By The Associated Press
EDITOR’S NOTE — For the latest ballot count, go to http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/
U.S. SENATE — Maria Cantwell, Washington’s junior senator, easily won enough votes to move to the fall general election. She’ll face Republican Michael Baumgartner, who was garnering the second most votes following an early tally from Tuesday’s primary election.
The Democrat Cantwell is seeking her third term.
Baumgartner was elected to the state Senate in 2010. The Pullman native is trying to become the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Washington since Slade Gorton in 1994.
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ATTORNEY GENERAL — Republican Reagan Dunn and Democrat Bob Ferguson have advanced to the November election in the attorney general’s race.
Early results from Tuesday’s primary showed both men garnering enough votes to move on in Washington’s top two system. Dunn and Ferguson are both King County Councilmembers. Dunn, a former federal prosecutor, has emphasized his law enforcement experience.
Ferguson has said he’d use the office to focus on protecting consumers from fraud.
The attorney general oversees more than 1,100 people, including 525 attorneys. The current two-year budget for the office is about $229 million.
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U.S. CONGRESS — Former Microsoft executive Suzan DelBene emerged from a caustic and costly primary campaign Tuesday, vanquishing a slate of other Democrats with a flood of advertisements funded in part by her own wealth.
DelBene’s victory allows her to now transition to the November election, where she will face Republican John Koster, who easily won the top-two primary race as the only GOP candidate in the 1st District field. The four other candidates divided the remainder of the votes, with political activist Darcy Burner coming in third during returns Tuesday night.
The district had such a rancorous battle among its Democrats that U.S. Sen. Patty Murray called on the candidates for calm. The seat is already ranked as one of the most competitive races in the country.
Washington’s 1st Congressional District was carved during the redistricting process to be a tossup for Republicans and Democrats. It stretches from eastern King County areas such as the wealthy enclave of Medina all the way to the northern border.
DelBene, who lost in a 2010 bid for Congress, has spent some $2.3 million in the race while putting about as much of her own money into the race. That far outpaced fellow Democrats such as Burner and former state Rep. Laura Ruderman, who each spent about $470,000.
Combined, the candidates have already spent close to $4 million, making it the seventh most expensive U.S. House race in the country, according to numbers compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
The 1st District is an open seat this year due to the departure of Jay Inslee, a Democrat now running for governor. That will complicate things for some voters, as the election also will decide who will finish Inslee’s term representing the old 1st District boundaries, which cover Seattle’s northern suburbs.
Candidates, not wanting a disadvantage in the full-term race, have entered both contests — leaving some people to see the same person twice on the ballot. Koster and DelBene also held leads Tuesday night for the short-term seat.
All of the state’s 10 congressional districts are on the ballot. But besides the 1st District, only two U.S. House races have no incumbent.
In the 10th District, a new district anchored around Olympia, TVW founder Denny Heck and Pierce County councilman Dick Muri advanced to the fall election.
In the 6th District, now open because of retiring Rep. Norm Dicks, Democratic state Sen. Derek Kilmer will face off in November against businessman Bill Driscoll, a Republican.
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SECRETARY OF STATE — Republican Kim Wyman has advanced to the fall election in the secretary of state’s race, where she’ll likely meet Democrat Kathleen Drew.
Wyman, Thurston County’s auditor since 2001, was garnering the most votes in early returns in Tuesday’s primary. Drew is a former state senator.
She was receiving the second-most votes, outpacing two other high-profile Democrats – former Seattle Mayor
Greg Nickels and state Sen. Jim Kastama.
Longtime incumbent Sam Reed is retiring. Reed has been Washington’s top elections official since 2000.
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AUDITOR — Business development consultant James Watkins advanced to the fall election in the race for state auditor, where he’ll likely face state Rep. Troy Kelley.
The Republican Watkins from Redmond was getting the most votes in Tuesday’s primary, with Democrat Kelley of Tacoma coming in second.
Longtime Democratic incumbent Brian Sonntag is retiring after 20 years.
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INSURANCE COMMISSIONER — Incumbent Mike Kreidler has advanced to the fall election in the state insurance commissioner’s race. The Democrat will likely face Republican John Adams.
Kreidler was getting over 50 percent of the vote in early primary returns Tuesday night, with Adams placing in second. The top two finishers advance to the November contest.
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LT. GOVERNOR — Longtime incumbent Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and Republican Bill Finkbeiner have advanced to the fall election.
The Democrat Owen, who has served 16 years, garnered the majority of the votes following early vote counts. Finkbeiner, who previously served as the Republican majority leader in the state Senate, finished second.
Along with presiding over the Senate, which is the most visible part of the job, the lieutenant governor is in command when the governor is out of state.
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PUBLIC LANDS COMMISSIONER — Incumbent Peter Goldmark will face Republican challenger Clint Didier in the fall in the race for commissioner of public lands.
Goldmark was getting the most votes in early primary returns Tuesday night, with Didier coming in second. The top two vote getters advance.
Didier is a farmer and rancher in Franklin County, and ran unsuccessfully for the GOP Senate nomination in the 2010 election.
Goldmark, a Democrat, is seeking his second term.
The lands commissioner controls 1 million acres of farmland, 2 million acres of forest land and 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands.
One of the roles of the lands commissioner is to use those lands in a productive manner to generate money for various state operations.
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SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT — It’s looking like Randy Dorn will advance to the fall election uncontested in the race for superintendent of public instruction.
Dorn, the incumbent, was getting over 50 percent of the primary vote Tuesday. Dorn was the only superintendent candidate who has raised any money to support his campaign.
Under Washington’s top-two primary system, the top two vote getters running for superintendent of public instruction go on to the general election, unless one person earns 50 percent plus one vote.
In that case the candidate getting more than 50 percent moves on to the general election alone.
