Nika Bartoo-Smith
Underscore Native News + ICT
Eight Native candidates who ran for public office positions in Washington state will continue on to the November general elections, following state primary elections on Aug. 4.
The results will be certified by the Washington Secretary of State on Aug. 21.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Claudia Kauffman, Nez Perce Tribe, won 59 percent of the vote in District 47 and will be running against Republican Kristina Soltys in November.
“Thank you to all of the supporters, friends, family and volunteers who helped with my reelection campaign,” Kauffman wrote in a Facebook post on Aug. 7. “This Primary Election result is amazing and I will continue my fight in the General Election.”
Christopher “Chris” Roberts, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, will not move on to the November ballot for King County assessor. He received 18 percent of the votes, just missing the count for second place behind Dominique Sacrimbolo, who won 19 percent of votes.
Democrat Patrick Depoe, Makah Tribe, will also not be moving on to the November ballot for Washington State House of Representatives, District 24 Position 2. He received 24 percent of the vote, just behind Kaylee Kuhen who won 25 percent of the vote.
“The 24th legislative district has never elected a person of color as state representative — these election results have proven that we were within 900 votes of changing that. That is monumental,” DePoe said in a Facebook post on Aug. 12.
“I’m proud of the movement we grew on the peninsula, and I’m optimistic about what comes next for this district, for working families, and for Tribal Nations having a real seat at the table in Olympia.”
Data from the Washington Secretary of State shows voter turnout of only 37 percent statewide. That number is down from the last midterm year in 2022 when there was a voter turnout of 41 percent in the primary.
There were a dozen races happening in Washington state with Native candidates that ICT watched, according to the ICT and Advance Native Political Leadership database. The database tracks Indigenous candidates running for office from local levels, all the way up to Congress.
Here are the candidates who are advancing to the general election:
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Chelsea Dimas, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 14 Position 1 — Nahua and Purépecha
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Renee Hernandez Greenfield, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 26 Position 2 — Cochiti Pueblo, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Taos Pueblo
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Kim Harless, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 49 Position 1 — Ópata
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Claudia Kauffman, Democrat, Washington State Senate, District 47 — Nez Perce Tribe
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Debra Lekanoff, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 40 Position 1 — Tlingit Tribe
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Maria Littlesun, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 35 Position 2 — Skokomish
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Chris Stearns, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 47 Position 2 — Navajo Nation
- NOVEMBER BALLOT: Jennifer White, non-partisan, Clallam County Treasurer, Makah Tribe
These candidates are not advancing:
- LOST: William Chichenoff, no party preference, Washington State House of Representatives, District 14 Position 1 — Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak
- LOST: Patrick DePoe, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 24 Position 2 — Makah Tribe
- LOST: Christopher “Chris” Roberts, non-partisan, King County Assessor — Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
- LOST: Chandler Torbett, Democrat, Washington State House of Representatives, District 45 Position 2 — Muscogee Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
This story is co-published by Underscore Native News and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest.
The post Unofficial results show Washington state candidates moving to November ballot appeared first on ICT.
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