Electoral Politics in Washington State
Washington attained statehood on November 11, 1889, making it the 42nd state in the Union. The state is intersected by the Cascade Mountain range, dividing the it geographically into the semi-arid Eastern Plateau centered around Spokane, and the fertile lowlands of the Western state, centered around Puget Sound and the city of Seattle. According to the 1990 census, Washington is the 18th most populous state, with just under 5 million residents (1). Current estimates put Washington's population at about 5.5 million. Washington is one of the least ethnically diverse states. 84.4% of the population is white, 5.3% Asian, 5.2% Latino, 3.3% black, and 1.8% Native American (2).
Washington has 9 Congressional Districts and 11 electoral votes. The state has a history of radical trade unionism which has made it a traditionally left-leaning state politically. However, recent growth of high-paying industries led by aerospace manufacturer Boeing and software giant Microsoft has led to a growing fiscal conservatism. Additionally, the rural Eastern portions of the state support a notion of traditional, conservative values in opposition to the more freewheeling and licentious attitudes of the urban coastal areas (3). However, the Democrats still dominate the statewide races. Of 10 statewide offices, Republicans hold only two (Secretary of State and one U.S. Senate seat). None of these seats is up for contention in 1998 (4). The only statewide office under consideration is the second U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Democrat Patty Murray. Murray is challenged by maverick Republican Linda Smith in a race that has drawn national attention.
There are, however, several initiatives on the ballot that will test the statewide mood. Among these initiatives are I-692, which would legalize marijuana for medical use, and I-688, which would raise the minimum wage to $6.50 an hour. Both of the...