YAKIMA — Voters narrowed down two races for the state House in a newly redrawn 14th District in the Lower Yakima Valley on Tuesday.
In the Position 1 race, Democrat Chelsea Dimas of Sunnyside was the top vote-getter with 2,268 votes, or 38% of the total districtwide, according to unofficial results. Republican Gloria Mendoza, the former mayor of Grandview, had 1,937 votes, or 32%.
Republican Andy Kallinen, a park ranger from Lyle, had 1,810 votes, or 30%, but took the lead in Klickitat and Benton counties.
For Position 2, Republican Deb Manjarrez, a certified public accountant and farmer from Wapato, was the top vote-getter, earning 3,185 votes, or 53% of ballots counted. Democrat Ana Ruiz Kennedy of Pasco received 2,412 votes, or 40%.
Eddie Perez, a tire shop manager from Union Gap with no party affiliation, received 412 votes districtwide and won’t advance.
Primary results tonight are unofficial with more ballots to be counted Wednesday. The top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to the general election in November.
New 14th District
The district covers most of the Lower Yakima Valley and includes east Yakima, Sunnyside, Granger, Grandview, most of the Yakama Reservation, and stretches out westward to Lyle and eastward into part of Pasco.
The 14th District was redrawn following the 2020 census, and redrawn again following a successful lawsuit challenging the map based on the Voting Rights Act, arguing that it discriminated against Latinos.
Turnout in Yakima County was around 14.6% on election night — a total of 18,901 ballots.
Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross told the Yakima Herald-Republic that voter turnout appeared to be low Tuesday night, but there still thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of ballots left to be counted.
Position 1
Dimas could not be reached for comment Tuesday. She previously said she is fighting for more funding for public education, strengthening reproductive rights, rent stabilization, and more pathways for renters to become homeowners.
As of Tuesday, Dimas has raised over $53,000 in campaign contributions, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission.
Mendoza said she supports increasing money for public education, but not by raising taxes. She said she would support making laws easier for developers to build affordable housing. Her campaign has raised over $112,000.
“I’m looking forward to the final results,” Mendoza told the Yakima Herald-Republic. “I’ll be rolling up my sleeves and working on my next challenge.”
Position 2
Manjarrez, who has been active in Republican politics and previously ran for county commissioner, had a positive reaction to the results Tuesday. Her campaign has raised over $100,000.
“I’m very pleased,” Manjarrez said. “I look forward to meeting lots more people as I campaign towards the general.”
Ruiz Kennedy of Pasco is a business liaison for a nonprofit organization who could not be reached for comment Tuesday. She has raised over $82,000.
State Senate
Maria Beltran, a Democrat, and incumbent Sen. Curtis King, a Republican, are running for the 14th District state senator position.
Beltran, of Yakima, has worked for the House Democratic Campaign Committee and OneAmerica, an immigrant rights nonprofit. King, also of Yakima, has served in the Legislature for 17 years and moved residences after redistricting.
Since they had no other challengers, they automatically advance. King led with 3,488 votes, or 57% of ballots counted. Beltran received 2,569 votes, or 42%.
Democrats remain hopeful that the new district can become Democratic territory.
In a news release last week, the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign stated that though it anticipated low turnout in the primary, the 14th District “presents the best opportunity in years for a competitive legislative district in Central Washington.”
The group said that while it expected Beltran and other Democratic candidates to receive under 40% of the vote, it believes that turnout will be better in the general election, especially among Latino voters.
Beltran has raised more than $218,000 and King has raised over $417,000.
