The results of the August primary show that Democrats in Washington state are within striking distance of a supermajority in the Legislature. They need to win seven seats in the House and three in the Senate this November to reach the threshold.
So what does it mean for one party to have a supermajority in a legislative body?
To help explain this, KNKX All Things Considered host Emil Moffatt spoke with state government reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan.
Click the play button above to listen to the interview
Interview Transcript
KNKX host Emil Moffatt: So we know that a supermajority means one party holds more than two-thirds of the seats in the House and Senate and has a lot of sway. But can you explain what powers a supermajority could unlock for that party, in this case, Democrats?
State government reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan: So a supermajority could be achieved in the Washington state legislature with just seven more seats in the House and four more seats in the Senate. There are a few things that Democrats would be able to do if they achieved a supermajority. One is that they could pass any bill or overwrite a veto by Gov. Bob Ferguson without needing a single vote from Republicans.
Moffatt: So this could mean less power for the governor?
Mizes-Tan: Potentially yes. Although the governor is a Democrat and he has generally been aligned with the agenda that state Democrats have been pushing, even the most progressive of bills, like say the "millionaires tax" from this past session. And notably, a supermajority could mean that Democrats most powerfully could have the ability to amend the state's constitution without pushback from Republicans. To name one item, House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon has been eyeing the possibility of a supermajority, and he's spoken before about how Democrats would be able to do mid-decade redistricting if they won a supermajority, which could really secure Democrats' power.
Moffatt: Redistricting: A hot topic in recent years. So what concerns are you hearing from Republican leadership here in Washington?
Mizes-Tan: I think Republicans are most worried about what I just mentioned: The fact that a supermajority would allow Democrats to amend the state constitution, which would allow them to push forward a lot of legislation that has had the pushback of Republicans up until now. The Republican party in some parts of the state is already so weak that a supermajority could really just silence them. Democrats would be able to pass constitutional amendments protecting abortion, for example, or they could lower the voter approval threshold for passing school bonds, in addition to the possibility of enacting redistricting that would be favorable to the Democrats in the long run. It's an interesting experiment to even think about how the recently passed millionaires tax might have played out differently if Democrats had a supermajority. Arguably they could have just amended the constitution to create one.
Moffatt: Are we hearing a lot of motivation from Democrats to go all-out to achieve this supermajority? And what are the potential downsides?
Mizes-Tan: I think the larger question is really if Washington state Democrats are truly motivated to get a supermajority. It's kind of an interesting point that someone made to me recently. State Democrats don't really have any larger issues right now that they've really had the entire party galvanized around. I can point to redistricting as one item and maybe enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution, but I don't know if those are really compelling enough reasons to get that supermajority. It's worth noting that the risk of a supermajority for Democrats and Democratic power is that with more people in the party, it's going to be harder to get consensus within the caucus on issues. And we're already seeing some of that Democratic intra-party fracturing happening already.
Moffatt: Sarah, as we mentioned at the top, in order to get that supermajority, Washington Democrats will have to pick up seven seats in the House and four in the Senate. Where in the state do you see the party being able to do this possibly?
Mizes-Tan: I don't think that Democrats realistically think they'll get a supermajority this election cycle. But last week's primaries certainly put a supermajority by the 2028 election within range. Right now Democrats are looking to do surprisingly well in House seats, particularly in the 17th and 18th legislative districts in Southwest Washington. These were four seats where there were Republican incumbents running. They were all up for election this November, and from primary results, all four of those races show Democrats leading in the polls. But state Republican chair Jim Walsh has said not to put too much stock in the primary results. He spoke with KIRO News and said he thinks the August election leads to very low voter turnout as people are often away on vacation or out of town. So he feels like things could just look different in November.
Moffatt: All eyes on 2028 in so many ways. Sarah Mizes-Tan, KNKX state government reporter, thanks so much for laying it out for us.
Mizes-Tan: Totally. Thanks for having me.
