Leg. District 2 voters pick Payne and McCune to compete for vacated senate seat

Approximately a third of this district is in Thurston County; the majority of the district is in Pierce County. In recent years the senator and both representatives have been members of the Republican party.

State Senator

The incumbent, Sen. Randi Becker, who also serves as Senate Republican Caucus Chair, announced her retirement in early March of this year.

Five republicans and one democrat competed for the open seat. The leading vote getter was Democrat Rick Payne, who was leading with 6,840 votes (30.88%) at 10:20 pm on Election Night.  He will likely face off against Republican Jim McCune who received 4,596 votes (20.75%).  Payne is an elected officer of the union representing workers for the Washington State Department of Corrections. McCune, currently also a Pierce County Commissioner, is a former state representative; he owns a seafood distribution company.  Both list addresses in Graham, in Pierce County.

State Representative Position 1

Incumbent Andrew Barkis, an Olympia business owner, ran unopposed and received 16,504 votes (93.42%) as of 10:20 pm.

State Representative Position 2

Incumbent JT Wilcox, received 9,802 votes (44.14%) and will be opposed by Democrat Veronica Whitcher Rockett  in November.  She received 7,034 votes (31.68%) as of 10:20 pm. Wilcox is a fourth-generation and working member of the family that owns Wilcox Family Farms in rural Pierce County just over the Thurston County line. Whitcher Rockett grew up in Lacey and works as a volunteer in an Olympia school where her children attend.