Gig Harbor Democrat Derek Kilmer, who’s represented Washington’s 6th district in Congress for a decade, is retiring this fall. Now, influential Democrats are already taking sides over who should replace him.
Kilmer has endorsed public lands commissioner Hilary Franz to be his successor. Franz has won statewide elected office twice in 2016 and 2020.
But two Congresswomen, Marilyn Strickland and Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez, endorsed a different candidate last week: Emily Randall, a queer Latina and Bremerton state senator.
On Monday, Washington Senator Patty Murray also endorsed Randall.
Political consultant Christian Sinderman said it’s a rare move for the senator.
"Definitely some lines are being drawn, with a lot of the women in leadership in our state lining up with state senator Randall," Sinderman said.
Sinderman said a likely reason Randall is getting these endorsements is that she’s proven she can win against right-wing Republicans in Bremerton, a swing district in the state senate.
"[It's] one of the few high-profile swing districts in the state of Washington," Sinderman said."And I think the fact that Emily has won election there twice speaks to, you know, her ability to connect with with a majority of voters — a clear majority of voters."
Republican state senator Drew MacEwen is also running.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
