With five House races too close to call and with a Senate Democrat considering switching to the GOP, either house could swing to either political party. And even when the ballots are counted, neither party is likely to have a margin that can guarantee its control as legislators confront controversial issues in what is widely considered a crucial session. Voter decisions that passed several expensive initiatives mean fierce competition for budget dollars lie ahead.
Lawmakers also are likely to face a vigorous debate on how to replace the state's blanket primary.
Their constituents want to hew closely to present practice, but the Republican and Democrat parties want to make state primaries their own private fiefdom. Also high on the state agenda are a new transportation program and reforms to state water policy, an issue that has deeply divided lawmakers, who can only agree changes are needed. About the only certainty is that the session will commence in January with Democrat Gary Locke in the governor's mansion and without the Tri-Cities' top power broker. Sen. Loveland, chairwoman of the budget-writing Senate Ways and Means Committee, was ousted by Republican upstart Mike Hewitt in Tuesday's election. And depending on who's left standing when the ballot counting stops, other Tri-City lawmakers could be stuck in legislative minorities.