With Dan Newhouse’s victory, Washington State will maintain its Appropriations Committee presence, with Senator Murray slated to serve as Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee in the coming Congress, and Newhouse set to maintain his seat on the House Appropriations Committee. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are responsible for funding the federal government each year, making them highly important.
While Washington members on the committee are safe, there are a number of vacancies that will need to be filled in the coming Congress. On the House side, there are eight Republican and eight Democratic members on the committee that have either retired or lost their re-election bids. On the Senate side, all Republicans maintained their seats, while Democrats will have lost three members following the retirement of Senators Manchin and Sinema and the defeat of Senator Tester.
Though the Washington congressional delegation is now secured, control of the House of Representatives, and thus the Appropriations Committee chairmanship, is still up for grabs. As of November 12th, the GOP has flipped seven seats for a total of 215, and the Democrats have flipped six for a total of 206. Fourteen House seats remain uncalled, with both parties nearing the coveted 218 mark needed for majority control of the chamber.