State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Millions Of Dollars Pour Into Washington State Special Election

NPR: It should be a sleepy special election for a state Senate seat in the Seattle suburbs.

But instead this Tuesday's contest between two first-time political candidates, both women and both children of immigrants, is shattering previous state spending records and is drawing six-figure checks from donors around the country.

At stake is control of the Washington state Senate where the GOP holds a one-seat majority. It's currently the only Republican-held legislative chamber on the West Coast.

If the Democratic candidate Manka Dhingra wins, Washington state's government would be fully controlled by Democrats. Democrats currently control the governorships and state legislature in six states, compared to 26 held by Republicans. The race is also another test of Democratic grassroots enthusiasm during the Trump presidency. In 2017, Democrats have flipped eight state legislative seats from Republican control in special elections like this one.

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