The bicameral Washington State Legislature is the state's legislative branch. The state legislature is composed of a lower House of Representatives and an upper State Senate. The state is divided into 49 legislative districts of equal population, each of which elects two representatives and one senator. Representatives serve two-year terms, whilst senators serve for four years. There are no term limits. Currently, the Democratic Party holds majorities in both chambers.
Washington's executive branch is headed by a governor elected for a four-year term. The current governor is Christine Gregoire, a Democrat who has been in office since 2005.
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. Nine justices serve on the bench and are elected statewide.
U.S. Congress
The two U.S. Senators from Washington are Patty Murray (D) and Maria Cantwell (D).
Washington representatives in the United States House of Representatives (see map of districts) are Jay Inslee (D-1), Richard Ray (Rick) Larsen (D-2), Brian Baird (D-3), Doc Hastings (R-4), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5), Norm Dicks (D-6), Jim McDermott (D-7), Dave Reichert (R-8), and Adam Smith (D-9).
State elected officials
Executive
- Christine Gregoire, Governor (D)
- Brad Owen, Lieutenant Governor (D)
- Sam Reed, Secretary of State (R)
- Rob McKenna, Attorney General (R)
- Jim McIntire, State Treasurer (D)
- Brian Sonntag, State Auditor (D)
- Randy Dorn, Superintendent of Public Instruction (non-partisan office)
- Peter J. Goldmark, Commissioner of Public Lands (D)
- Mike Kreidler, Insurance Commissioner (D)
Politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 40.48% 1,229,216 | 57.65% 1,750,848 |
| 2004 | 45.59% 1,304,893 | 52.82% 1,510,201 |
| 2000 | 44.59% 1,108,864 | 50.21% 1,247,652 |
| 1996 | 37.32% 840,712 | 49.81% 1,123,323 |
| 1992 | 31.99% 731,234 | 43.41% 993,037 |
| 1988 | 47.97% 903,835 | 50.03% 933,516 |
The state has been thought of as politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with Western Washington being liberal (particularly the I-5 Corridor) and Eastern Washington being conservative. Lately however, Washington has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1988. Spokane, the state's second largest city located in Eastern Washington, has been leaning more liberal, with one example being Democrat Maria Cantwell winning by a wide margin in the 2006 senate race against Republican Mike McGavick. Since the population is larger in the west, the Democrats usually fare better statewide. More specifically, the Seattle metro area (especially King County) generally delivers strong Democratic margins, while the outlying areas of Western Washington were nearly tied in both 2000 and 2004. It was considered a key swing state in 1968, and it was the only Western state to give its electoral votes to Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey over his Republican opponent Richard Nixon. However, Washington was considered a part of the 1994 Republican Revolution, and had the biggest pickup in the house for Republicans, making 7 of the 9 house members Republicans for the state of Washington.[41] However, this dominance did not last for long as Democrats picked up one seat in the 1996 election[42] and two more in 1998, giving the Democrats a 5–4 majority.[43]
The two current United States Senators from Washington are Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both of whom are members of the Democratic Party. The office of Governor is held by Christine Gregoire, who was re-elected to her second term in the 2008 gubernatorial election. Washington is the first and only state in the country to have elected women to both of its United States Senate seats and the office of Governor. Both houses of the Washington State Legislature (the Washington Senate and the Washington House of Representatives) are currently controlled by the Democratic Party.
