by Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard
November 7, 2025
Eight Democratic state lawmakers in Washington retained their seats in this week’s election, with a ninth on the cusp of winning.
State Rep. Edwin Obras inched closer to success Friday in the tightest House contest. Sen. Deb Krishnadasan declared victory a day earlier in the year’s most expensive duel among a stack of special elections for legislative seats.
Obras led Kevin Schilling, a fellow Democrat, by a margin of 50.6% to 47.7% in the 33rd Legislative District. More votes will be counted in the days ahead. Located south of Seattle, the district includes Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, SeaTac and much of Kent.
Competing in his first general election, Obras trailed Schilling, the mayor of Burien, in early rounds of ballot counting. But the SeaTac lawmaker edged in front by 205 votes Thursday and increased his lead to 641 in Friday’s count.
“If the trends continue and Edwin is victorious, congratulations to him,” Schilling said Friday.
Meanwhile, Krishnadasan, of Gig Harbor, beat Republican state Rep. Michelle Caldier in the 26th District that covers part of Kitsap and Pierce counties. Caldier, who is in her sixth term in the House, conceded Thursday.
“I’m excited to continue working together in the year ahead to deliver practical, bipartisan solutions that make life more affordable, strengthen our schools, and protect access to quality health care,” Krishnadasan said in a statement.
This was the closest-watched legislative race of the year and, as of Election Day, had attracted roughly $4 million in combined spending by candidates and outside interest groups. Nearly one-third of those dollars were spent by independent committees opposing Krishnadasan.
Her win means Democrats will hold their 30-19 seat advantage in the state Senate heading into 2026.
“The voters have spoken. While I’m disappointed in the outcome, I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who stood with me in this campaign to bring balance back to Olympia,” Caldier, a Gig Harbor resident, wrote in a statement.
In King County, Sen. Victoria Hunt defeated Republican Chad Magendanz of Issaquah, a former state lawmaker. This was the other contest GOP leaders viewed as an opportunity to slim Democrats’ advantage in the Senate.
Hunt, also of Issaquah, was elected to the state House last year and appointed to the Senate following the unexpected death of Sen. Bill Ramos in April. The district covers Issaquah, Black Diamond, Covington, and part of Snoqualmie.
“I’m honored to have defended this seat and continue in the footsteps of my mentor and beloved friend of so many,” Hunt wrote on Facebook.
Also in King County, Sen. Vandana Slatter, of Bellevue, easily overcame the challenge of a fellow Democrat, state Rep. Amy Walen of Kirkland, in the 48th District. The two previously served together in the House. Walen was the race’s moderate, Slatter more progressive.
“The foundation of this win is community and this community showed up,” Slatter posted on social media. “We faced well-funded opposition, but we had something far more powerful: you.”
This contest, like the all-Democrat match-up in the 33rd District, vented the philosophical tensions between the party’s progressive and centrist forces. A political committee, whose donors include campaign arms of House and Senate Democrats and labor unions, spent money opposing Walen and Schilling.
“Unfortunately, this election didn’t go our way,” Walen wrote on Facebook. She pledged to keep pushing for policies she campaigned on — increasing affordable housing, improving access to health care and making communities safer.
Like Caldier, she’ll continue serving in the House.
“While I didn’t win this election, I still have another year in my term,” she wrote.
Five other Democrats in safe western Washington seats sailed to re-election.
Rep. Janice Zahn, D-Bellevue, trounced Republican John Whitney of Bellevue in the 41st District and Rep. Osman Salahuddin, D-Redmond, captured more than twice as many votes as Republican Dennis Ellis of Redmond in the 48th District.
State Sens. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, and Emily Alvarado, D-Seattle, as well as Rep. Brianna Thomas, D-West Seattle, ran unopposed.
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