| Washington's 10th congressional district | |
|---|---|
.svg)  Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 | |
| Representative | |
| Area | 827 sq mi (2,140 km2) |
| Distribution |
|
| Population (2024) | 776,532[1] |
| Median household income | $95,458[2] |
| Ethnicity |
|
| Cook PVI | D+9[3] |
Washington's 10th congressional district is acongressional district in westernWashington. The district is centered on the state capital,Olympia, and includes portions ofThurston andPierce counties (including parts ofTacoma). It was created after the2010 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 electedDenny Heck as its first member to theUnited States House of Representatives in the2012 elections.Marilyn Strickland was elected in2020 to replace him after he retired torun for Lieutenant Governor.
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]TheWashington 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 Ceis, representing theSenateDemocratic leadership, submitted a draft plan that would place the new 10th district in SWPierce, northernThurston, easternMason, and far southernKing counties. It would include the cities ofShelton,Olympia,Fircrest,Pacific,Fife,Puyallup, and part ofTacoma.Federal Way,Auburn,Bonney Lake,Orting,Yelm, andMcCleary were just outside the borders of the proposed 10th district.[7] This proposed 10th district voted for DemocratPatty Murray overRepublicanDino Rossi about 53.7/46.3 in the2010 Senate Election, and is around 68.3%white.[8]
CommissionerGorton, representing the Senate Republican leadership, submitted a draft plan placing the new 10th district across the northern part of the state, straddling theCascade mountains to take inIsland,San Juan,Whatcom,Skagit,Chelan,Douglas,Okanogan, northern and eastern parts ofSnohmish county, and the city ofSkykomish in King county. It would have included the cities ofBellingham,Granite Falls,Arlington,Monroe,Wenatchee,Iroville, and most ofCoulee Dam.Grand Coulee,Quincy,Republic, andMarysville 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 Foster, representing theHouse Democratic leadership, submitted a draft plan that would place the new 10th district on the Pacific Coast,Olympic Peninsula, and southPuget Sound, taking inPacific,Grays Harbor,Clallam, all but the easternmost portion ofJefferson, westernMason, northern Thurston, and southwest Pierce counties. It would includeSequim, 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 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]
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]
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 forEastern 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 andAnderson islands, the cities ofShelton,Tenino,University Place,Puyallup,Fife,Edgewood,Sumner, most of easternTacoma, and the Pierce County portions ofMilton andPacific.[17] The final map of the 10th congressional district did not deviate significantly from the Gorton/Ceis proposal (see next para.). Thestate legislature will be able to amend the finalized Commission borders by up to 2% of the population with a supermajority vote.
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 the8th 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 andRoy.[18]
| Year | Office | Results[19][20][21] |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | President | Obama 58% - 41% |
| 2010 | Senate | Murray 53% - 47% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 58% - 42% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 52% - 39% |
| Senate | Murray 58% - 42% | |
| Governor | Inslee 53% - 47% | |
| Lt. Governor | Habib 53% - 47% | |
| Secretary of State | Wyman 58% - 42% | |
| Auditor | McCarthy 53% - 47% | |
| 2018 | Senate | Cantwell 57% - 43% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 57% - 39% |
| Governor | Inslee 55% - 44% | |
| Secretary of State | Wyman 57% - 43% | |
| Treasurer | Pellicciotti 53% - 47% | |
| Auditor | McCarthy 58% - 42% | |
| Attorney General | Ferguson 56% - 44% | |
| 2022 | Senate | Murray 57% - 43% |
| Secretary of State (Spec.) | Anderson 50% - 46% | |
| 2024 | President | Harris 57% - 39% |
| Senate | Cantwell 59% - 41% | |
| Governor | Ferguson 55% - 45% | |
| Lt. Governor | Heck 57% - 43% | |
| Secretary of State | Hobbs 59% - 40% | |
| Treasurer | Pellicciotti 57% - 43% | |
| Auditor | McCarthy 59% - 41% | |
| Attorney General | Brown 56% - 44% | |
| Commissioner of Public Lands | Upthegrove 53% - 47% |
For the118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:[22]
PierceCounty(31)
| 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 torun for Lieutenant Governor of Washington. | 2013–2023 Parts ofMason,Pierce, andThurston |
 Marilyn Strickland (Tacoma) | Democratic | January 3, 2021 – present | 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | |
2023–present_(new_version).svg) Parts ofPierce andThurston | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Denny Heck | 163,036 | 58.6 | |
| Republican | Richard (Dick) Muri | 115,381 | 41.4 | |
| Total votes | 278,417 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Denny Heck (incumbent) | 99,279 | 54.7 | |
| Republican | Joyce McDonald | 82,213 | 45.3 | |
| Total votes | 181,492 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Denny Heck (incumbent) | 170,460 | 58.7 | |
| Republican | Jim Postma | 120,104 | 41.3 | |
| Total votes | 290,564 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Denny Heck (incumbent) | 166,215 | 61.5 | |
| Republican | Joseph Brumbles | 103,860 | 38.5 | |
| Total votes | 270,075 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| 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 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| 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 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Marilyn Strickland (incumbent) | 203,732 | 58.5 | |
| Republican | Don Hewett | 143,492 | 41.2 | |
| Write-in | 820 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 348,044 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||