State Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, a Democrat and former Peninsula School District Board member who nearly a year ago was appointed to fill a vacant Senate position in Washington’s 26th Legislative District, holds a narrow lead over six-term Republican Rep. Michelle Caldier in her bid for another year in office.
Initial results released after ballot boxes closed Tuesday show Krishnadasan carrying 52.6% of the vote. Caldier held 47.2%. The two candidates are separated by about about 1,800 votes. The winner could change before results are certified. Election officials will continue to tally ballots over the coming days, with an update planned for Wednesday afternoon.
Many across the state have kept a close eye on the off-year, special election contest in the 26th district, which spans Southern Kitsap Peninsula, including Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, the Key Peninsula and part of Bremerton.
The 26th is one of Washington’s only true swing districts, regularly electing members of both parties to the legislature. Some have speculated the results may foreshadow how state voters are reacting to recent actions in Olympia and Washington D.C.
Fewer than 1,110 votes separated the two candidates in an August primary won by Krishnadasan. Both candidates have sought to portray themselves as moderates, willing to work across the aisle and go against their own parties.
Krishnadasan, the Democrat incumbent, is a relative newcomer to state politics. After spending years volunteering and serving on the Peninsula School Board in Gig Harbor, she was appointed to her Senate seat in December 2024, filling a vacancy left by Congresswoman Emily Randall, D-06.
After serving one-term in the legislature last year, Krishnadasan has focused her campaign around affordability, access to educational pathways to all students and bringing a bipartisan voice to the legislature. She notably voted against most of her own party’s major tax policies last session.
Calider, her Republican opponent, has also focused her campaign on the cost of living, chastising the Democratic majority for tax hikes they passed last session and the high cost of gas prices. She argues electing another Republican would help bring a more balanced back to the legislature.
A former dentist now living in Gig Harbor, Calider, has represented the 26th district in the State House since 2014, winning her most recent election by nearly ten points. She has long been viewed as a moderate member of her party, and has sought to distance herself from the Trump administration.
Both campaigns have been flush with cash, Krishnadasan has raised over $800,000 as of Friday, according to online records. Caldier trail not far behind at nearly $706,000.
Outside spending has also been rampant. Roughly $1.33 million has been spent by third parties in opposition to Krishnadasan. Nearly all of that comes from Sound Jobs, a business-friendly interest group, and Washington Wins sponsored by the leadership council, which is led by Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia. About $630,000 has been spent against Caldier. That comes entirely from the progressive New Direction PAC.
Whoever ends up winning will serve one year in office, until the end of Randall’s original term. Another election would be held next year, when the seat returns to its regular four-year cycle.
This article was first published by the Kitsap Sun through the Murrow News Fellow program, managed by Washington State University.
