Top 2 system produces some all-in-the-family races
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Washington's voter-approved Top 2 Primary says the two voter favorites for each office move forward to the November General Election, without regard to party preference of the candidates.
As in the two previous years we used the new system, this week's winnowing of the field produced mostly traditional R-D matchups for November. Neither the U.S. Senate nor the nine U.S. House races will have two people with the same party preference, and most of the 123 legislative contests likewise.
But if the latest numbers hold up, there will be eight House races and three Senate contests that will have finalists with the same party preference. The House races are Districts 2, Position 2; 9, Pos. 2; 12, Pos. 2; 14, Pos. 1; 27, Pos. 1; 31, Pos. 1; 34, Pos. 2; and 37, Pos. 2. The Senate seats are in Districts 8, 31 and 38.
Of the 11 seats, many were in districts with a dominant political party and the only people who filed in June were those who favor that party. Six of the seats have prefers-R finalists and five of the races are with only prefers-Democratic Party.
In a number of other races, only one person filed and thus they are considered as good as elected, though they'll be on the November ballot.
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Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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