WEA Post-election Update

WEA members worked hard this election to support pro-public education, pro-union, pro-student candidates from both parties.

“One of the things I appreciate the most is that we have taken positions based on education issues and not on political party,” said Kim Mead, WEA president.  

There are still many votes to count, but as of Thursday morning, here is what we know:

Based on current results, Democrats will retain control of the state House, 51-47. Republicans will retain control of the state Senate, 25-24, with Democrats gaining one seat (challenger Lisa Wellman defeated Sen. Steve Litzow, chair of the Senate Education Committee).

Teacher Monica Stonier, who appears to have won a House seat in Vancouver, will bring an educator’s voice to the school funding debate in Olympia.

Here are election results for Washington.

All of the WEA-PAC-recommended statewide candidates won:

• Gov. Jay Inslee
• Attorney General Bob Ferguson
• Cyrus Habib for lieutenant governor
• Chris Reykdal for superintendent of public instruction
• Hillary Franz for commissioner of public lands
• Mike Kreidler for insurance commissioner
• Kim Wyman for secretary of state
• Duane Davidson for treasurer

All three WEA-PAC-recommended Washington Supreme Court justices won re-election:

• Charlie Wiggins,
• Barbara Madsen
• Mary Yu

 (pro-charter school billionaires spent more than $1 million to defeat them)*

Voters approved all four statewide ballot measures supported by WEA:

• Initiative 1433: Raising the State Minimum Wage
• Initiative 1491: Extreme Risk Protection Orders
• Initiative 1501: Seniors and Vulnerable Individuals’ Safety and Financial Crimes Prevention Act
• Initiative 735: Influence of Corporations and Money in Politics

Every federal candidate endorsed by NEA won in Washington:

• US Senate:  Patty Murray
• House District 1:  Suzan DelBene
• House District 2:  Rick Larsen
• House District 6: Derek Kilmer
• House District 7:  Pramila Jayapal (this was an open seat)
• House District 8:  Dave Reichert
• House District 9:  Adam Smith
• House District 10:  Denny Heck

*Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to expand charter schools in their state.