Elections were held on November 2, 2010, to determine Washington's nine members of the United States House of Representatives. Representatives were elected for two-year terms to serve in the 112th Congress from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013. Nonpartisan blanket primary elections were held on August 17, 2010.
Of the nine elections, the races in the 2nd, 3rd and 8th districts were rated as competitive by CQ Politics, The Rothenberg Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball, while The Cook Political Report rated the 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 9th districts as competitive. Every incumbent was re-elected, with the exception of Democrat Brian Baird, the U.S. representative for Washington's 3rd congressional district, who retired rather than seeking re-election. Baird was succeeded by Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican.
In total, five Democrats and four Republicans were elected. In the November elections a total of 2,479,409 votes were cast, of which 1,296,502 (52 percent) were for Democratic candidates, 1,135,166 (46 percent) were for Republican candidates, and 47,741 (2 percent) were for an independent candidate.
Overview Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington by district:
DistrictDemocraticRepublicanOthersTotalResult Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %District 1 172,642 57.67% 126,737 42.33% 0 0.00% 299,379 100.0% Democratic holdDistrict 2 155,241 51.07% 148,722 48.93% 0 0.00% 303,963 100.0% Democratic holdDistrict 3 135,654 47.03% 152,799 52.97% 0 0.00% 288,453 100.0% Republican gainDistrict 4 74,973 32.36% 156,726 67.64% 0 0.00% 231,699 100.0% Republican holdDistrict 5 101,146 36.33% 177,235 63.67% 0 0.00% 278,381 100.0% Republican holdDistrict 6 151,873 58.04% 109,800 41.96% 0 0.00% 261,673 100.0% Democratic holdDistrict 7 232,649 82.97% 0 0.00% 47,741 17.03% 280,390 100.0% Democratic holdDistrict 8 148,581 47.95% 161,296 52.05% 0 0.00% 309,877 100.0% Republican holdDistrict 9 123,743 54.85% 101,851 45.15% 0 0.00% 225,594 100.0% Democratic holdTotal 1,296,502 52.29% 1,135,166 45.78% 47,741 1.93% 2,479,409 100.0%
District 1
In 2010 the 1st district included Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood and parts of Kirkland, Redmond and Shoreline. The district's population was 77 percent white, 10 percent Asian and 6 percent Hispanic (see Race and ethnicity in the United States census); 94 percent were high school graduates and 41 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $73,943. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 62 percent of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 36 percent of its vote to Republican nominee John McCain.
Democrat Jay Inslee, who took office in 1999, was the incumbent. Inslee was re-elected in 2008 with 68 per cent of the vote. In 2010 Inslee's opponent in the general election was James Watkins, a businessman and a member of the Republican Party. Matthew Burke, a financial planner, also ran as a Republican; and David D. Schirle, a former physician and a member of the Washington National Guard, ran as an independent candidate.
Inslee raised $1,403,962 and spent $1,270,456. Watkins raised $351,477 and spent $339,770. Burke raised $51,135 and spent $49,931. Schirle raised $9,602 and spent $12,842.
In a Republican internal poll conducted in March 2010 by Moore Information, with a sample size of 300 registered voters, 41 percent of respondents supported Inslee while 27 percent favored Watkins. Prior to the election FiveThirtyEight'''s forecast gave Inslee a 100 percent chance of winning, and projected that he would receive 62 percent of the vote to Watkins's 36 percent. On election day Inslee was re-elected with 58 percent of the vote to Watkins's 42 percent.
Inslee resigned in March 2012 in order to run for Governor of Washington. He was elected to that office in November 2012. Watkins unsuccessfully ran for the position of state auditor in 2012.
Primary results
General election Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror JayInslee (D) JamesWatkins (R) UndecidedWenzel Strategies (R)Wenzel Strategies (R) March 23–24, 2010 400 (RV) – 41% 27% 32%
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 1, 2010 Rothenberg November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal BallCrystal Ball, November 1, 2010RCPRealClearPolitics, November 1, 2010CQ PoliticsOctober 28, 2010New York Times November 1, 2010FiveThirtyEight November 1, 2010
Results
By county +CountyJay Inslee DemocraticJames Watkins RepublicanMarginTotal votes#%#%#%King (part)65,44961.19%41,50838.81%23,94122.38%106,957Kitsap (part)30,50655.59%24,37444.41%6,13211.17%54,880Snohomish (part)76,68755.76%60,85544.24%15,83211.51%137,542Totals172,64257.67%126,73742.33%45,90515.33%299,379
External links
District 2
The 2nd district included Bellingham, Marysville and parts of Everett. The district's population was 83 percent white and 8 percent Hispanic (see Race and ethnicity in the United States census); 90 percent were high school graduates and 25 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $55,887. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 56 percent of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 42 percent to Republican nominee John McCain.
Democrat Rick Larsen, who took office in 2001, was the incumbent. Larsen was re-elected in 2008 with 62 percent of the vote. In 2010 Larsen's opponent in the general election was John Koster, a former member of the Washington House of Representatives and a member of the Republican Party. John Carmack, a structural-mechanical designer and contractor, also ran as a Republican; while Larry Kalb, a member of the Democratic State Committee; and Diana McGinness, a retired fraud investigator, also ran as Democrats.
Larsen raised $2,028,596 and spent $2,080,326. Koster raised $1,100,868 and spent $1,096,191. Kalb raised $22,436 and spent $20,824. McGinness raised $4,922 and spent $4,741.
A Republican internal poll of 300 likely voters conducted by Moore Information in April 2010 found 44 percent of respondents intended to vote for Larsen, while 37 percent favored Koster. In June 2010 Koster's campaign manager cited a poll of 784 respondents conducted for Koster's campaign, in which Koster led Larsen by around 53 percent to 47 percent; however he did not provide a hard copy of the results, which Larsen's campaign manager said were inaccurate. In a poll conducted in August and September 2010 by SurveyUSA, with a sample size of 612 likely voters, 50 percent of respondents supported Koster while 46 percent favored Larsen and 4 percent were undecided. In a SurveyUSA poll of 576 likely voters conducted later in September 2010, Larsen led with 50 percent to Koster's 47 percent, and 3 percent were undecided. In SurveyUSA's final poll of 643 likely and actual voters, conducted in October 2010, Larsen led with 50 percent to Koster's 46 percent, and 3 percent were undecided.
Larsen was re-elected with 51 percent of the vote to Koster's 49 percent. After the initial count Koster led by less than 1,500 votes; however Larsen took the lead on November 3 and was later declared the winner. Larsen was again re-elected in 2012 and in 2014, while Koster unsuccessfully ran in the redrawn 1st district in the 2012 election.
Primary results
General election Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror RickLarsen (D) JohnKoster (R) UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSA October 19–21, 2010 643 (LV) ± 3.9% 50% 46% 3%SurveyUSASurveyUSA September 26–28, 2010 576 (LV) ± 4.2% 50% 47% 3%SurveyUSASurveyUSA August 31 – September 2, 2010 612 (LV) ± 4.0% 46% 50% 4%Moore Information (R)Moore Information (R) April 20–21, 2010 300 (LV) ± 6.3% 44% 37% 19%
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 1, 2010 Rothenberg November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 1, 2010RCP November 1, 2010CQ PoliticsOctober 28, 2010New York Times November 1, 2010FiveThirtyEight November 1, 2010
Results
By county CountyRick LarsenDemocraticJohn KosterRepublicanMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%Island17,87050.01%17,86149.99%90.03%35,731King (part)14957.31%11142.69%3814.62%260San Juan6,05566.08%3,10833.92%2,94732.16%9,163Skagit23,91149.90%24,00550.10%-94-0.20%47,916Snohomish (part)61,78049.12%63,99650.88%-2,216-1.76%125,776Whatcom45,47653.43%39,64146.57%5,8356.86%85,117Totals155,24151.07%148,72248.93%6,5192.14%303,963
External links
District 3
The 3rd district included Vancouver and part of Olympia. The district's population was 85 percent white and 6 percent Hispanic (see Race and ethnicity in the United States census); 89 percent were high school graduates and 24 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $54,813. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 53 percent of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 45 percent to Republican nominee John McCain.
Democrat Brian Baird, who took office in 1999, was the incumbent. Baird was re-elected in 2008 with 64 percent of the vote. In 2010 Baird retired rather than seeking re-election. The candidates in the general election were Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican, and Denny Heck, a Democrat, both of whom were members of the Washington House of Representatives. Cheryl Crist, a Democratic Precinct Committee Officer, also ran as a Democrat; while David B. Castillo, a U.S. Navy veteran, and David W. Hedrick, a management accountant, also ran as Republicans. Norma Jean Stevens, a small business owner, ran as an independent candidate. Deb Wallace, a member of the Washington House of Representatives, Maria Rodriguez-Salazar, a nurse; and Craig Pridemore, a member of the Washington Senate, ran as Democrats but dropped out of the race in February, March and June 2010 respectively. Democrat Brendan Williams, a member of the state House of Representatives, announced in December 2009 that he would not run. Jon Russell, the mayor pro tem of Washougal, ran as a Republican but ended his campaign in February 2010. Richard DeBolt, the leader of the Republican party in the state House of Representatives, announced in January 2010 that he would not run.
Herrera Beutler raised $1,557,221 and spent $1,534,650. Heck raised $1,988,495 and spent $1,965,997. Castillo raised $282,516 and spent £275,436. Crist raised $14,511 and spent $17,141. Hedrick raised $41,358 and spent $27,715. Pridemore raised $114,782 and spent $114,681. Russell raised $30,478 and spent $30,479. Wallace raised $56,907 and spent the same amount.
In a poll of 562 likely voters, conducted in August 2010 by SurveyUSA, 54 percent of respondents supported Herrera Beutler while 41 percent favored Heck and 5 percent were undecided. An internal poll conducted between September 7 and 9, 2010 for Heck's campaign by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, with a sample size of 502 likely voters, found Herrera Beutler at 47 percent and Heck at 44 percent. In a SurveyUSA poll conducted between September 12 and 14, 2010, with a sample size of 552 likely voters, Herrera Beutler led again with 52 percent to Heck's 43 percent, while 4 percent were undecided. A poll conducted by Penn Schoen Berland from October 2 until October 7, 2010, with a sample size of 400 likely voters, found Herrera leading with 42 percent to Heck's 40 percent. In a SurveyUSA poll conducted from October 10 until October 12, 2010, with a sample size of 597 likely voters, 53 percent of respondents intended to vote for Herrera Beutler while 42 percent favored Heck and 6 percent were undecided. In SurveyUSA's final poll, conducted between October 24 and 25, 2010, with a sample size of 640 likely and actual voters, Herrera Beutler led with 50 percent to Heck's 46 percent, and 4 percent were undecided.
On election day Herrera Beutler was elected with 53 percent of the vote to Heck's 47 percent. Herrera Beutler was re-elected in 2012, when Heck successfully ran in the newly created 10th district; and in 2014.
Primary results
General election Polling