2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

2000 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington

← 1998 November 7, 2000 (2000-11-07) 2002 →

All 9 Washington seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Last election 5 4
Seats won 6 3
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1
Popular vote 1,245,872 997,877
Percentage 55.52% 44.47%

The 2000 House elections in Washington occurred on November 7, 2000, to elect the members of the State of Washington's delegation to the United States House of Representatives.[1] Washington has nine seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1990 United States census. This election saw the Democrats flip one Republican-held open seat. These elections occurred alongside Al Gore's victory in the state over George W. Bush in the presidential election.

Overview[edit]

United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2000[2]
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Democratic 1,245,872 52.3% 6
Republican 997,877 41.9% 3
Libertarian 82,289 3.5% 0
Green 52,142 2.1% 0
Natural Law 4,231 0.2% 0
Totals 2,378,180 100.00% 9

District 1[edit]

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee ran for a fourth non-consecutive term in Congress from this fairly liberal district rooted in portions of the Kitsap Peninsula and Seattle’s northern suburbs. Inslee faced Republican candidate, State Senator Dan McDonald, winning re-election by a wide margin.[3]

Washington's 1st congressional district election, 2000[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jay Inslee (inc.) 155,820 54.55
Republican Dan McDonald 121,823 42.65
Libertarian Bruce Newman 7,993 2.80
Total votes 205,034 100.00
Democratic hold

District 2[edit]

Incumbent Republican Congressman Jack Metcalf retired instead of seeking a fourth term. The open seat pitted Republican state legislator John Koster against Democrat Rick Larsen, a member of the Snohomish County Council. Larsen won the election flipping the seat from Republican to Democratic, although by a very slim majority of the vote.[5]

Washington's 2nd congressional district election, 2000[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Rick Larsen 146,617 50.01
Republican John Koster 134,660 45.93
Libertarian Stuart Andrews 7,672 2.62
Natural Law Glen S. Johnson 4,231 1.44
Total votes 293,180 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

District 3[edit]

Though the Southwest Washington-based district that two-term Democratic incumbent Congressman Brian Baird represented was essentially a centrist district, he was able to beat challenger Trent R. Matson by a wide margin.[6]

Washington's 3rd congressional district election, 2000[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Baird (inc.) 159,428 56.40
Republican Trent R. Matson 114,861 40.64
Libertarian Erne Lewis 8,375 2.96%
Total votes 282,664 100.00
Democratic hold

District 4[edit]

In the solidly conservative, central Washington congressional district, incumbent Republican Congressman Doc Hastings faced Democrat Jim Davis. Owing to Hastings’s popularity and his district’s strong proclivity towards electing Republican candidates, he was yet again re-elected in a landslide.[7]

Washington's 4th congressional district election, 2000[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Doc Hastings (inc.) 143,259 60.93
Democratic Jim Davis 87,585 37.25
Libertarian Fred D. Krauss 4,260 1.81
Total votes 235,104 100.00
Republican hold

District 5[edit]

Incumbent Republican Congressman George Nethercutt easily won a fourth term in Congress facing off against Democratic candidate Tom Keefe and Libertarian candidate Greg Holmes as obstacles to another term. In this staunchly conservative district rooted in the socially conservative counties of eastern Washington, the 5th district had been represented by former speaker of the House Tom Foley until his defeat in 1994 by Nethercutt.[7]

Washington's 5th congressional district election, 2000[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican George R. Nethercutt (inc.) 144,038 57.34
Democratic Tom Keefe 97,703 38.89
Libertarian Greg Holmes 9,473 3.77
Total votes 251,214 100.00
Republican hold

District 6[edit]

Long-serving Democratic Congressman Norm Dicks, the longest-serving of Washington congressmen, has represented this liberal-leaning, Kitsap Peninsula-based district since he was first elected in 1976. Congressman Dicks faced Air Force veteran and Republican nominee Bob Lawrence in the general election. Lawrence was defeated in a landslide margin by Dicks.[8]

Washington's 6th congressional district election, 2002[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Norm Dicks (inc.) 164,853 64.72
Republican Bob Lawrence 79,215 31.1
Libertarian John Bennett 10,645 4.18
Total votes 254,713 100.00
Democratic hold

District 7[edit]

This district, the most liberal in Washington, encompasses most of the city of Seattle and has been represented by Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott since he was first elected in 1988. Running for a seventh term, McDermott was challenged by Green Party candidate Joe Szwaja and Libertarian Joel Gruzs, the Republicans did not field a candidate in this race. McDermott easily won re-election defeating both the Green and Libertarian candidates by a landslide margin.[9]

Washington's 7th congressional district election, 2002[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim McDermott (inc.) 193,470 72.79
Green Joe Szwaja 52,142 19.62
Libertarian Joel Grus 20,197 7.59
Total votes 265,809 100.00
Democratic hold

District 8[edit]

Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn ran for a fifth term in this liberal-leaning district and faced Democratic nominee Heidi Behrens-Benedict and Libertarian Bernard Mcllroy in the general election. The general election was a rematch between Gunn and Behrens-Benedict. Despite the 8th district, based in the eastern Seattle suburbs, having voted for Al Gore by a slim margin, Dunn won a fifth term by a wide margin.[5]

Washington's 8th congressional district election, 2000[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jennifer Dunn (inc.) 183,255 62.23
Democratic Heidi Behrens-Benedict 104,944 35.64
Libertarian Bernard McIlroy 6,269 2.13
Total votes 294,468 100.00
Republican hold

District 9[edit]

Running for a third term, incumbent Democratic Congressman Adam Smith was opposed by Republican, King County Councilmember Chris Vance and Libertarian candidate Jonathan V. Wright in the general election. Congressman Smith represents a liberal-leaning district that runs from the state’s capital of Olympia to some of the southern suburbs of Seattle, Smith won by a wide margin.[10]

Washington's 9th congressional district election, 2000[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adam Smith (inc.) 135,452 61.67
Republican Chris Vance 76,766 34.95
Libertarian Jonathan V. Wright 7,405 3.37
Total votes 219,623 100.00
Democratic hold

References[edit]

  1. ^ Trandahl, Jeff (2001). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 2000. Washington, DC: United States House of Representatives. p. 1.
  2. ^ Trandahl, Jeff (2001). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 2000. Washington, DC: United States House of Representatives. p. 68.
  3. ^ Levesque, David (November 8, 2000). "Inslee heads toward second term". Kitsap Sun. p. 3. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Elections Search Results - November 2000 General". Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Democrats pick up U.S. House seat". Tri-City Herald. Associated Press. November 8, 2000. p. 5. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Apalategui, Eric (November 8, 2000). "Baird easily fends off Matson's challenge". Longview Daily News. p. 3. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Mulick, Chris (November 8, 2000). "Hastings, Nethercutt fend off opponents". Tri-City Herald. p. 3. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  8. ^ Horn, Richard (November 8, 2000). "Dicks wins for 13th consecutive time". Kitsap Sun. p. 3. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  9. ^ "Republicans seize renewed control of the U.S. House". The Bellingham Herald. November 8, 2000. p. 17. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  10. ^ Graber, John; Ramírez-Milhoan, Christina (November 8, 2000). "Smith, Baird re-elected to House". The Olympian. p. 5. Retrieved May 9, 2022.