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News & Updates

2024 General Election in Washington State: What You Need to Know

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Today marks the general election in Washington state, as well as across the nation. While national headlines may dominate the news, significant changes are set to take place at the state level where numerous offices and ballot measures are up for consideration.

Voting in Washington State
Washington has more than 5 million registered voters and so far, almost 57% of ballots have been returned.

Washington votes almost entirely by mail so all ballots postmarked by today or dropped off at an official ballot box by 8 p.m. will be counted. Additionally, individuals can still register to vote and cast their ballots in person by the same deadline.

The first election results will be posted on the Secretary of State’s website tonight around 8 p.m. After today, daily updates will be available on the website after 5 p.m. Final results will be certified by the Secretary of State on or before Dec. 5.

For up-to-date election results, visit the Secretary of State’s website here.

The Secretary of State’s elections page offers comprehensive resources for voters, including voter eligibility and registration details, information about initiatives and referenda, voting data and research, and educational and outreach materials.

Statewide Offices on the Ballot
All nine of Washington’s statewide executive positions are on the ballot this year:

  • Governor
  • Lieutenant Governor
  • Secretary of State
  • State Treasurer
  • State Auditor
  • Attorney General
  • Commissioner of Public Lands
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Insurance Commissioner

Notably, Washington will elect a new governor for the first time in 12 years, as Gov. Jay Inslee has opted not to seek reelection. The races for Attorney General, Commissioner of Public Lands, and Insurance Commissioner are also open, with no incumbents running.

Legislative Races
In addition to the statewide offices, all 98 seats in the Washington House of Representatives and 25 of the 49 Senate seats are up for election.

Currently, Democrats hold majorities in both the House (58-40) and Senate (29-20) and are likely to see their majorities expand. Additionally, next year will bring new faces to the legislature, with more than a dozen races featuring no incumbent candidates.

Ballot Initiatives
Voters will also consider four statewide ballot initiatives:

  • I-2066 concerns regulating energy services, including natural gas and electrification. This measure would repeal or prohibit certain laws and regulations that discourage natural gas use and/or promote electrification, and require certain utilities and local governments to provide natural gas to eligible customers.
  • I-2109 concerns taxes. This measure would repeal an excise tax imposed on the sale or exchange of certain long-term capital assets by individuals who have annual capital gains of over $250,000.
  • I-2117 concerns carbon tax credit trading. This measure would prohibit state agencies from imposing any type of carbon tax credit trading, and repeal legislation establishing a cap and invest program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • I-2124 concerns state long term care insurance. This measure would require that employees and self-employed people must elect to keep coverage under the long-term services and supports trust program and could opt-out at any time. It would also repeal a law governing an exemption for employees.

Judicial Elections
Voters will have the opportunity to elect three Washington State Supreme Court justices, although two of the races are unopposed. In addition, several Court of Appeals and county judge positions are on the ballot.

Federal Elections
At the federal level, Washington voters will cast their ballots for a new President and for one of the state’s two Senate seats. Additionally, all ten of Washington’s House of Representative seats are up for election.

For more details about the federal elections, visit the UW Office of Federal Relations’ website.

Looking Ahead
Washington’s newly elected state officials will assume office on the second Monday in January, coinciding with the start of the 2025 legislative session.

To stay updated on the University of Washington’s advocacy efforts in Olympia this upcoming session, visit the news and updates section of this website. The UW’s 2025 legislative agenda will be available here in the next few weeks.

If you have any questions about the UW’s priorities or lobbying, please reach out to Morgan Hickel, Associate Director of State Relations, at mhickel@uw.edu or 206-303-8864.

Gov. Inslee and Sen. Nguyen Celebrate the UW Clean Energy Institute’s New Battery Lab

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The UW Clean Energy Institute (CEI) held an event last Friday at the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds to celebrate the launch of their new open-access battery lab, which is set to open in the summer of 2025. The new lab will allow for scaled prototyping of emerging battery technologies and will help drive innovation to meet the demand for batteries in Washington and beyond.  

Elected officials, including Governor Jay Inslee and Senator Joe Nguyen, were in attendance along with climate tech and community leaders, climate researchers, and media. CEI Director Dan Schwartz opened the event by sharing his enthusiasm for the lab’s promise to advance research and development in transformative technologies for industries like transportation, as well as the educational opportunities it will provide.  
Governor Inslee and Senator Nguyen then took the opportunity to speak. Governor Inslee emphasized that the Testbeds and the new lab will foster the development of next-generation clean tech that will improve our lives while also training people across the state for careers in clean tech and battery engineering. Meanwhile, Senator Nguyen highlighted that expanding clean energy resources bolsters Washington’s economy and paves the way for a more sustainable, healthier future.   

Following this, the attendees gathered downstairs for a tour of the Testbeds. They viewed a battery demonstration and visited the labs and tools used by students in the College of Engineering’s Battery Engineering Graduate Certificate program. This program is designed for working professionals in the engineering field to grow their understanding of battery manufacturing and storage. As the need for renewable and clean energy expands, CEI is helping to train Washington’s future workforce to meet these needs. 

 The Testbeds and new battery lab would not be possible without state support. The state invested $7.5 million from the Climate Commitment Account into the new 1,600-square-foot lab.

Thank you, Governor Inslee and Senator Nguyen, for your ongoing support of CEI. 

 

Photo Credit: Kerry Dahlen for UW CEI 

Capital budget leaders and staff briefed on the UW’s 2025 capital priorities

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Last week, Rep. Steve Tharinger, Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, and legislative and gubernatorial staff visited UW Seattle for a briefing on and tour of the UW’s 2025 capital budget priorities. Attendees were briefed on the University’s long-term capital plan, campus asset renewal program, and recently completed or in progress capital projects.

UW staff then dove into the University’s 2025 capital budget requests:

$125M for the construction of a new Chemical Sciences Building and the strategic renovation of Bagley Hall. Constructed in 1937 and 1957, current Chemical Sciences facilities are overwhelmed by student demand and program constraints and do not meet the requirements for interdisciplinary, modern science education and research. Chemistry is a core program at UW and is required for students in most STEM and health science degree programs. Annually, chemistry teaches 68,000 student hours and current facilities serve more than 18,000 students. Additionally, chemical sciences research fuels discoveries and innovation in clean energy, quantum, artificial intelligence, and more. New facilities will help meet course demand and increase degree production, improve interdisciplinary learning, attract and retain world-class faculty, increase federal grant funding for cutting-edge research, and strengthen relationships with industry partners, and grow workforce pipelines.

$292.6M in Climate Commitment Account funding for 10 projects to support the transition to 100% clean energy at UW Seattle. The UW is diligently working through a comprehensive five-part strategy to decarbonize the energy systems on the Seattle campus. This is a monumental undertaking, particularly because UW Seattle’s current energy system has served the campus for 100+ years, is capacity-constrained, and no longer aligns with sustainability goals. The UW seeks funding to support the first 10 projects outlined in the clean energy strategy, which will help modernize the UW’s energy infrastructure, propel long-term decarbonization efforts, and enhance compliance with state and local regulations.

After the briefing, legislators and staff toured Bagley Hall and the Chemical Sciences Library, including classrooms and labs. Throughout the tour, they had the opportunity to connect with current students and faculty and learn from them about their studies, research, and needs for the new facilities.

For detailed information about the UW’s 2025 capital budget requests, see our decision packages on the Washington State Office of Financial Management website. The UW Office of State Relations will also post the University’s 2025 legislative agenda later this fall.

Thank you to Sen. Yasmin Trudeau and Rep. Steve Tharinger, as well as John Wilson-Tepeli, Kate Henry, Michael Bezanson, Alec Osenbach, Kelsey Rote, and Ramona Nabors, for visiting the UW and for your continued support!

Washington State Holds Primary Election

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The 2024 primary election was held yesterday, August 6th. In Washington’s top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of political party, advance to the general election on November 5th.

The Washington State House of Representatives has 98 seats and the Senate has 49. Democrats currently control both the House (58-40) and Senate (29-20). This election cycle, all 98 House seats are up for election, as are 25 of the Senate seats. Also on the ballot are the statewide positions, which include Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Attorney General, Commissioner of Public Lands, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner.

At the federal level, one of Washington’s two Senate seats is up for election in addition to all 10 of the Representative seats.

There are more than 4.8 million registered voters in Washington, who vote entirely by mail. Ballots dropped in official drop boxes or postmarked by August 6th will continue to be counted over the next two weeks with results being posted daily on the Secretary of State’s website. Election results must be certified by the Secretary of State by August 23rd.

To view the results, click here.

Reps. Abbarno and Orcutt visit with local students at UW Chehalis STEM camp

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This week, the UW partnered with the Chehalis Foundation to host our annual local STEM camp for incoming 9th-12th graders focused on medicine and engineering science.

The students explored healthcare simulation today with experts from the UW WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH). They learned how technology, art, and science intersect to create innovative learning experiences for medical students and healthcare workers. The students then got hands-on experience designing their own simulations and competed in a Simulations Olympics against one another.

Reps. Peter Abbarno and Ed Orcutt, who represent the 20th legislative district which includes Chehalis, stopped by to engage with the students and watch them battle in the Simulation Olympics. They even took a turn at the simulations.

For the remainder of the camp, the students will focus on engineering by exploring forms of energy like heat and motion with UW faculty in the College of Engineering. The students will then put their knowledge and skills to the test in an engineering design competition.

Thank you, Reps. Abbarno and Orcutt, for taking the time to connect with local high school students and UW faculty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legislators meet with UW Center for an Informed Public leadership and faculty

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On Monday, July 16, a group of Washington state legislators visited the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public (CIP) to explore the intersection of research, education, and policymaking in information integrity.

The legislators included:

  • Rep. Mia Gregerson, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and member of the Rules and State Government & Tribal Relations Committees. 
  • Rep. Joe Timmons, Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee and member of the Education and Postsecondary & Workforce Development Committees.
  • Rep. Cindy Ryu,Chair of the Innovation, Community & Economic Development & Veterans Committee and serves on the Appropriations and Consumer Protection & Business Committees.
  • Rep. Dave Paul, Vice Chair of Transportation Committee and member of Innovation, Community & Economic Development & Veterans and Postsecondary & Workforce Development Committees.
  • Rep. Chris Stearns, Vice Chair of the Regulated Substances & Gaming and State Government & Tribal Relations Committees and member of the Capital Budget Committee.
  • Rep. Debra Lekanoff, member of the Appropriations, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Environment & Energy, and Rules Committees.
  • Rep. Bill Ramos, Chair of the State Government & Tribal Relations Committee and serves on the Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry and Transportation Committees.
  • Rep. Sharlett Mena, Vice Chair of the Environment & Energy Committee and member of the State Government & Tribal Relations and Transportation Committees.

CIP, founded with the mission to “resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse,” hosted the legislators to discuss their ongoing research initiatives and educational programs. educational focuses research on synthetic media such as deep fakes and new emerging technologies like Generative AI.

During their visit, legislators learned about CIP’s research on healthier information environments, which incorporates synthetic media, and new technologies like Generative AI. They also learned about CIP’s community-embedded research projects and were briefed on their educational programs and resources, including MisinfoDay, interactive “escape room” games that provide an engaging way to experience and learn about misinformation, intergenerational learning, and efforts with local journalism outlets. Additionally, the discussions delved into potential topics that CIP could provide expertise on to help inform policy decisions at the state level.

Thank you to these legislators for taking the time to visit the Center for an Informed Public and engaging in these vital discussions!

State revenue forecasted to decrease for 2023-25 and 2025-27 budgets

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The June state revenue forecast published yesterday projects revenue collections for the 2023-25 budget will decrease by $477 million from the February forecast bringing the total projected budget to $66.5 billion. The forecast also estimates revenue for the 2025-27 budget will decrease by $189 million with the total budget for the biennium at $71.5 billion. The 2025-27 budget cycle begins July 1, 2025 and ends on June 30, 2027. The Washington State Legislature is required by law to enact an operating budget that is balanced over four years, which is why the state revenue forecasts have a four-year outlook.

The decrease in revenue is largely attributed to lower receipts of the capital gains tax, personal income, and home construction. Notably, capital gains tax collections are down $324 million from the February forecast and sales tax collections are down $224 million. Additionally, the forecast shows that Seattle-area inflation continues to outpace the national average.

On the flip side, real estate excise taxes (REET) and property taxes came in higher than expected. The revenue dedicated to the Workforce Education Investment Account, which funds many higher education priorities, also increased slightly.

The Governor and State Legislature use the February, June, September, and November state revenue forecasts to inform their budget proposals and this most recent forecast is likely to cause some worry given the downward trajectory of collections. The state has $2.4 billion in reserves so the reduction in revenue will not have any drastic impact on current state operations and services, but state officials will be watching to see if the downward trajectory becomes a trend.

In September, state agencies, including the University of Washington, must submit their 2025-27 budget requests to the Office of Financial Management for consideration for inclusion in Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget proposals to the legislature. With the next revenue forecast scheduled for Sept. 27, agencies will only have the February and June forecasts to inform their decisions and priorities. However, both the September and November forecasts will be released before Gov. Inslee unveils his budget proposals in December.

For more information about the June revenue forecast, click here. Visit the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council website to view past publications.

Reps. Ryu & Shavers meet with UW experts on artificial intelligence

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Today, Reps. Cindy Ryu and Clyde Shavers connected with leaders, faculty, and graduate students in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to have a technical discussion about artificial intelligence.

Rep. Ryu chairs and Rep. Shavers is a member of the House Innovation, Community & Economic Development & Veterans Committee, which considers issues relating to technology innovation industries and business, economic development and resiliency, and underrepresented communities. Rep. Shavers also sits on the state’s newly created Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force in the Attorney General’s Office. Dr. Magdalena Balazinska, Director of the Allen School, has also been appointed to the task force. AI technology is rapidly developing so the Task Force has been charged with discussing the benefits and challenges of AI and issuing findings, guiding principles, and submitting reports with policy recommendations.

During their visit, Reps. Ryu and Shavers learned about explainable AI in healthcare and for AI auditing, AI security and privacy, and large language models and responsible AI. They examined research, took a deep dive into the significance of AI, as well as the promises and concerns, and asked questions to the UW experts present.

Thank you, Reps. Ryu and Shavers, for taking the time to engage with UW leaders, faculty, and students on this important topic.

Lt. Gov. Heck & Sen. Schoesler connect with new UW faculty members

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New faculty members participating in the annual five-day Faculty Field Tour traveled around Washington last week to explore our state’s diverse communities, learn about the UW’s impact across the state, and get to know the regions that UW students come from.

One of their first stops was Olympia to meet with Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, who acts as the Governor when the Governor is out of state, presidents over the Senate and interprets Senate conduct and procedure rules, and serves on and appoints members to committees, boards, and commissions. Lt. Gov. Heck was elected in 2020 after serving in Congress and the State House of Representatives. He also grew several small businesses in Washington. During their visit, the faculty learned about how our state’s government works and had the opportunity to ask Lt. Gov. Heck about his role and experiences in Olympia.

Later in the week, the faculty visited Sen. Mark Schoesler at his family’s fifth-generation farm in Ritzville to learn about Washington’s rural communities, the history of the region, and dryland wheat farming and economics. They also had the opportunity to view and sit in some of his farming equipment, including a combine and sprayer. Sen. Schoesler has served in the legislature since 1992, first as a Representative, and represents the 9th legislative district, which spans part or all of Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Lincoln, Spokane, and Whitman counties.

After visiting the Schoesler farm, the faculty traveled to Spokane and then headed to the Grand Coulee Dam and to meet with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Thank you, Lt. Gov. Heck and Sen. Schoesler, for spending time with our new faculty members and for your support of the UW.

Lt. Gov. Heck speaking with UW faculty in Olympia.    Sen. Schoesler with UW faculty on his wheat farm.

 

Sen. Nguyen attends the UW Clean Energy Institute’s first community capstone showcase

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Left to right: Daniel Schwartz, CEI; Ash Awad, McKinstry; Maria Batayola, Beacon Hill Council; Sen. Joe Nguyễn; Cheryl Chan Hardee, Dept. of Commerce; Robert Knapp, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe

Yesterday, the UW Clean Energy Institute (CEI) held its first annual community capstone showcase where teams of UW engineering seniors presented their clean energy solutions capstone projects. These projects were codeveloped with local tribes and urban and rural communities in Washington giving the students valuable hands-on experience with real world clients and providing the communities with a roadmap to a pressing clean energy need or challenge. Also in attendance were community representatives and UW scholars working on the equitable adoption of clean energy technologies.

The mission of CEI is to accelerate a scalable and equitable clean energy future that will improve the health and economy of our state, nation, and world. To help accomplish this, CEI supports the advancement of next-generation solar energy and battery materials and devices, as well as their integration with systems and the grid. Additionally, through its community engagement work, CEI provides communities with technical assistance for clean energy projects, partnerships with scholars and students to co-design and perform research, and clean energy education and training modules. The goal is to support community decision-making and participation in federal and state programs for decarbonization and resiliency, while providing students and scholars with applied research opportunities.

The showcase was held in partnership with McKinstry, who is a national leader in designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining high-performing buildings with decarbonization in mind. McKinstry has been very supportive of the UW and our students through various projects and efforts such as the community capstone showcase.

The showcase and projects presented would not have been possible without investments made by the state of Washington. In attendance at the event was Sen. Joe Nguyễn, who was instrumental in securing support in Olympia for CEI and clean energy initiatives. He took the opportunity to speak to those gathered about the importance of past and continued investments in clean energy for the vitality of our local communities, the state, and the world. He also viewed the capstone projects, met with the students and community partners that developed them, and asked questions about what they aimed to solve, potential impact, and their short- and long-term goals.

Thank you, Sen. Nguyễn, for attending yesterday’s showcase and for your support of the UW and our students.