# Washington's 9th congressional district

Washington's 9th congressional district encompasses a long, somewhat narrow area in Western Washington, through the densely populated central Puget Sound region, from Auburn and Federal Way in the south to parts of Seattle and Bellevue in the north. Since 1997, the 9th district has been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Adam Smith, a Democrat from Bellevue.
Established after the 1990 U.S. census, the 9th district was originally drawn as a "fair fight" district. The first representative from the 9th district, Mike Kreidler (D), was defeated after one term by Republican Randy Tate; Tate, in turn, was defeated after one term by Smith. Since being first elected in 1996, Smith's moderate voting record and a strong Democratic trend in the Puget Sound region turned the formerly contentious district into a fairly safe Democratic seat.
Barack Obama swept the district in 2008 and 2012, with 67% and 69% of the vote, respectively. Hillary Clinton won the district with 69% in 2016, Joe Biden received 71% in the district in 2020, and Kamala Harris received 68% here in 2024.
In 2011, the state began the process of redistricting in response to population changes determined by the 2010 census. In the final report by the bipartisan redistricting commission issued in January 2012, the 9th district shifted to the north. The new district covered Bellevue, Southeast Seattle, and Mercer Island, but only went as far south as the southern tip of Commencement Bay in Tacoma. As of the 2022 redistricting, it is a majority-minority district and the second-most Democratic district in the state; only the neighboring 7th district, covering the rest of Seattle, is more Democratic.

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | Obama 67% - 31% |
| 2010 | Senate | Murray 62% - 38% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 69% - 31% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 69% - 25% |
| 2016 | Senate | Murray 71% - 29% |
| 2016 | Governor | Inslee 66% - 34% |
| 2016 | Lt. Governor | Habib 67% - 33% |
| 2016 | Secretary of State | Podlodowski 57% - 43% |
| 2016 | Auditor | McCarthy 62% - 38% |
| 2016 | Attorney General | Ferguson 77% - 23% |
| 2018 | Senate | Cantwell 71% - 29% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 71% - 26% |
| 2020 | Governor | Inslee 71% - 29% |
| 2020 | Secretary of State | Tarleton 57% - 43% |
| 2020 | Treasurer | Pellicciotti 66% - 34% |
| 2020 | Auditor | McCarthy 71% - 29% |
| 2020 | Attorney General | Ferguson 69% - 31% |
| 2022 | Senate | Murray 71% - 29% |
| 2022 | Secretary of State (Spec.) | Hobbs 62% - 35% |
| 2024 | President | Harris 68% - 27% |
| 2024 | Senate | Cantwell 71% - 28% |
| 2024 | Governor | Ferguson 67% - 33% |
| 2024 | Lt. Governor | Heck 68% - 32% |
| 2024 | Secretary of State | Hobbs 71% - 29% |
| 2024 | Treasurer | Pellicciotti 69% - 31% |
| 2024 | Auditor | McCarthy 70% - 30% |
| 2024 | Attorney General | Brown 67% - 33% |
| 2024 | Commissioner of Public Lands | Upthegrove 65% - 35% |

## Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
King County (20)
    Algona, Auburn (part; also 8th and 10th; shared with Pierce County), Beaux Arts Village, Bellevue (part; also 1st), Bryn Mawr-Skyway, Des Moines, East Renton Highlands (part; also 8th), Fairwood (part; also 8th), Federal Way, Kent (part; also 8th), Lakeland North, Lakeland South, Mercer Island, Milton (part; also 6th; shared with Pierce County), Newcastle, Pacific (part; also 10th; shared with Pierce County), Renton (part; also 8th), SeaTac, Seattle (part; also 7th), Tukwila

## List of members representing the district

| Member (District home) | Party | Term | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location |
| District established January 3, 1993 ||||||
| Mike Kreidler (Olympia) | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | 103rd | Elected in 1992. Lost re-election. | 1993–2003 Parts of King, Pierce, and Thurston |
| Randy Tate (Puyallup) | Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 | 104th | Elected in 1994. Lost re-election. | 1993–2003 Parts of King, Pierce, and Thurston |
| Adam Smith (Bellevue) | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – present | 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | 1993–2003 Parts of King, Pierce, and Thurston |
| Adam Smith (Bellevue) | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – present | 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | 2003–2013 Parts of King, Pierce, and Thurston |
| Adam Smith (Bellevue) | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – present | 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | 2013–2023 Parts of King and Pierce |
| Adam Smith (Bellevue) | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – present | 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | 2023–present Parts of King |

## Recent election results
### 2012

Washington's 9th Congressional District, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Adam Smith (Incumbent) | 192,034 | 71.6 |
| | Republican | Jim Postma | 76,105 | 28.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 268,139 | 100.0 |

### 2014

Washington's 9th congressional district, 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Adam Smith (incumbent) | 118,132 | 70.8 |
| | Republican | Doug Basler | 48,662 | 29.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 166,794 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2016

Washington's 9th congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Adam Smith (incumbent) | 205,165 | 72.9 |
| | Republican | Doug Basler | 76,317 | 27.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 281,482 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2018

Washington's 9th congressional district, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Adam Smith (incumbent) | 163,345 | 67.9 |
| | Democratic | Sarah Smith | 77,222 | 32.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 240,567 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2020

Washington's 9th congressional district, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Adam Smith (incumbent) | 258,771 | 74.1 |
| | Republican | Doug Basler | 89,697 | 25.7 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 582 | 0.17 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 349,050 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2022

Washington's 9th congressional district, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Adam Smith (incumbent) | 171,746 | 71.6 |
| | Republican | Doug Basler | 67,631 | 28.2 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 471 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 239,848 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2024

Washington's 9th congressional district, 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Adam Smith (incumbent) | 182,780 | 65.4 |
| | Democratic | Melissa Chaudhry | 90,601 | 32.4 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 5,917 | 2.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 279,298 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |