A red wave that some had forecast for Washington’s midterm elections might turn out looking more like a ripple, according to a new Crosscut/Elway poll. Even as favorability numbers sag for President Joe Biden and Gov. Jay Inslee and residents express a generally sour outlook, the poll showed Washington voters […] Read more »
Washington State: Economy is top legislative concern for 2022
For the first time in eight years, the economy tops the list of issues Washington voters want the Legislature to address in 2022, eclipsing homelessness and COVID-19 as the leading concerns statewide, according to a new Crosscut/Elway Poll. The new poll, released Thursday, asked 400 registered voters an open-ended question […] Read more »
Blue States, You’re the Problem
Why do states with Democratic majorities fail to live up to their values? Johnny Harris & Binyamin Appelbaum, New York Times The OPINION TODAY email newsletter is a concise daily rundown of significant new poll results and insightful analysis. It’s FREE. Sign up here: opiniontoday.substack Read more »
What we learned about the urban/rural political divide in Washington
For years, the “Cascade Curtain” has been a favored way to describe Washington state politics — Republican on the dry side of the mountains, Democratic on the wet side. Within that framework the “suburban crescent” — the area surrounding Seattle — was an exception, the place in western Washington where […] Read more »
The Unbearable Summer
… This has been the West’s summer of extremes. In every direction, the consequences of climate change across the region have become more tangible, immediate, inescapable. “It feels like the first inkling of an apocalyptic movie,” Jay Inslee, the Washington governor and a longtime leader on climate issues, told me […] Read more »
Redistricting in America, Part Four: The West Coast and Southwest
Key Points• Independent redistricting commissions are most common out West.• Democrats currently dominate the House delegations from the West Coast and Southwest, and that is likely to continue.• However, Republicans may be able to make up a little ground, thanks in part to California losing a seat and Oregon gaining […] Read more »