2012 Washington State Senate election

Last updated

Washington State Senate elections, 2012
Flag of Washington.svg
  2010 November 6, 2012 2014  

26 seats of the Washington State Senate
25 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority party
  Seattle - Fiestas Patrias Parade 2008 - Margarita Prentice 01 (cropped).jpg Cathy McMorris Rodgers with State Senator Mike Hewitt (cropped).jpg
Leader Margarita Prentice
(retired)
Mike Hewitt
Party Democratic Republican
Leader's seat 11th-Skyway 16th-Walla Walla
Last election2722
Seats won2623
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 1Increase2.svg 1

2012 Washington State Senate election map.svg
Results:
     Democratic gain     Republican gain
     Democratic hold     Republican hold
     No election

President pro tempore before election

Margarita Prentice
Democratic

Elected President pro tempore

Tim Sheldon
Democratic (Coalition)

The 2012 Washington State Senate elections took place on November 6, 2012. [1] Twenty-five of Washington's forty-nine state senators were elected. Each state legislative district has one senator elected to a four-year term, but state senate elections alternate so that about half of the senators are elected in presidential election years (e.g., 2008, 2012) and the other half are elected in non-presidential even numbered election years (e.g., 2010, 2014). A top two primary election on August 7, 2012 determined which candidates appear on the November ballot. Candidates were allowed to self-declare a party preference.

Contents

25 seats were regularly scheduled to be up this cycle, along with 1 additional seat holding a special election to fill an unexpired term: the 46th district, held by appointed Senator David Frockt, whose former incumbent Scott White vacated the seat.

Democrats gained the 5th district seat and Republicans gained the 10th and 25th district seats for a net gain of one seat for the Republicans. While the Democratic Party won a majority of the seats in the election, two Democratic senators joined the Republicans to form the Majority Coalition Caucus on December 10, 2012, giving Republicans an effective majority of seats. [2]

Overview

Washington State Senate elections, 2012
PartySeats+/–
Democratic 12Decrease2.svg 1
Republican 14Increase2.svg 1
Independent 00
Total26

Composition

ElectionsSeats
 Democratic Incumbent and Uncontested2
 Races w/ two Democrats in General1
 Republican Incumbent and Uncontested4
 Races w/ two Republicans in General1
 Contested, Open Seats [lower-alpha 1] 7
  1. Including the 27th district, an open seat with two Democrats running against each other in the general election.

On December 10, 2012, two Democratic Senators [lower-alpha 1] joined in a coalition with the Republican Caucus to form a conservative majority, called the "Majority Coalition Caucus". [2]

Since Dec 10, 2012Seats
 Democratic24
 Mostly Republican "Majority Coalition Caucus" [lower-alpha 1] 25
 Total
49
  1. 1 2 On December 10, Democratic Senators Sheldon and Tom announced they would caucus with the Republicans, creating a conservative coalition majority (25-24). [3]

Seats up for election

Results as reported by the Secretary of State:

District 1

Washington's 1st legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Rosemary McAuliffe (inc.) 37,316 55.49
Republican Dawn McCravey29,93244.51
Total votes67,248 100
Democratic hold

District 2

Washington's 2nd legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Randi Becker (inc.) 31,946 56.81
Democratic Bruce L. Lachney24,28643.19
Total votes56,232 100.00
Republican hold

District 3

Incumbent Lisa Brown did not seek another term. On November 30, 2012, Brown was selected for Governor-Elect Jay Inslee's transition team.

Washington's 3rd legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Andy Billig 29,609 57.85
Republican Nancy McLaughlin21,57642.15
Total votes51,185 100.00
Democratic hold

District 4

Washington's 4th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Mike Padden (inc.) 49,593 100.00
Republican hold

District 5

Original incumbent Cheryl Pflug resigned in June 2012 to take a seat on the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board. [4] Former state senator and recurring statewide-office candidate Dino Rossi was appointed to complete her term, but redistricting moved him out of the 5th LD, making him ineligible to run for the seat in 2012. [5]

Washington's 5th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Brad Toft30,68345,58
Democratic Mark Mullet 36,630 54.42
Total votes67,313 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

District 9

Washington's 9th Legislative District election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Mark G. Schoesler (inc.) 39,390 100.00
Republican hold

District 10

Washington's 10th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Mary Margaret Haugen (inc.)33,70847.18
Republican Barbara Bailey 37,732 52.82
Total votes71,440 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

District 11

Incumbent Margarita Prentice was redistricted out of the 11th LD, and declined to run for election in the new district.

Washington's 11th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 34,301 69.34
Republican Kristin Thompson15,17030.66
Total votes49,471 100.00
Democratic hold

District 12

Washington's 12th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Linda Evans Parlette (inc.) 44,318 100.00
Republican hold

District 14

Washington's 14th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Curtis King (inc.) 40,394 100.00
Republican hold

District 16

Washington's 16th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Mike Hewitt (inc.) 32,717 69.74
Democratic Scott Nettles 14,19730.26
Total votes46,914 100.00
Republican hold

District 17

Washington's 17th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Don Benton (inc.) 27,542 [lower-alpha 1] 50.07
Democratic Tim Probst [lower-alpha 2] 27,46849.93
Total votes54,864 100.00
Republican hold
  1. Hand recount
  2. Hand recount

District 18

Washington's 18th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ann Rivers (inc.) 42,924 67.86
Democratic Ralph Schmidt 20,33032.14
Total votes63,254 100.00
Republican hold

District 19

Washington's 19th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Brian Hatfield (inc.) 34,590 62.16
Republican Rick Winsman21,05637.84
Total votes55,646 100.00
Democratic hold

District 20

Washington's 20th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dan Swecker (inc.)24,07544.57
Republican John Braun 29,943 55.43
Total votes54,018 100.00
Republican hold

District 22

Washington's 22nd legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Karen Fraser (inc.) 50,389 100.00
Democratic hold

District 23

Washington's 23rd legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Christine Rolfes (inc.) 43,305 65.08
Republican Bret A. Treadwell23,23534.92
Total votes66,540 100.00
Democratic hold

District 24

Washington's 24th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jim Hargrove (inc.) 44,417 65.44
Independent Larry Carter23,45534.56
Total votes67,872 100.00
Democratic hold

District 25

Incumbent Jim Kastama ran for Washington Secretary of State, making him ineligible to run for reelection. He did not win the state position.

Washington's 25th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Eric Herde21,51738.26
Republican Bruce Dammeier 34,715 61.74
Total votes56,232 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic

District 27

Incumbent Debbie Regala retired at the end of her term. [6]

Washington's 27th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jeannie Darneille 30,939 57.29
Democratic John R. Connelly23,06842.71
Total votes54,007 100.00
Democratic hold

District 28

Washington's 28th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Mike Carrell (inc.) 32,146 58.40
Democratic Yoshie Wong22,89641.60
Total votes55,042 100.00
Republican hold

District 39

Incumbent Val Stevens retired at the end of her term. [7]

Washington's 39th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Kirk Pearson 33,449 57.62
Democratic Scott Olson 24,60342.38
Total votes58,052 100.00
Republican hold

District 40

Washington's 40th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Republican John Swapp 23,95937.07
Democratic Kevin Ranker (inc.) 40,677 62.93
Total votes64,636 100.00
Democratic hold

District 41

Washington's 41st legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Steve Litzow (inc.) 37,314 54.04
Democratic Maureen Judge 31,73445.96
Total votes69,048 100.00
Republican hold

District 46

Washington's 46th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic David Frockt (inc.) 56,124 100.00
Democratic hold

District 49

Incumbent Craig Pridemore ran for Washington State Auditor, making him ineligible to run for reelection. He did not win the state position.

Washington's 49th legislative district election, 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Annette Cleveland 30,390 58.42
Republican Eileen Quiring O'Brien 21,63441.58
Total votes52,024 100.00
Democratic hold

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References

  1. November 06, 2012 General Election Results: Legislative - All Results (Report).
  2. 1 2 Rodney Tom and Mark Schoesler (December 16, 2012). "Op-ed: State Senate's new Majority Coalition Caucus will govern across party lines". Seattle Times. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  3. "Dems Hand Second State Senate to GOP". December 11, 2012.
  4. "Former Sen. Cheryl Pflug criticizes appointment of Dino Rossi as successor, endorses Mark Mullet : The Issaquah Press – News, Sports, Classifieds and More in Issaquah, WA". Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  5. "Dino Rossi, State Senator Once Again". July 10, 2012.
  6. "Sen. Debbie Regala will retire at end of term | Political Buzz - The News Tribune". Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  7. "Home".