2024 Washington State Senate election
The 2024 Washington State Senate elections were held on November 5, 2024, with a nonpartisan blanket primary election held on August 6, 2024. Voters in 25 of the 49 state legislative districts elected Senators to the Washington State Senate. The elections will coincide with other elections for federal, state, and local offices.
Background
''Soto Palmer v. Hobbs''
Judge Robert S. Lasnik of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled that the 15th legislative district violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting [Hispanic and Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino Americans|Latino] votes in the Yakima Valley region and necessitated redrawing.Plaintiffs provided five remedial maps awaiting Lasnik's approval. On March 16, 2024, the judge selected a new redistricting map which significantly changes the boundaries of several districts in the Yakima Valley and changes the numbering of District 15 to District 14. This change in number means that elections for district 14 in the State Senate will now be held in Presidential Election Years, which typically have higher turnout than midterm election years among Latino voters.
Partisan Background
In the 2020 Presidential Election, Democrat Joe Biden won 34 of Washington State's legislative districts and Republican Donald Trump won 15 of Washington State's legislative districts. Out of the 25 State Senate districts that are up for election in the 2024 Washington State Senate Election, Republicans represented 5 districts that Joe Biden won in 2020: District 10 ; District 12 ; Majority-Minority District 14 ; District 17 ; and District 25.Retirements
Eight incumbents did not seek re-election.Democrats
- District 3: Andy Billig is retiring.
- District 5: Mark Mullet is retiring to run for Governor.
- District 22: Sam Hunt is retiring.
- District 24: Kevin Van De Wege is retiring to run for Public Lands Commissioner.
Republicans
- District 4: Mike Padden is retiring.
- District 12: Brad Hawkins is retiring to run for Chelan County Commission.
- District 17: Lynda Wilson is retiring.
- District 18: Ann Rivers is retiring.
Summary of results by district
†: Incumbent not running for re-election.District 1
Candidates
- Derek Stanford, incumbent state senator
District 2
Candidates
- Jim McCune, incumbent state senator
- Erasmo Ruiz Gonzalez, Bethel School Board director
Eliminated in primary
- Ronda Litzenberger, Eatonville School Board director
Endorsements
State legislators- J. T. Wilcox, Minority Leader of the Washington House of Representatives
- Joe DePinto, mayor of Yelm