Washington 2026 elections

Political landscape in Washington

Overview

Washington is a Pacific Northwest state named for George Washington. The Pacific Ocean lies on its west, Oregon on its south, Idaho on its east and British Columbia in Canada on its north. It ranks 18th in area and 13th in population, with more than 8 million residents, most of whom reside in the Seattle metropolitan area along Puget Sound. Olympia is the capital and Seattle the largest city. Temperate rainforests cover parts of the west, mountain ranges cross several regions, and a semi-arid basin in the east and south supports intensive farming; the highest point is Mount Rainier, an active stratovolcano. Created from the western portion of Washington Territory after the Oregon Treaty of 1846, it became the 42nd state in 1889. Washington leads the country in apple, hop, pear and sweet cherry production, ranks third in wine and is a major lumber producer, while its manufacturing includes aircraft, shipbuilding, food processing and machinery. It is among the wealthiest states and was an early adopter of legal recreational cannabis and same-sex marriage.

Officeholders

As of October 2026, the governor of Washington is Bob Ferguson (Democratic), and the state's US senators are Patty Murray (Democratic) and Maria Cantwell (Democratic).

2026 elections

On November 3, 2026, voters in Washington will decide contests in 10 US House districts and 3 ballot measures. The three measures are initiatives, one of which concerns transgender access to school sports.