Democratic primary in Washington heats up with high-profile endorsements

The Democratic House primary on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is drawing national attention, with many of the state’s elected officials taking sides in the race.

State Sen. Emily Randall (D) and Washington State Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz (D) are running to replace retiring Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), who is supporting Franz. .

But Randall received the most surprising support of the election cycle so far, with Senate President Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a pro-temporary leader, taking the unusual step of jumping into the primary.

The outcome of the primary is likely to depend largely on name recognition and candidate profile.

a Recent public opinion polls A survey on behalf of Randall’s campaign showed Franz, a statewide elected official, with a slight lead among Democratic respondents, but read a summary of both candidates’ backgrounds. The same respondents gave Mr. Randall a large lead.

Local polls, especially in primaries, can be unreliable, but Randall’s campaign is encouraged that back-and-forth tests point to a path to victory in the Aug. 6 primary.

“These encouraging poll results confirm what our team knew: voters delivered a bipartisan result that protects abortion access and reduces costs for people every day. “Once you know Randall’s track record, you know she is the best choice for Congress,” said Anna Carlson-Ziegler. , Randall’s campaign manager.

According to the poll, Mr. Franz had a 10-point lead over Mr. Randall in popularity as of April, and both candidates had similar favorability ratings among respondents familiar with both candidates.

But supporters play a big role in the Democratic primary, and of the two most prominent supporters in the race, Mr. Murray leads Mr. Kilmer by double digits in both name recognition and favorability.

Before Murray ran, two Democrats from neighboring Washington districts, Marilyn Strickland and Marie Grusencamp Perez, sided with Randall.

These two endorsements are particularly relevant, in one case because Mr. Strickland’s district shares the Tacoma metropolitan area with Mr. Kilmer’s, and in the other case Mr. Kilmer and Grusenkamp.・This is because the Democratic Party’s victory is not guaranteed in either of Mr. Perez’s districts.

Randall, who grew up in the area, won tight races for a state Senate seat in 2018 and 2022, basing his campaign on his ability to appeal to liberal and independent voters in the area. I have to.

But Ms. Franz’s role as a statewide official responsible for things like putting out wildfires has built her goodwill among groups including some Native American tribes and firefighters unions.

And Kilmer made no secret of his commitment to Franz.

In December Interview with Colombian newspaperMs. Franz said that shortly after she announced her candidacy, Mr. Kilmer called her to gauge interest in her seat before announcing his retirement.

“He wanted to be sure he could leave District 6 safely,” Franz said.

His campaign could not be reached for comment.

In February and March, Randall received an outpouring of support from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Murray and others, relationships she built on her 2022 campaign.

Still, sitting senators rarely put their full effort into a primary, making Murray’s move a high-profile one in a race that would otherwise likely garner national attention.

Murray’s office did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

But the Democratic primaries in Washington 6^th The district could play a role in controlling the House after November and is already a focus for national organizations like Bold PAC, the elections arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Washington is conducting a so-called “jungle primary,” meaning Franz and Randall will face two Republicans in August, with the top two candidates advancing to the general election in November.