Sen. Patty Murray was elected to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate, making the Democrat one of the longest-serving senators in Washington history.
Murray defeated Republican Chris Vance, who was seeking to become the first Republican elected to the Senate from the state since 1994.
Vance, the former Washington Republican Party chairman, had hoped his message of fiscal discipline and social moderation would resonate with state voters long turned off by the GOP.
Murray, first elected in 1992, dismissed Vance's criticism that she is responsible for congressional gridlock and the failure to address deficit spending and shore up Social Security and Medicare. During the campaign she pointed to her work with Republicans on the budget and education as examples of how she can accomplish things in a tough environment.
