Lines shift congressional districts to the right

By Susanna Ray

Herald Writer

Snohomish County’s two congressional districts will lean just a bit more Republican in next year’s elections under a new redistricting plan, and south Everett, along with half of Monroe and Mukilteo, will get a new congressman.

But overall, the political changes in the new congressional map approved Tuesday by the state Redistricting Commission are far less drastic than in the state legislative map agreed to last month.

"The 1st (Congressional) District was 8 percent more Democrat than Republican, and now it will be about 6.5 percent more Democrat than Republican," said U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, the Democrat who represents the district. "So it doesn’t mean a lot. Any way you slice it, it’s a very, very thin slice of a large loaf."

In a last-minute meeting Tuesday, the bipartisan group of four citizen commissioners agreed to move the western half of Monroe from the 2nd to the 1st District. They also pushed the 1st District farther north to include two-thirds of Mukilteo and a swath of voters from Mill Creek through south Everett to the shores of Puget Sound.

"This moves the 2nd District a tenth of a percent toward the Republican column," based on how the precincts voted in the past, said Commissioner Dick Derham, a Republican from Seattle.

"We’re not worried," said Jeff Bjornstad, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, the freshman Democrat from Lake Stevens who represents the 2nd District. Larsen won his 2000 race against Republican John Koster by 4 percent, so a tenth of a percent difference wouldn’t have changed the outcome. "It keeps the voters’ intent intact," Bjornstad added.

Four of Washington’s nine congressional districts are considered swing districts, and two of those are in Snohomish County. The 2nd District is considered the most evenly split of the four, and the 1st District is considered the furthest from even (it leans Democrat), Derham said. That’s not likely to change under the new plan.

The political boundaries have to be redrawn once every 10 years to reflect shifts in the state’s population. Based on 2000 Census figures, each congressional district now must have about 655,000 people, which meant commissioners had to cut about 10 percent of the 2nd District’s population.

They tried to keep communities whole, but they split up Monroe and Mukilteo "just because you had to get both the population count and the political numbers to match the desired outcome," Derham said.

The new plan sticks Monroe and some rural areas of Snohomish County into a largely suburban district that runs in a squiggle around Seattle, including Bainbridge Island to the west and Redmond to the east. But Inslee said he wouldn’t have a problem representing his new constituents.

"We’ve had a diverse district already, between the software companies in Redmond and the military installations in Kitsap County," he said.

The new district lines would be in effect when Inslee and Larsen run for re-election this fall.

Although commissioners unanimously approved both plans, there’s a chance it will all be for naught. The legislative plan was approved more than four hours after the midnight Dec. 15 deadline, and the congressional one was agreed to on New Year’s Day, more than two weeks after the deadline.

But Jan. 1 was the deadline listed in the constitutional amendment that voters approved in 1983 to create the Redistricting Commission. Legislators later imposed the Dec. 15 deadline, so there’s a chance they could go back now and retroactively change it to Jan. 1.

Otherwise, it will likely be up to the state Supreme Court, which could either appoint a special master to redraw the lines or simply accept the commission’s maps.

"One way or another," Inslee said, "I think it’s probably likely that this will be the final map."

The legislative plan made significant changes in Snohomish County. Commissioners drew two local legislators out of their districts, added a district to the county and drastically increased the geographic size of another.

The maps and further information are available online at www.redistricting.wa.gov.

You can call Herald Writer Susanna Ray at 425-339-3439

or send e-mail to ray@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

An American Robin picks a berry from a holly tree on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Calling all birders for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Audubon Society will hold its 28th annual Great Backyard… Continue reading

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

Aaron Kennedy / The Herald
The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide.
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Lynnwood
Lynnwood police: 1 suspect in custody, 1 at large after attempted carjacking

Beverly Elementary School went into a precautionary lockdown Thursday afternoon. Numerous officers continue to search for the second suspect.

Candidates announce campaigns for Everett city council seat

Ryan Crowther, founder of the Everett Music Initiative, will challenge incumbent Paula Rhyne for the District 2 seat.

Lynnwood City Council Vice President Julieta Crosby speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood picks top eight candidates to replace former council VP

The City Council will make its final decision Feb. 20 after interview process.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.