Rep. Kim Schrier faces off against Republican Matt Larkin in Washington's 8th Congressional District election
- Rep. Kim Schrier is running against Republican Matt Larkin in Washington's 8th Congressional District.
- The 8th District is located near Seattle, the largest city in the state.
Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier faces off against Republican Matt Larkin in Washington's 8th Congressional District.
Washington's 8th Congressional District candidates
Schrier is a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor. Prior to her time in Congress, she worked as a pediatrician, working with children across the Puget Sound region. The 55-year-old congresswoman, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, finished at the top among a crowded slate of more than 10 candidates in the nonpartisan primary for Washington's 8th Congressional District.
In 2018, Schrier turned the district blue for the first time since its creation.
Larkin, Schrier's challenger, works for a family-owned manufacturing company. In 2020, he ran and lost against incumbent Bob Ferguson in the general election for attorney general of Washington. Prior to running for Congress, Larkin served as a criminal prosecutor and an attorney. He finished second to Schrier in the nonpartisan primary that featured three Democrats, five Republicans, and three third-party candidates.
Voting history for Washington's 8th Congressional District
Washington's 8th Congressional District straddles both sides of the Cascade Mountains and includes eastern King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Seattle, the largest city in the state as well as the Pacific Northwestern region of the country, is situated in close proximity and is located in the 7th District.
President Joe Biden had a 6.5 percentage point margin of victory over former President Donald Trump under the district's previous boundaries in 2020 before it was redrawn to expand northwest and take in more of King and Snohomish counties in redistricting following the 2020 Census. The partisan lean remained unchanged.
The money race
According to OpenSecrets, Schrier has raised $8.6 million, spent $9.3 million, and has $1 million of cash on hand, as of October 19. Her opponent, Larkin, has raised $2.1 million, spent $1.9 million, and has $216,488 of cash still left to spend, as of October 19.
As of early November, super PACs, national party committees, and other non-candidate groups have together spent about $17.5 million to advocate for or against the candidates, including during the primaries.
What experts say
The race between Schrier and Larkin is rated as a "toss-up" by Inside Elections, a "toss-up" by The Cook Political Report, and "leans Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.