2012 Washington State Senate election

Washington State Senate elections, 2012

* * *

| ← 2010 | November 6, 2012 | 2014 →

|
|

* * *

26 seats of the Washington State Senate
25 seats needed for a majority
|   | Majority party  | Minority party

|
|

|  |
Leader  | Lisa Brown
(retired)  | Mike Hewitt
Party  | Democratic | Republican
Leader's seat  | 3rd-Spokane | 16th-Walla Walla
Last election  | 27 | 22
Seats won  | 26 | 23
Seat change  |  1  |  1

* * *

Results:
Democratic gain      Republican gain
Democratic hold      Republican hold
No election

* * *

| Majority Leader before election

Lisa Brown
Democratic

| Elected Majority Leader

Rodney Tom
Democratic

|

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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.

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

[edit]

Washington State Senate elections, 2012

Party  | Seats  | +/–
| Democratic | 12  |  1
| Republican | 14  |  1
| Independent | 0  | 0
Total | 26 |

### Composition

[edit]

Elections | Seats

|

| Democratic Incumbent and Uncontested  | 2
| Races w/ two Democrats in General  | 1
| Republican Incumbent and Uncontested  | 4
| Races w/ two Republicans in General  | 1
| Contested, Open Seats[a] | 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[a] joined in a coalition with the Republican Caucus to form a conservative majority, called the "Majority Coalition Caucus".[2]

Since Dec 10, 2012 | Seats

|

| Democratic  | 24
| Mostly Republican "Majority Coalition Caucus"[a] | 25
Total
| 49

1. ^ a b On December 10, Democratic Senators Sheldon and Tom announced they would caucus with the Republicans, creating a conservative coalition majority (25-24).[3]

## Predictions

[edit]

Source  | Ranking  | As of

|
|

Governing[4] | Tossup  | October 24, 2012

## Seats up for election

[edit]

Results as reported by the Secretary of State:

### District 1

[edit]

Washington's 1st legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Rosemary McAuliffe (inc.)  | 37,316  | 55.49
| Republican | Dawn McCravey  | 29,932  | 44.51
Total votes | 67,248  | 100
| Democratic hold

### District 2

[edit]

Washington's 2nd legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Randi Becker (inc.)  | 31,946  | 56.81
| Democratic | Bruce L. Lachney  | 24,286  | 43.19
Total votes | 56,232  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 3

[edit]

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  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Andy Billig  | 29,609  | 57.85
| Republican | Nancy McLaughlin  | 21,576  | 42.15
Total votes | 51,185  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 4

[edit]

Washington's 4th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Mike Padden (inc.)  | 49,593  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 5

[edit]

Original incumbent Cheryl Pflug resigned in June 2012 to take a seat on the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board.[5] 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.[6]

Washington's 5th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Brad Toft  | 30,683  | 45,58
| Democratic | Mark Mullet  | 36,630  | 54.42
Total votes | 67,313  | 100.00
| Democratic gain from Republican

### District 9

[edit]

Washington's 9th Legislative District election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Mark G. Schoesler (inc.)  | 39,390  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 10

[edit]

Washington's 10th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Mary Margaret Haugen (inc.)  | 33,708  | 47.18
| Republican | Barbara Bailey | 37,732  | 52.82
Total votes | 71,440  | 100.00
| Republican gain from Democratic

### District 11

[edit]

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  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Bob Hasegawa | 34,301  | 69.34
| Republican | Kristin Thompson  | 15,170  | 30.66
Total votes | 49,471  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 12

[edit]

Washington's 12th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Linda Evans Parlette (inc.)  | 44,318  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 14

[edit]

Washington's 14th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Curtis King (inc.)  | 40,394  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 16

[edit]

Washington's 16th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Mike Hewitt (inc.)  | 32,717  | 69.74
| Democratic | Scott Nettles | 14,197  | 30.26
Total votes | 46,914  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 17

[edit]

Washington's 17th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Don Benton (inc.)  | 27,542[a] | 50.07
| Democratic | Tim Probst[b] | 27,468  | 49.93
Total votes | 54,864  | 100.00
| Republican hold

1. ^ Hand recount
2. ^ Hand recount

### District 18

[edit]

Washington's 18th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Ann Rivers (inc.)  | 42,924  | 67.86
| Democratic | Ralph Schmidt | 20,330  | 32.14
Total votes | 63,254  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 19

[edit]

Washington's 19th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Brian Hatfield (inc.)  | 34,590  | 62.16
| Republican | Rick Winsman  | 21,056  | 37.84
Total votes | 55,646  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 20

[edit]

Washington's 20th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Dan Swecker (inc.)  | 24,075  | 44.57
| Republican | John Braun | 29,943  | 55.43
Total votes | 54,018  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 22

[edit]

Washington's 22nd legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Karen Fraser (inc.)  | 50,389  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 23

[edit]

Washington's 23rd legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Christine Rolfes (inc.)  | 43,305  | 65.08
| Republican | Bret A. Treadwell  | 23,235  | 34.92
Total votes | 66,540  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 24

[edit]

Washington's 24th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Jim Hargrove (inc.)  | 44,417  | 65.44
| Independent | Larry Carter  | 23,455  | 34.56
Total votes | 67,872  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 25

[edit]

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  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Eric Herde  | 21,517  | 38.26
| Republican | Bruce Dammeier | 34,715  | 61.74
Total votes | 56,232  | 100.00
| Republican gain from Democratic

### District 27

[edit]

Incumbent Debbie Regala retired at the end of her term.[7]

Washington's 27th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Jeannie Darneille | 30,939  | 57.29
| Democratic | John R. Connelly  | 23,068  | 42.71
Total votes | 54,007  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 28

[edit]

Washington's 28th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Mike Carrell (inc.)  | 32,146  | 58.40
| Democratic | Yoshie Wong  | 22,896  | 41.60
Total votes | 55,042  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 39

[edit]

Incumbent Val Stevens retired at the end of her term.[8]

Washington's 39th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Kirk Pearson | 33,449  | 57.62
| Democratic | Scott Olson | 24,603  | 42.38
Total votes | 58,052  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 40

[edit]

Washington's 40th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Independent Republican | John Swapp | 23,959  | 37.07
| Democratic | Kevin Ranker (inc.)  | 40,677  | 62.93
Total votes | 64,636  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 41

[edit]

Washington's 41st legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Steve Litzow (inc.)  | 37,314  | 54.04
| Democratic | Maureen Judge | 31,734  | 45.96
Total votes | 69,048  | 100.00
| Republican hold

### District 46

[edit]

Washington's 46th legislative district election, 2012  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | David Frockt (inc.)  | 56,124  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

### District 49

[edit]

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  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Democratic | Annette Cleveland | 30,390  | 58.42
| Republican | Eileen Qutub | 21,634  | 41.58
Total votes | 52,024  | 100.00
| Democratic hold

## References

[edit]

1. ^ November 06, 2012 General Election Results: Legislative - All Results (Report).
2. ^ a b 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. ^ Daigneau, Elizabeth; Jacobson, Louis (October 23, 2012). "The Latest Chamber-by-Chamber Analysis of the 2012 State Legislative Elections". Governing. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
5. ^ "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.
6. ^ "Dino Rossi, State Senator Once Again". July 10, 2012.
7. ^ "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.
8. ^ "Home".

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