Washington's 10th congressional district

Washington's 10th congressional district is a congressional district in western Washington. The district is centered on the state capital, Olympia, and includes portions of Thurston and Pierce counties (including parts of Tacoma). It was created after the 2010 United States census, which granted Washington an additional congressional seat, bringing the number of seats apportioned to the state up from 9 to 10, and elected Denny Heck as its first member to the United States House of Representatives in the 2012 elections. Marilyn Strickland was elected in 2020 to replace him after he retired to run for Lieutenant Governor.

Washington's 10th congressional district
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative	Marilyn Strickland D–Tacoma
Area	827 sq mi (2,140 km^2)
Distribution	92.0% urban 8.0% rural
Population (2022)	788,452^[1]
Median household income	$88,325^[2]
Ethnicity	75.9% White^[1] 10.5% Hispanic 6.7% Two or more races 6.3% Asian 5.4% Black 2.7% other 1.3% Native American
Cook PVI	D+7^[3]

Redistricting 2011-2012

By Washington state law, a non-partisan commission composed of two Republicans, two Democrats, and a non-voting chairperson drew the boundaries for this new district, as well as the new boundaries for Washington's existing districts.^[4] The Washington Redistricting Commission was tasked with drawing the maps for congressional and legislative districts in the year after each census, including the new 10th congressional district. The first commissioners' maps were released on September 13, 2011.^[5] In addition, several third party maps were submitted to the commissioners by citizens and advocacy groups.^[6]

Commissioner Tim Ceis

Commissioner Ceis, representing the Senate Democratic leadership, submitted a draft plan that would place the new 10th district in SW Pierce, northern Thurston, eastern Mason, and far southern King counties. It would include the cities of Shelton, Olympia, Fircrest, Pacific, Fife, Puyallup, and part of Tacoma. Federal Way, Auburn, Bonney Lake, Orting, Yelm, and McCleary were just outside the borders of the proposed 10th district.^[7] This proposed 10th district voted for Democrat Patty Murray over Republican Dino Rossi about 53.7/46.3 in the 2010 Senate Election, and is around 68.3% white.^[8]

Commissioner Slade Gorton

Commissioner Gorton, representing the Senate Republican leadership, submitted a draft plan placing the new 10th district across the northern part of the state, straddling the Cascade mountains to take in Island, San Juan, Whatcom, Skagit, Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, northern and eastern parts of Snohmish county, and the city of Skykomish in King county. It would have included the cities of Bellingham, Granite Falls, Arlington, Monroe, Wenatchee, Iroville, and most of Coulee Dam. Grand Coulee, Quincy, Republic, and Marysville were just outside the proposed boundaries.^[9] This proposed 10th district voted for Republican Dino Rossi over Democrat Patty Murray about 52.6/47.4, and is 79% white.^[8] Gorton's proposal also suggested the possibility of renumbering the congressional districts from west to east, which would mean that district No. 10 would be in the far east of the state, where the existing (pre-2012) 5th district was located.^[10]

Commissioner Dean Foster

Commissioner Foster, representing the House Democratic leadership, submitted a draft plan that would place the new 10th district on the Pacific Coast, Olympic Peninsula, and south Puget Sound, taking in Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam, all but the easternmost portion of Jefferson, western Mason, northern Thurston, and southwest Pierce counties. It would include Sequim, Olympia, Fife, Puyallup, Eatonville, and Steilacoom, while excluding Shelton, Port Townsend, Lakewood, Sumner, Orting, Tacoma, and Yelm.^[11] This proposed 10th district voted for Democrat Patty Murray over Republican Dino Rossi 51.3/48.7, and is 75.8% white.^[8]

Commissioner Tom Huff

Commissioner Huff, representing the House Republican leadership, submitted a draft plan that would make the new 10th district a majority-minority district, entirely in south King county. It would include, Federal Way, Kent, Newcastle, SeaTac, Des Moines, Pacific, and parts of south Seattle, Auburn, and Burien.^[12] This proposed 10th district voted for Democrat Patty Murray over Republican Dino Rossi 63/37, and is 48.8% white, 19.9% Asian, 13.6% Hispanic, 11.9% Black, and 5.9% Native and others.^[8]

Third-party submissions

Several third parties submitted draft plans to the Redistricting Commission for consideration.^[6] Of those plans, United for Fair Representation WA / Win-Win Network submitted a plan quite similar to Commissioner Foster's draft proposal for the 10th district.^[13] John Milem's submission includes a district that closely matches Commissioner Gorton's draft proposal for the 10th.^[14] United for Fair Representation's Unity map proposal also has a district quite similar to the draft proposal from Commissioner Ceis. Van Anderson submitted a proposal that includes a coastal/Olympic peninsula 10th district similar to Commissioner Foster's draft proposal for the 10th district.^[15]

The Gorton/Ceis compromise

At the December 16, 2011 Redistricting Commission meeting, Commissioners Gorton and Ceis were tasked with developing the 2012 congressional district map, while Commissioners Foster and Huff worked on a legislative plan for Eastern Washington.^[16] At the December 28 meeting, Commissioners Ceis and Gorton released a proposed congressional map which created a 10th district centered on Olympia including Fort Lewis/McChord Air Field (Joint Base Lewis-McChord facility), McNeil and Anderson islands, the cities of Shelton, Tenino, University Place, Puyallup, Fife, Edgewood, Sumner, most of eastern Tacoma, and the Pierce County portions of Milton and Pacific.^[17] The final map of the 10th congressional district did not deviate significantly from the Gorton/Ceis proposal (see next para.). The state legislature will be able to amend the finalized Commission borders by up to 2% of the population with a supermajority vote.

Final Commission-approved Plan

The Washington Redistricting Commission officially approved a congressional redistricting plan for the approval of the state legislature on January 1, 2012, just before 10 pm, two hours before the statutory deadline. The final congressional plan for the 10th district closely mirrored the Gorton/Ceis proposal, except that the cities of Milton and Pacific were placed entirely in the 8th district, instead of being split at the King/Pierce county line. In compensation for the loss of Milton and Pacific, the dividing line between the 10th and 8th districts was altered to include a larger population between Puyallup and Roy. ^[18]

Recent election results in presidential races

Election results from presidential races
Year	Office	Results
2012	President	Obama 56 - 41%
2016	President	Clinton 51 - 39%
2020	President	Biden 56 - 40%

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Term	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
District established January 3, 2013
Denny Heck (Olympia)	Democratic	January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021	113th 114th 115th 116th	Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Retired to run for Lieutenant Governor of Washington.	2013–2023   Parts of Mason, Pierce, and Thurston
Marilyn Strickland (Tacoma)	Democratic	January 3, 2021 – present	117th 118th	Elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022.
					2023–present   Parts of Pierce and Thurston

Recent election results

2012

Washington 10th Congressional District - 6 November 2012

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Denny Heck	163,036	58.6
	Republican	Richard (Dick) Muri	115,381	41.4
Total votes			278,417	100.0

2014

Washington's 10th congressional district, 2014

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Denny Heck (incumbent)	99,279	54.7
	Republican	Joyce McDonald	82,213	45.3
Total votes			181,492	100.0
	Democratic hold

2016

Washington's 10th congressional district, 2016

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Denny Heck (incumbent)	170,460	58.7
	Republican	Jim Postma	120,104	41.3
Total votes			290,564	100.0
	Democratic hold

2018

Washington's 10th congressional district, 2018

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Denny Heck (incumbent)	166,215	61.5
	Republican	Joseph Brumbles	103,860	38.5
Total votes			270,075	100.0
	Democratic hold

2020

Washington's 10th congressional district, 2020^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Marilyn Strickland	167,937	49.33
	Democratic	Beth Doglio	121,040	35.56
	Write-in		51,430	15.11
Total votes			340,407	100.0
	Democratic hold

2022

Washington's 10th congressional district, 2022^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Marilyn Strickland (incumbent)	152,544	57.0
	Republican	Keith Swank	114,777	42.9
	Write-in		427	0.2
Total votes			267,748	100.0
	Democratic hold

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2012

References

1. Barone, Michael (2013). Koszczuk, Jackie (ed.). The Almanac of American Politics (2014 ed.). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. pp. 1791–1793. ISBN 978-0-226-10544-4.
2. "My Congressional District".
3. "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
4. "Census confirms Washington will get 10th seat in U.S. House". Miami Herald. December 21, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
5. "Existing Maps". Washington State Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
6. "Do-It-Yourself Kit". Washington State Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
7. Ceis, Tim. "Draft Congressional Plan No. 1 – Commissioner Ceis – September 13, 2011" (PDF). Washington State Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
8. Bradley, Dave. "Washington Redistricting: Numbers". Daily Kos elections diary. Daily Kos. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
9. Gorton, Slade. "Draft Congressional Plan No. 1 – Commissioner Gorton – September 13, 2011" (PDF). Washington State Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
10. Gorton, Slade. "September 13 presentation" (PDF). Washington State Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
11. Foster, Dean. "Draft Congressional Plan No. 1 – Commissioner Foster – September 13, 2011" (PDF). Washington State Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
12. Huff, Tom. "Draft Congressional Plan No. 1 – Commissioner Huff – September 13, 2011" (PDF). Washington State Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
13. "10th Dist Map" (PDF). WinWin Network. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
14. Millem, John. "Millem Exact" (PDF).
15. Anderson, Van. "Congressional Map" (PDF). Retrieved September 14, 2011.
16. "Commission Meetings and Public Forums". Washington Redistricting Commission. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
17. "2011 Commissioners Draft Plans". Proposed Draft Congressional Map from December 28, 2011 Special Meeting. Washington Redistricting Commission. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
18. "2011 Final Plan as voted on by the Commission". Washington Redistricting Commission. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
19. "November 3, 2020 General Election Results". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
20. "November 8, 2022 General Election Results - CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 10". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

External links

• Washington State Redistricting Commission
• Find your new congressional district: a searchable map, Seattle Times, January 13, 2012

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