Election Day preview: Key races to watch for 2022

Whether you are unclear about which elections to follow, feeling behind on your political knowledge, or just looking for a recap of the 2022 midterm elections so far, KIRO Newsradio presents an Election Day preview guide to some of the key races in Washington state and the Puget Sound area.

U.S. Senate: Patty Murray (D) vs. Tiffany Smiley (R)

2022 Election Preview: U.S. Senator Patty Murray vs. Tiffany Smiley

The candidates have clashed on such issues as crime, abortion and inflation, and have spent $36 million combined on ads. Murray wants to pass national abortion protections in the Senate and says Smiley’s election could lead to a national abortion ban.

Patty Murray, the third-most senior member of the U.S. Senate, is seeking her sixth term in office. Some of the key issues she is running on for the 2022 election are guaranteeing access to abortion and protecting election integrity after some Republican candidates have challenged the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s presidency.

Tiffany Smiley is seeking her first term in office. The veterans’ advocate was shaped by her experience caring for her husband after he was severely wounded while serving in the U.S. Army in a deployment to Iraq.

3rd Congressional District: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) vs. Joe Kent (R)

2022 Election Preview: Joe Kent vs. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez

Kent is a former Green Beret who served 11 combat deployments before retiring from Special Forces to join the CIA before pivoting to politics. He has campaigned on the ideology of the U.S. becoming energy independent, with goals and plans to make this country a net exporter of energy.

Pérez was born in Texas and earned her bachelor’s degree from Reed College in 2012. Before this election, the first of her political career, she was a business owner for nearly a decade. Her campaign has focused on limiting special interests groups and holding “party bosses” accountable for failing to solve the state’s biggest challenges. She also has stressed pro-abortion rights, affordable childcare, inflation, and taking on Big Pharma when campaigning.

8th Congressional District: Matt Larkin (R) vs. Dr. Kim Schrier (D)

2022 Election Preview: U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier vs. Matt Larkin

Schrier (D) is seeking re-election for her second term in office. Schrier snagged the long-held Republican seat from the GOP in 2018 and has made headlines in recent months for pressuring the Biden administration to make COVID testing more readily available for Washingtonians. The pediatrician has pointedly referenced that all the Republican challengers to her seat hold anti-abortion stances.

Matt Larkin (R) is a Washington-based attorney seeking his first term in office. His main platform is safety and crime, with much of his campaign advertisements focusing on the increased crime rates in Washington state, especially on topics such as drug abuse and homelessness. He also looks to lower tax rates on Washington businesses during record-high inflation.

King County prosecutor: Jim Ferrell (D) vs. Leesa Manion (D)

2022 Election Preview: Leesa Manion vs. Jim Ferrell

Longtime incumbent Dan Satterberg is retiring after holding the post for nearly two decades.

Manion, Satterberg’s current Chief of Staff, has been vocal about her priorities if she’s elected as prosecutor, with her No. 1 goal to properly prosecute criminals and increase resources for law enforcement.

Ferrell spent 16 years as a trial attorney in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office before being elected as Federal Way mayor for three terms.

Secretary of State: Steve Hobbs (D) vs. Julie Anderson (nonpartisan)

2022 Election Preview: Secretary Steve Hobbs vs. Julie Anderson

Incumbent Steve Hobbs was appointed to the office following Republican Kim Wyman’s early exit when she took a post in the other Washington. Hobbs’ appointment marked the first time a Democrat had held the state’s top election post in nearly 60 years.

Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson is running without party affiliation, citing her strong belief that political parties do not belong in the Secretary of State’s Office. Anderson managed to rake in $159,745 in campaign contributions as of late July.

For up-to-the-minute results on the biggest races in Washington and in-depth analysis of races, strategies, and a breakdown of how the results affect you, tune in to KIRO Newsradio’s election day coverage with Dave Ross and Dori Monson Tuesday night from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. The special two-hour, commercial-free broadcast will be broadcast live on 97.3 FM, the KIRO Newsradio live stream, and the KIRO Newsradio App. You can also watch the broadcast live on the KIRO Newsradio video stream, in addition to the station’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

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