It could likely take until Monday before a definitive count in her congressional race is known, but so far queer Democratic Washington state Senator Emily Randall has a commanding first-place lead in the primary race for her state’s 6th District U.S. House seat. She is aiming to become the first LGBTQ Latina sent to Congress.
If elected to the open seat, Randall would also be the first out member of the Evergreen State’s congressional delegation. A victory by her in November would also double the number of West Coast states with LGBTQ congressmembers.
As of Wednesday morning, Randall was in the lead with 33.28% of the vote, according to the preliminary results. In second was Republican state Senator Drew MacEwen with 30.49% and trailing in third place at 25.66% was Democrat Hilary Franz, a Washington public lands commissioner.
Only the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation will advance out of the August 6 primary to compete to succeed Congressmember Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor) and represent Washington State’s Puget Sound region. He had endorsed Franz last year when he announced his decision not to seek another term.
Reached by phone Wednesday morning, Randall told the Bay Area Reporter she wasn’t yet ready to declare victory and was waiting for the updated vote counts over the coming days to do so. Ballots cast or mailed on Tuesday still need to be tabulated, she noted.
“With all the mail-in ballots in the state, I think it is really important we wait to let every single person’s vote be counted. Your vote is your voice,” said Randall. “I am feeling very encouraged by the early results.”
LPAC, which works to elect out women and nonbinary candidates to public office, isn’t waiting to call the race for Randall. In an August 7 news release the organization declared her the winner of the primary contest.
“Today, the voters of Washington’s 6th Congressional District made clear that Emily Randall is exactly the kind of leader they want to represent them in Congress: a tireless advocate with deep roots in her community,” stated LPAC Executive Director Janelle Perez. “Emily has been a proven leader for LGBTQ and women’s rights in the Washington State Senate and will continue to lead the way for our community in the halls of Congress.”
A former Oakland resident with in-laws who live in the Bay Area, Randall in 2015 and 2016 had managed institutional partnerships for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. She left to work for Planned Parenthood.
With her partner of 19 years, Alison Leahey, working at the time for Microsoft, the women had relocated to Washington state in 2017. Today, Leahey works as a carpenter in the construction field.
Randall was born and raised in Port Orchard on the Kitsap Peninsula, which is part of the 6th Congressional District. It also includes the cities of Tacoma and Bremerton, where Randall and Leahey own their home.
Upset by the 2016 election of Donald Trump as president, Randall decided to seek public office herself. With her win six years ago to the 26th Senate District in her state Legislature, Randall became the first Latina elected to represent it. Claire Wilson, a lesbian who grew up in Seattle, also won a Senate seat that November.
They became the first out women elected to their Legislature’s upper chamber and both won second terms in 2022. Wilson endorsed Randall in the House race.
In both of her legislative races, Randall faced a tough contest against her Republican opponent. She entered the congressional race viewed as an underdog but proved to be a formidable contender.
Washington State’s senior U.S. Senator, Democrat Patty Murray, sole endorsed Randall in the race. Randall also in recent weeks picked up endorsements from her state’s former governors Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire.
Randall told the B.A.R. she credits the support she received from her 5,800 donors and volunteers who spent “so many hours of their time to help us knock on doors and make calls and send texts to tens of thousands of voters in the 6th District” for her strong showing in the primary on election night.
“I am so proud of the work the community has done and so excited about what it means to make history together and keep working towards a brighter, more rainbow-colored, more equitable future for all of us,” said Randall.
If elected come November 5, Randall would serve alongside gay Latino Congressmember Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach). He and gay Congressmember Mark Takano (D-Riverside), who both endorsed Randall, are expected to easily win their reelection bids in November, ensuring California’s congressional delegation continues to have LGBTQ representation.
Several out House candidates this year in the Bay Area and Southern California are hoping to join them on Capitol Hill. Seeing Oregon also have out congressional representation came to an end in May when neither of the two LGBTQ candidates survived their primary races.
