of 21st Legislative District Democrats.
In an interview, Khan said he left the Democratic Party because his values now differ from the party’s. He said the local Republican party welcomed him.
Peterson’s other opponent is Democrat Jason Moon, who has served on the Mukilteo City Council since 2022.
In the other state House race in the 21st District, Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, faces two challengers. The 21st District encompasses Edmonds, Mukilteo and Lynnwood.
Kristina Mitchell, who filed with the Conservative party, declared her candidacy. Last year, Mitchell ran for a seat on the County Council as an Independent, but got just 7.5% of the primary vote.
Bruce Guthrie, an Independent from Edmonds, also filed to run.
A new district
In the newly drawn 12th Legislative District, a Monroe school board director entered the race for a state House seat.
In March, a voting rights court case over the 15th Legislative District led to a dozen districts getting redrawn. In the 12th, East Wenatchee was removed and parts of Snoqualmie and North Bend were added. The redrawn district still includes Monroe, Gold Bar and parts of Sultan.
Jennifer Bumpus filed for the race this week as a Republican. She serves as the president of the Monroe School Board and has been re-elected to the post twice after her appointment in 2019.
Also in the race are Democratic North Bend City Council member Heather Koellen and Brian Burnett, a former Chelan County sheriff running as a Republican.
The redistricting case led to changes in the 12th District’s Senate seat. Sen Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, announced he would not seek re-election this year. Hawkins moved to Wenatchee, intending to retain his Senate seat, but changed his mind and decided to run for the Chelan County Commission.
Rep. Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, is running for his seat in the Senate. He will face Jim Mayhew, a Democratic Snoqualmie City Council member.
The color purple
The 10th District is one of just two in the state with mixed partisan representation.
While most of the state’s 49 legislative districts have all Republican or all Democrat state lawmakers, the 10th has a Republican senator and two Democratic representatives.
But in an effort to paint the whole district blue, Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair filed to run for Senate as a Democrat. Denny Sandberg, a Democrat from Camano Island, will also appear on the ballot.
Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, has held the post since 2019.
The 10th District encompasses Stanwood, Arlington and Camano and Whidbey islands.
Unopposed races
Some incumbents in the county will likely glide to re-election this year, as no one filed to run against them.
In the 44th District encompassing Mill Creek and Snohomish, Democratic Rep. Brandy Donaghy filed for re-election with no challengers. Meanwhile, her seat mate, Rep. April Berg, will face Bothell Republican Sam Sim.
Rep. Shelley Kloba, a Democrat from Kirkland, won’t face any opponents in the 1st District, which includes Bothell, Lynnwood and Brier.
Candidates have until Monday to withdraw their candidacy.
The primary election is Aug. 6. The two candidates with the most votes in each race will move on to the general election Nov. 5.
Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; jenelle.baumbach@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jenelleclar.
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