The 2026 midterm election was inundated with a "blue wave," with Democrats scoring massive margins to take control of the U.S. Congress. In Washington State, voters turned out for the Democrat-aligned State Supreme Court candidates and affirmed a desire for progressive taxes, but they also approved a ban on trans girls in girls' school sports. And in South Seattle, voters overwhelmingly supported progressive candidates, making history in one race by voting out a 28-year incumbent.
Here, the Emerald breaks down the elections that matter most to South Seattle.
History was made in the 37th District, with Jaelynn Scott becoming the first Black openly trans state lawmaker in the nation, besting Evon McCorkle (Scott: 87.3%; McCorkle: 11.9%). She becomes the second Democratic Socialist lawmaker in Washington, joining Rep. Shaun Scott, D-Seattle (the two are unrelated).
Speaking to Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, Scott addressed both the historic nature of her win and the socialist platform that she ran on. "It's because trans rights are not just about identity politics. It's always been about income inequality. It's always been about communities of color having the right to thrive and having their labor recognized," she said.
Scott will enter the State House with first-time candidate Kelabe Tewolde, who bested 28-year incumbent Sharon Tomiko Santos (Tewolde: 62.9%; Tomiko Santos: 36.3%). In the primary, Tewolde only narrowly defeated Tomiko Santos by four points, matching a nationwide trend of established incumbents losing primaries to young progressives. After the primary, Tewolde garnered high-profile endorsements from across the spectrum, including Gov. Bob Ferguson and King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, as well as The Seattle Times and The Stranger.
Current State Rep. Chipalo Street is now state senator-elect Street after claiming a landslide victory against organizer Tatiana Brown (Street: 73.9%; Brown: 25.1%). Street will replace Rebecca Saldaña, who ran for the King County Council. And speaking of the Council …
Saldaña won the Council's District 2 race, coming in ahead of Port of Seattle Commissioner Toshiko Grace Hasegawa (Saldaña: 60.2%; Hasegawa: 39.1%). Both candidates called themselves progressives, with minor policy differences and experience as the main differentiators between them. According to the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), the District 2 race was among the most expensive state elections this year. Saldaña raised $313,298, while Hasegawa raised $259,318, more than some State Supreme Court races.
Saldaña will replace Rhonda Lewis, who filled the remainder of Zahilay's term when he was elected as county executive last year.
While South Seattle trended to socialist and progressive candidates, statewide voters split on economic populism versus LGBTQ+ issues.
In a major win for Ferguson and Olympia legislatures, 57.6% of voters have rejected I-645, which would have not only repealed the recently passed "Millionaires Tax" but also prevented any future income tax from being enacted. State Sen. Jamie Pederson, a primary sponsor of the tax, said voters gave the legislature a "giant green light" on progressive taxes.
Now, the Millionaires Tax will move through the court system, first with a hearing in Klickitat County, then before the State Supreme Court. "I think in court is the first fight," said Brian Heywood of Let's Go Washington, the initiative's sponsor. "I suspect in [2028] this is going to be a real issue, because it'll be collected by then, and the job loss will continue."
Heywood's litigation will likely face an uphill battle, since voters have elected candidates to the State Supreme Court who are aligned with Democrats. During the election, all candidates for the State Supreme Court refused to say how they would vote on pending cases, but indications show that they may rule in favor of the tax.
The one issue where progressives received a massive loss from voters was the approval of I-638, which will prohibit trans girls from playing girls' sports in school. Statewide, the initiative received 56.8% approval, with the majority of voters in King, Jefferson, and San Juan counties voting no.
I-638 also requires all K-12 athletes playing girls' sports to undergo medical testing from a healthcare provider to verify their biological sex. Medical testing can include a blood test, an oral swab, or a genital exam.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association says there are 10 trans athletes in girls' sports in the state.
Along with Washington, initiatives in Arizona, Nebraska, and Colorado that aimed to ban trans girls from participating in girls' sports passed, while progressives won on other ballot measures. In Colorado, voters banned local police and prosecutors from working more closely with the Department of Homeland Security, while simultaneously banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors.
I-638, like many ballot initiatives that pass, may also be challenged in the courts. No Hate in WA State, which led the campaign against the initiative, said in a press release, "Many have said that I-638 is likely unconstitutional and we understand there are legal groups and organizations considering litigation."
And I-001, which would reenact parental rights to review educational materials and allow parents to opt their children out of sexual health education, could be on track to fail, with 52.1% of voters voting down the initiative.
Although the results of the ballot initiatives have upset some voters, overall, liberals and progressives in Seattle and throughout Washington have made gains in state and local races.