page_title: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington
section_title: District 8
hierarchical_section_title: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington / District 8
context_page_description: Elections were held on November 2, 2010, to determine Washington's nine members of the United States House of Representatives. Representatives were elected for two-year terms to serve in the 112th Congress from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013. Nonpartisan blanket primary elections were held on August 17, 2010.
  Of the nine elections, the races in the 2nd, 3rd and 8th districts were rated as competitive by CQ Politics, The Rothenberg Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball, while The Cook Political Report rated the 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 9th districts as competitive. Every incumbent was re-elected, with the exception of Democrat Brian Baird, the U.S. Representative for Washington's 3rd congressional district, who retired rather than seeking re-election. Baird was succeeded by Jamie Herrera Beutler, a Republican.
  In total, five Democrats and four Republicans were elected. In the November elections a total of 2,479,409 votes were cast, of which 1,296,502 were for Democratic candidates, 1,135,166 were for Republican candidates, and 47,741 were for an independent candidate.
context_section_description: The 8th district included Bellevue, Sammamish, and parts of Auburn, Kent, Renton and South Hill. The district's population was 76 percent white, 11 percent Asian and 6 percent Hispanic (see Race and ethnicity in the United States Census); 93 percent were high school graduates and 41 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $82,403. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 56 percent of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 42 percent to Republican nominee John McCain. In 2010 the district had a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+3.
  Republican Dave Reichert, who took office in 2005, was the incumbent. Reichert was re-elected in 2008 with 53 percent of the vote. In 2010 his opponent in the general election was Suzan DelBene, a businesswoman who ran as a Democrat. Keith Arnold, an accounting technician for the federal government; Tom Cramer, a small business owner; and Boleslaw (John) Olinski, a social worker with the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, also ran as Democrats. Tim Dillon, a member of the Yarrow Point town council; and Ernest Huber, a retired lieutenant commander in the United States Navy, also ran as Republicans. Robin Adair, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006; and Caleb Love Mardini, a marketing and business consultant, ran as independent candidates.
  Reichert raised $2,793,788 and spent $2,770,293. DelBene raised $4,024,786 and spent $3,942,493. Cramer raised $72,140 and spent $72,132. Mardini raised $3,156 and spent $1,813.
  In a poll of 657 likely voters conducted by SurveyUSA in August and September 2010, 54 percent of respondents supported Reichert while 41 percent favored DelBene and 5 percent were undecided. In a SurveyUSA poll of 579 likely voters conducted later in September 2010, Reichert led with 52 percent to DelBene's 45 percent with 4 percent undecided. An internal poll by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates for DelBene's campaign, conducted on October 4 and 5, 2010, with a sample size of 400 likely voters, found Reichert leading with 48 percent to DelBene's 44 percent, while 8 percent chose "undecided/other". A poll of 1,036 likely voters by Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos, conducted on October 9 and 10, 2010, found Reichert leading with 49 percent to DelBene's 46 percent, and 5 percent undecided. In a SurveyUSA poll of 639 likely and actual voters conducted between October 18 and 20, 2010, 52 percent supported Reichert, 45 percent supported DelBene, and 3 percent were undecided.
  Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the race as "Leans Republican" and noted that "Reichert has the difficult task of defending his seat and voting record as an incumbent". In October 2010 The Cook Political Report rated the race as "Likely Republican" and CQ Politics rated the race as "Leans Republican". In November 2010, The Rothenberg Political Report rated the race as "Republican Favored". Prior to the election, FiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Reichert a 95 percent chance of winning and projected that he would receive 56 percent of the vote to DelBene's 44 percent.
  On election day Reichert was re-elected with 52 percent of the vote to DelBene's 48 percent. Reichert was again re-elected in 2012, when DelBene was elected to represent the 1st district; and in 2014.
caption: Washington's 8th congressional district
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