We will have a rematch for the 5th Legislative District in this year’s general election.
Although election results won’t be certified for another week, it has become clear that incumbent Bill Ramos, D-Issaquah, and Ken Moninski, R-Maple Valley, will advance as the top two candidates from a four-person primary field seeking to represent the 5th District as one of its state representatives.
This is the second election in a row Ramos and Moninski will face off. The two last met during the 2020 general election, where Ramos was re-elected, winning 60% of the vote.
To advance to the primary, Moninski defeated fellow Republican, and third-place finisher, Landon Halverson, who received 11% of the vote, as of Aug. 5, and had strong backing from fellow Republicans. Halverson received endorsements from the King County Republican Party, former County Councilmember Kathy Lambert and former 5th District Senator Dino Rossi.
Still, despite surpassing Halverson and taking home nearly 30% of the vote, it appears — at least initially — that Moninski is unlikely to fare well against Ramos in a district that continues to send Democrats to Olympia.
Together, Moninski and Halverson, the two Republicans in the field, combined for just over 41% of the vote, while Ramos alone brought in 57%. Fourth place finisher Austin Bryant received less than a percent.
Ramos, who has served the 5th District since 2019, has also outspent Moninski by $37,000 thus far.
The other 5th District race
All the other state races with ties to the Valley had two or less candidates. Under the state’s two party primary system, that means they will all advance to the general election in November.
In other 5th District, Incumbent Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah, defeated Chad Magendanz, R-Issaquah, this primary by ten points, taking home 54% of the vote as of Aug. 8.
Magendanz is trying to once again serve the 5th District. He previously served four years as the 5th District Representative between 2013-2017. He gave up that seat in 2016, making an unsuccessful bid for the 5th District state Senate position.
Callan, who has served the 5th District since 2019, ran unopposed when she was last reelected in 2020.
The 12th District
The two 12th Legislative District races have thus far provided little competition for incumbents Keith Goehner, R-Leavenworth, and Mike Steel, R-Chelan, who appear to have an easy path back to Olympia.
Goeher is running unopposed and Steel is facing Gold Bar City Councilmember Robert Amenn – who received just 18% of the vote, as of Aug. 8, and has yet to report any fundraising, according to state records.
What’s up next
King County Elections will update vote totals daily around 4 p.m. , until results are finalized on Aug. 17.
The King County General Election will take place on Nov. 8, with ballots mailed out during the third week in October.
