First Vietnamese state senator and other election highlights

By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

A jubilant Joe Nguyen surrounded by supporters on Nov. 6 at his election night party in White Center. (Photo by Sam Le)

SEATTLE — A record-breaking 2018 midterm election in Washington mostly ended the night of Nov. 6 with some major races called.

Here are some of the highlights.

Joe Nguyen won the 34th District State Senate race – 58 percent to Shannon Braddock’s 41 percent. Nguyen will become the state’s first Vietnamese American legislator and the district’s first person of color to hold that seat. The 34th district covers West Seattle, Burien, White Center, and Vashon and Maury Islands. It’s where Nguyen, the son of refugees, grew up. The mood was festive at Drunky’s Two Shoe BBQ in White Center as the first results were announced on the night of Nov. 6. Nguyen called it “incredible.”

“To think about where I started, growing up in public housing in White Center, working as a janitor in high school to help my family make ends meet, washing dishes at night to help pay for college, to now being a State Senator is proof that anything is possible.”

My-Linh Thai’s 65 percent against Michael Appleby’s cements her win to represent the 41st legislative district.

Mona Das won by 667 votes against Joe Fain in the 47th district Senate race.

Pramila Jayapal won re-election easily. She tweeted, “84%!!!! Thank you Washington’s 7th District, for re-electing me – a proud immigrant, strong woman of color, and fierce progressive – to the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Manka Dhingra is projected to win re-election for the 45th district Senate seat.

OTHER RACES

FEDERAL

U.S. Senate

• Democrat Maria Cantwell won re-election to the U.S. Senate from Washington, easily beating Republican Susan Hutchison.

U.S. House of Representatives

1st Congressional District

• Suzan DelBene 69 percent
• Jeffrey Beeler 30 percent

8th Congressional District

• Kim Schrier 57 percent
• Dino Rossi 42 percent

9th Congressional District

• Adam Smith 68 percent
• Sarah Smith 31 percent

STATE

State Senate

• District 37. Rebecca Saldaña won with 88 percent of the vote

State Representative

• District 32. Cindy Ryu, won with 80 percent
• District 33. Mia Su-Ling Gregerson, won with 67 percent
• District 37. Sharon Tomiko Santos (unchallenged)
• District 37. Eric Pettigrew, won with 88 percent
• District 41. Tana Senn, won with 65 percent
• District 43. Nicole Macri, won with 91 percent
• District 47. Debra Entenman, won with 53 percent
• District 48. Vandana Slatter (unchallenged)

MEASURES

• I-1631 rejected. Initiative 1631 would have imposed the nation’s first carbon tax.
• I-1634 approved. Initiative 1634 would block local governments in Washington state from imposing new taxes on soda or grocery items.
• I-1639 approved. Initiative 1639 would increase the minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, add a waiting period to get those weapons and require safe storage of all firearms.
• I-940 approved. Initiative 940 is designed to improve police training in de-escalation tactics and eliminate a requirement that prosecutors prove officers acted with malice to get a conviction in negligent shootings.

JUDICIAL

Supreme Court

• Justice Position 2. Susan Owens (unchallenged)
• Justice Position 8. Steve Gonzalez, won with 75 percent of the vote
• Justice Position 9. Sheryl Gordon McCloud (unchallenged)

Northeast Electoral District

• Judge Position 1. Marcus Naylor, won with 65 percent