OLYMPIA, Wash. — Incumbent Democratic Senator Patty Murray is leading by eight points in the race for re-election, but Republican challenger Tiffany Smiley has gained ground since the primary election, according to WA Poll results.
Murray was leading by 18 points among Washington voters in a poll taken in July. Now, 49% of voters say they would support Murray if the election were to take place today, with Smiley trailing at 41%.
Murray leads Smiley among voters in the Seattle Metro area by 19 points and by eight points elsewhere in western Washington. Smiley leads by 14 points in eastern Washington.
Smiley leads among men by six points, among voters aged 51-64 by 13 points and among Hispanic voters by 15 points. Murray leads among voters aged 18-34, 35-49 and 65+, as well as by a slim margin among white voters and by 21 points among Asian voters.
Murray was leading by a wider margin among voters 18-34 and 35-49 back in July, but Smiley has recovered some ground among those groups. Murray's lead has increased among voters older than 65 since they were polled last summer.
Among voters for whom abortion is the most important issue, Murray leads by 58 points. She also leads among voters who picked the environment as the most important issue. Smiley leads by 75 points among voters for whom border security is the most important issue. She also leads among voters who chose crime and inflation as the most important issues.
Secretary of State race
Incumbent Democrat Steve Hobbs leads nonpartisan candidate Julie Anderson in the race for secretary of state.
If the election were to be held today, 40% of Washington voters reported they would vote for Hobbs with 29% of voters saying they would vote for Anderson. A significant portion of voters, 30%, responded that they were undecided.
Hobbs has a one-point lead among men and a 20-point lead among women, results show. Anderson leads among Republicans and Independents, however, many of those voters remain undecided. Hobbs leads in age groups 18-34, 35-49 and 65+. Anderson leads among voters 50-64.
Hobbs leads by 15 points in Metro Seattle and by 14 points in western Washington. The candidates are tied in eastern Washington.
The WA Poll was commissioned by KING 5, The Seattle Times, University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public and Washington State University’s Murrow College of Communication and was conducted by SurveyUSA. It surveyed 875 adults from Oct. 14-19, 2022. Of those adults, 719 were registered voters. The poll represented the demographics of Washington state with 46% from the metro Seattle area, 30% from western Washington and 24% from eastern Washington.