FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2017, file photo, Manka Dhingra, candidate for 45th district Senate seat, talks with volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Redmond, Wash. Voters in the suburbs east of Seattle will determine whether the Washington state Senate will remain the only Republican-led legislative chamber on the West Coast. Democrat Dhingra and Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund are seeking to serve the last year of a four-year term left vacant by the death of Republican Sen. Andy Hill. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Republished November 08, 2017 - 4:03 PM
Original Publication Date November 08, 2017 - 11:11 AM
OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Latest on a legislative race in Washington state that will decide the balance of power at the Statehouse (all times local):
4:03 p.m.
Washington Democrats have won a key state Senate race that puts them back in charge of both legislative chambers for the first time in five years.
After the latest returns were tallied Wednesday, Manka Dhingra, a 43-year-old prosecutor for King County, held a commanding lead over Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund with 55 per cent of the vote in the race for the 45th District in Seattle's eastern suburbs.
The political implications in the state and beyond helped the race break legislative spending records in Washington.
With Dhingra's victory, Washington joins Oregon and California with Democratic majorities in both legislative chambers and the governor's office.
Republicans in the state, with the help of a Democrat who caucuses with them, currently control the Senate by a single seat. Democrats hold a slim 50-48 majority in the House.
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11:08 a.m.
Washington Democrats are celebrating the results of a key Senate race that looks to put them back in charge of both legislative chambers for the first time in five years.
Republicans, with the help of a Democrat who caucuses with them, currently control the Senate by a single seat. Democrats hold a slim 50-48 majority in the House.
In the race for Seattle's eastern suburbs in the 45th District, Manka Dhingra was leading Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund with 55 per cent of the vote Tuesday night. Under the state's vote-by-mail system, ballots just need to be postmarked or dropped off by Tuesday. The next ballot update is set for late Wednesday afternoon.
In a tweet Tuesday night, Gov. Jay Inslee congratulated Dhingra, writing that her "bold ideas and positive vision for the district resonated with voters."
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11:59 p.m.
The Democrat took a strong lead in a state Senate race that will determine the balance of power at the Washington Capitol.
Manka Dhingra was leading Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund with 55 per cent of the vote Tuesday night. Under the state's vote-by-mail system, ballots just need to be postmarked or dropped off by Tuesday, which means final results may not be known for days. The next ballot update is set for late Wednesday afternoon.
Republicans, with the help of a Democrat who caucuses with them, currently control the Senate by a single seat. Democrats hold a slim majority in the House.
If the results hold, Washington will join Oregon and California with Democratic one-party rule in both legislative chambers and the governor's office.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017