Washington
9 seats: 3R, 6D
Where It Ranks Among the States (House Elections 2000)- Voter Turnout: 16th (55%)
- Victory Margin: 8th (23%)
Facts in Focus- The average margin of victory for Washington's
U.S. House seats was 23% in 2000. This is a
continuation of the results from 1998 which were by far the highest of the decade,
but still lower than the average margin in 42 other states.
- Washington has had a relatively high number of
competitive U.S House races in the 1990's. More than
half of races were won by margins less than 20% in every
election in 1992-2000. Six of nine seats have changed partisan control in
the decade, including two that have changed parties twice, and one that
has three times. However, although at least one incumbent lost in
every election from 1994-1998, none did in
2000.
- This competition stems largely from a
relatively non-partisan redistricting process used in 1991; in the
1980's, in different districts, there were far fewer close races in
Washington.
- Washington's relatively competitive elections
over a period of years have led to the state ranking highly in all
categories of democratic health � the result being a seventh-place
finish in the Center's "democracy index" in
2000.
- Even so, two out of three adults in Washington did not
vote for the person who represents them in the U.S. House.
- Democrats received
more seats in 2000 with a smaller percentage of the vote than they
recieved in 1998.
- Seattle-area Members Jim McDermott (D)
and Jennifer Dunn (R) have won all five elections in 1992-2000 by
landslide.
How
Washington ranked in 2000
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