LiveWashington state election 2024 results and Trump’s win: What to know
by Seattle Times staff & news services · The Seattle TimesReactions throughout the U.S. are mixed as voters wake up the morning after Election Day. While several of Washington’s key local and state races were called Tuesday evening, thousands of ballots have yet to be counted, leaving other contests up in the air.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson defeated former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert in the race for Washington governor, though as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, Reichert hadn’t conceded, saying he would not do so until all votes are counted. Meanwhile, early results showed Washington voters were poised to reject three of four ballot initiatives.
Throughout Wednesday, on this page, we’ll be updating readers on voting and elections in Seattle, Washington state and across the United States.
Key Updates
1:00 pm
Share
Immigrant advocates anxious, despite WA protections
Immigrant communities in Washington will likely be targeted by President-elect Donald Trump, raising serious concerns among local advocates despite some state-level protections in place.
“He’s repeatedly bragged about the huge mass deportation effort he would engage in,” said Matt Adams, legal director at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, which waged multiple legal battles against the first Trump administration, including over his “Muslim ban” on immigrants from certain countries.
“While the logistics of actually doing something like that on Day One might be a roadblock,” Trump's White House will surely “begin to try to throw something together” right away, Adams said.
The new administration will probably target undocumented immigrants and possibly also people who hold legal status, Adams said, mentioning Trump’s rhetorical attacks against people with temporary protected status, like Haitians who are allowed to live and work in the U.S. because it’s unsafe for them to return home. Advocates must be ready to file unlawful detention petitions and other lawsuits, he said.
“We’ve just got to be ready to jump into the mix,” he said.
Immigration is a policy area where the White House can make a lot of changes without approval from Congress, Adams noted, saying advocates are concerned Trump and his allies will be “even more emboldened” in his second term.
Undocumented immigrants here may be less vulnerable to mass deportations and raids than in many other states, based on the Keep Washington Working Act, Adams said. Passed by the Legislature in 2019, that law restricts local law enforcement from getting involved in immigration enforcement, he said.
“I think that does afford a certain sense of safety and security here,” whereas in some other states, “any traffic stop can veer off” into an immigration action, Adams said.
—Daniel Beekman
12:30 pm
Share
No changes to WA Cares expected
No changes will be made to the law governing the WA Cares Fund after voters rejected Initiative 2124 Tuesday, the state Department of Social and Health Services confirmed.
The initiative would have made participation in the state's long-term care insurance program optional.
The failure of the initiative "means more than 3 million Washington workers will continue earning affordable long-term care coverage and the solvency of the program will be protected,” WA Cares Director Ben Veghte said in a Wednesday statement. “WA Cares will provide an essential resource for Washington families who can’t afford the high costs of long-term care and family caregivers who are struggling without support.”
The program started collecting a 0.58% payroll tax from Washington workers last July, after some delays. Benefits are expected to begin paying out in 2026.
Members of the public who want to learn more can register for upcoming webinars on the WA Cares website, according to DSHS.
—Elise Takahama
12:07 pm
Share
WA Democrats celebrate local victories, promise rebuilding 'a national coalition'
Despite the loss at the presidential level, the Washington state Democratic Party had a lot to celebrate Wednesday.
Nick Brown won the attorney general seat, becoming the first Black statewide official to be elected in Washington, according to Shasti Conrad, who chairs the party.
Washington Democrats have kept every statewide office — except one race yet to be called — and voted down at least three of four initiatives organized by Redmond hedge fund manager Brian Heywood.
And as Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee prepares to depart after 12 years in office, the party managed to keep a hold on the governor's office with Attorney General Bob Ferguson winning the state's top ticket.
"If anyone knows how to Trump-proof our state, it’s Bob," Conrad wrote in a statement Wednesday.
Conrad said that while "Washington voters made it clear that MAGA has no place in our beautiful state," she committed the state's Democrats to work on rebuilding the party on the national level.
"When the final votes are counted and analyzed, we will undertake the hard work of rebuilding a winning national coalition that prioritizes choice — choice over our bodies, choice over who we love and choices that protect our clean air and water," Conrad said.
"Washington Democrats will never stop fighting for a more perfect union.”
—Anna Patrick
11:30 am
Share
Ballots are still being counted in Washington state. Here's what to expect
There are still hundreds of thousands of ballots left to count across Washington state.
The Secretary of State's Office estimates there are nearly 800,000 ballots to be processed throughout Washington, including about 300,000 in King County. That number could change, especially as counties also process more mail ballots.
Bigger counties will post updated results daily. King County, for instance, plans to release an update at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Smaller counties will report at least once every three days.
You can check when your county will update its vote count on the Voter Turnout tab at results.vote.wa.gov.
Counties have until Nov. 26 to certify their results.
—Seattle Times staff
11:20 am
Share
Harris calls Trump to concede
Kamala Harris called President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to concede the election and congratulate him on his victory, according to a senior adviser to the vice president.
The aide, who declined to be identified discussing a private conversation, said Harris talked about the need for a peaceful transfer of power.
Harris, once viewed as a potential savior for the Democratic Party after Joe Biden ‘s reelection campaign stalled, is reckoning with a profound rejection by American voters in this year’s presidential election.
In a bitter footnote for Harris, as the sitting vice president she is expected to oversee Congress’ ceremonial certification of the election.
—The Associated Press
11:00 am
Share
Ex-Seattle police captain narrowly leading Pierce County sheriff's race
Keith Swank, who worked as a Seattle police officer for 33 years before retiring last year, is narrowly leading the Pierce County sheriff's race, according to initial returns.
Swank so far has received 51.5% of the votes, compared to 48.2% for Patti Jackson, a 35-year veteran of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. There are thousands of ballots to be counted in coming days.
Jackson ran on her experience as a sheriff’s department insider with endorsements from incumbent sheriff Ed Troyer and a bipartisan group of dozens of local law enforcement and elected officials, including Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier and state House Speaker Laurie Jinkins.
Swank had campaigned as an outsider against what he calls a “good old boys” network at the Sheriff’s Department, saying he’d apply his experience as a street cop and de-escalation trainer to fight crime.
But as a Seattle officer, Swank also garnered controversy for his social media posts, including some espousing conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and others disparaging Black and transgender people.
Read more about the race here.
—Seattle Times staff
10:45 am
Share
ACLU-WA prepared for 'immediate action' versus Trump
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington expects President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration to pose “significant challenges” to democratic systems and civil rights, “impacting Washington state and the entire country,” executive director Michele Storms said Wednesday morning.
But the ACLU branch is “prepared to take immediate action” to defend and extend those rights, Storms said in a news release, promising to advocate for abortion access and gender-affirming care.
The organization will work to “sustain and expand” state and local protections “against the mass deportation and immigrant raids” that Trump promised in his 2024 campaign.
“We take the President-elect at this word when he promised to target the ‘enemy within,’” Storms said, adding, “As it was during the first Trump administration, Washington state has an opportunity to lead the country as a bastion of liberty.”
—Daniel Beekman
10:30 am
Share
WA Cares: Voters reject Initiative 2124 in election 2024
Washington voters rejected state ballot Initiative 2124, with about 55.5% of initial ballots counted Tuesday night including votes against the initiative, an encouraging sign for those who want to preserve the state’s public long-term care insurance program.
—Elise Takahama
10:18 am
Share
A parent grapples with grief, unease after Trump's win
Under a gleaming sun and vibrant autumn leaves, some Capitol Hill residents walked through Cal Anderson Park Wednesday morning feeling an amalgam of grief and unease.
“I feel like hell,” said Chris Patterson, 53. “I worry for my kids. I don’t feel like I recognize the country they’re growing up in.”
Patterson wiped away tears Wednesday while holding onto the leash for his poodle, Jack. He said he watched the election results at home with his 18-year-old son, 11-year-old daughter and their friends.
Parents in his community, Patterson said, were struggling Wednesday with how to talk to their children about Trump’s victory.
Patterson said he is especially worried for his son, who is gay. He was recently accepted into the University of Washington, but Patterson said he wishes he had encouraged his son to attend the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he had also applied.
“He thought he was going to be growing up in a world where he was equal,” Patterson said. “That’s not going to happen.”
Patterson said he is also concerned the president-elect could “make an example out of” progressive cities like Seattle, Portland and San Francisco by sending federal troops to enforce immigration bans and abortion restrictions.
“This overall sense of where we’re headed as a country — I worry about what that means long term,” Patterson said. “I don’t think we’ll be a force for good for a while.”
—Catalina Gaitán
10:00 am
Share
Harris' concession speech planned for 1 p.m. today
Kamala Harris has yet to concede her loss to Donald Trump, but her office announced that she plans to deliver a concession speech at 1 p.m. PST Wednesday.
She will speak from her alma mater in Washington, D.C., Howard University, where supporters watched returns Tuesday night.
Her campaign has not disclosed any plans to speak to Trump. Harris is trailing in every battleground state to Trump, a man she described as an existential danger to the country's foundational institutions.
—The Associated Press
9:30 am
Share
King County estimates 300,000 ballots remain to be counted
There's still a heaping amount of work for the King County Elections team to do as an estimated 300,000 ballots remain to be counted.
Most of Wednesday will be spent scanning the ballots that were turned in to drop boxes across the county Tuesday, according to Halei Watkins, spokesperson for King County Elections.
"We will have a more clear picture towards the end of the day of what we have left to get through," Watkins said via email Wednesday morning.
A new batch of results will be released at 4 p.m. Wednesday and every weekday or processing day until the votes are certified on Nov. 26, Watkins said.
So far, King County voter turnout is reported to be slightly more than 70%.
—Anna Patrick
9:00 am
Share
These are some of Washington state races that have yet to be called
Many races in Washington state, such as one for the governor, have been called.
Here are some of the races yet to be decided:
In Congress, The Associated Press has yet to call six races, including a highly watched one between Democrat incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent in the state's 3rd Congressional District.
A race between two Republicans — Dan Newhouse and Jerrod Sessler — in the 4th Congressional District has not been called.
Two statewide races, one for the superintendent of public instruction and another for the lands commissioner, have also not been called.
An initiative to explicitly protect access to natural gas in Washington has also not been called, with initial counts showing 51.2% of voters approving the measure. But there are thousands of ballots to be counted in the coming days.
You can check the federal, statewide and local election results here.
8:30 am
Share
Voters support WA’s carbon market
Voters firmly rejected an initiative that was designed to kill Washington’s fledgling carbon market.
Early election results Tuesday evening showed 62% against the measure.
Redmond hedge fund manager Brian Heywood dumped millions into Initiative 2117 to take down the carbon market along with a slate of other conservative initiatives that dominated the state’s political landscape this year.
Not only did voters reject 2117 but they also shot down another measure to eliminate the state’s capital gains tax. And 56% were rejecting a measure to make Washington’s new long-term care insurance program optional.
Another measure also backed by Heywood, which would roll back certain regulations on the use of natural gas, was passing with 51% of the vote.
—Claire Withycombe and Conrad Swanson
8:13 am
Share
Jeff Bezos congratulates Donald Trump on victory
Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos congratulated former President Donald Trump on his election victory, calling it "decisive" and "an extraordinary political comeback" in a post on X on Wednesday morning.
"No nation has bigger opportunities," Bezos wrote. "Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love."
Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, drew controversy for the newspaper's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate ahead of the election. Bezos had defended the decision as "principled" and "right," saying endorsements create a perception of bias.
8:00 am
Share
Westneat: Another year of the woman looks to be going to the men
Much was made in the run-up to the 2024 election, including by me, that women voters might smite Donald Trump, correcting what they saw as a mistake from when he won the presidency back in 2016.
The trends became clear Tuesday night as Trump marched to arguably the greatest comeback victory in U.S. political history.
How did he do it? Men.
Another year of the woman is instead turning into a year of the man. Again.
—Danny Westneat
7:45 am
Share
Republicans take Senate majority for first time in 4 years
Republicans seized control of the U.S. Senate late Tuesday after flipping Democratic held seats, holding onto GOP incumbents and wresting away the majority for the first time in four years.
The unexpected battleground of Nebraska pushed Republicans over the top. Incumbent GOP Sen. Deb Fischer brushed back a surprisingly strong challenge from independent newcomer Dan Osborn.
Democrats watched their efforts to salvage their slim majority slip out of reach.
—The Associated Press
7:40 am
Share
Bob Ferguson beats Dave Reichert in WA governor race
Attorney General Bob Ferguson defeated former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert in the race for Washington governor, extending the winning streak for Democrats to four decades.
In Tuesday’s results, Ferguson had about 56% of the vote to Reichert’s 44%.
—Jim Brunner
7:00 am
Share
Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration
Donald Trump has promised sweeping action in a second administration.
The former president and now president-elect often skipped over details but through more than a year of policy pronouncements and written statements outlined a wide-ranging agenda that blends traditional conservative approaches to taxes, regulation and cultural issues with a more populist bent on trade and a shift in America’s international role.
Trump’s agenda also would scale back federal government efforts on civil rights and expand presidential powers.
A look at what Trump has proposed.
—Bill Barrow, The Associated Press
6:40 am
Share
Trump isn’t first to serve non-consecutive presidential terms
On the list of U.S. presidents, several have been tapped by voters to serve for more than one term, with Donald Trump joining the group as the 45th president and now the 47th, too. But only one other American president did it the way Trump will — with a gap of four years between terms.
That was Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd president after the 1884 election, and as the 24th president after the campaign of 1892.
Cleveland was governor of New York when he was tapped as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in 1884. He was “viewed as the epitome of responsibility and stability,” said Daniel Klinghard, professor of political science at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachussetts.
—Deepti Hajela, The Associated Press
6:20 am
Share
Global leaders congratulate Trump but his victory looks set to roil the world — again
The verdict of U.S. voters was more decisive than most pundits and analysts had predicted. Now the world waits to see whether the election of Donald Trump as president for a second time is as destabilizing many American allies fear.
Trump has pledged to ramp up a tariff feud with China, the United States’ growing economic and strategic rival. In the Middle East, Trump has pledged, without saying how, to end the conflicts between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah. He has also vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office – something Ukraine and its supporters fear would be on terms favorable to Moscow.
Here’s how leaders and others around the world are reacting.
—Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
6:00 am
Share
Stocks, bond yields and bitcoin surge as Trump wins US election
Stock prices, bond yields and bitcoin surged Wednesday as voters returned former President Donald Trump to the White House and the Republican party gained control of the Senate.
Investors expect Trump’s victory to lead to faster economic growth and more market-friendly policies.
“The markets are scrambling to figure out what happens next, but for the time being, the market is pricing in a higher growth and higher inflation outlook,” Peter Esho of Esho Capital said in a commentary.
—Elaine Kurtenbach and Zimo Zhong, The Associated Press
5:49 am
Share
Why AP called the White House for Donald Trump
The Associated Press declared that Republican Donald Trump won Wisconsin — and with it, a return to the White House — once it determined that remaining uncounted votes mostly from the greater Milwaukee area would not be enough to allow Vice President Kamala Harris to overtake Trump.
With nearly all of the vote counted early Wednesday, the AP declared Trump the winner of Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes at 5:34 a.m. ET, enough to push the former president past the 270-vote threshold needed to retake the presidency.
Winning Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania had been the vice president’s most straightforward path to victory, but the AP had already declared Trump the winner in Pennsylvania at 2:24 a.m. ET. The winner of Michigan remained undetermined at the time Wisconsin was called.
—Robert Yoon, The Associated Press
KEY UPDATE
| 5:49 am
Share
Former President Donald Trump wins the White House
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
The victory validates his bare-knuckle approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal – often misogynistic and racist – terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants. The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters – particularly men – in a deeply polarized nation.
—Will Weissert, Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Zeke Miller, The Associated Press