SEATTLE — Washington spent about $9 million in 2016 to conduct a meaningless presidential primary. State lawmakers are looking to change that.
The Seattle Times reports state legislators have proposed a bill that would move up the state’s presidential primary, to hopefully let voters weigh in before the nominees are already set.
Donald Trump won the state primary in May 2016, but his last rival had already dropped out of the race three weeks earlier.
Hillary Clinton won the state primary, but the Democratic party had already held caucuses, and those caucuses, not the primary, were used to award delegates. Clinton lost the caucuses, which counted, and won the primary, which didn’t.
The bill, which passed the state Senate last month, would move the Washington presidential primary from the fourth Tuesday in May to the second Tuesday in March.
