The political landscape in Washington state is seeing yet another heated contest, with the 2025 legislative races in suburban districts serving as a microcosm of the broader struggles between Democrats and Republicans. Nowhere is this more evident than in East King County’s 5th Legislative District, where former state representative Chad Magendanz is making his fourth attempt to reclaim a seat—this time challenging incumbent Sen. Victoria Hunt, D-Issaquah, who was appointed to the Senate in June 2025 following the death of Sen. Bill Ramos, according to reporting from Insider.
The stakes are high, not just for the candidates but for the balance of power in Olympia. Democrats currently enjoy a commanding 59-29 majority in the state House and a 30-19 edge in the Senate. Every statewide office is held by a Democrat, a dramatic shift from the 1990s and early 2000s when Republicans were the dominant force in districts like the 5th. As Insider notes, the fortunes of suburban Democrats have risen in tandem with the ascendancy of former President Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s standard-bearer, a development that has all but pushed Republicans out of power in the state.
Chad Magendanz, a Navy veteran and longtime Microsoft engineer turned high school computer science teacher, is no stranger to the Legislature. He served four years in the state House, earning a reputation as a moderate and for his bipartisan work on school funding reform after the state Supreme Court found Washington was underfunding schools. But since his unsuccessful bid for the state Senate in 2016, Magendanz has faced a string of defeats. This year, he’s hoping the political winds shift in his favor, even as he acknowledges the uphill battle posed by Trump’s influence.
“The ‘orange man bad’ strategy has been very effective against Republicans,” Magendanz told Insider, referring to Democrats’ focus on Trump in local races. While he voted for Trump in 2024 over Democrat Kamala Harris, who carried the 5th District with more than 57% of the vote, Magendanz has been openly critical of Trump’s rhetoric and executive actions. “I’m very concerned with the flurry of executive orders by the president that are arguably unconstitutional,” he said. Still, he cautioned, “I don’t think you can take everything that comes out of his mouth literally. I think he’s kind of proven that he’s testing the waters or joking around about stuff.”
His opponent, Victoria Hunt, brings her own blend of scientific expertise and political activism to the race. A data scientist by trade and chief data officer for Crosswalk Labs, Hunt has taught at the University of Washington and served on the Issaquah City Council before joining the Legislature in 2024. Her political journey was sparked by alarm over Trump’s surprise victory in 2016, and she’s been a vocal critic of his administration’s approach to climate change and data transparency. “It was pretty shocking how quickly info was taken down and put behind firewalls. It’s just chaos,” Hunt told Insider, describing how the Trump administration wiped climate data from public websites.
Hunt’s legislative record in her first year includes sponsoring three bills signed into law, notably a measure requiring the state Department of Ecology to create a website for public tracking of sewage spills. But it’s her party-line support for the 2025 Democratic budget that has drawn fire from Magendanz and his allies. The budget, approved in April, raised state spending by $7.4 billion over two years and increased a range of taxes and fees. Since its passage, declining tax projections have left lawmakers and Governor Bob Ferguson facing difficult budget decisions heading into the 2026 legislative session.
Hunt has defended the budget as a “balanced” plan that avoided deep cuts to essential services. She acknowledged hearing concerns from local businesses about tax hikes and expressed openness to revisiting some of those measures. “Overall, the state needs to spend more on public schools and other key services while working to revamp a regressive tax code that puts more of a burden on poorer residents compared with the very rich,” she told Insider.
Magendanz, however, remains unconvinced. “State spending has more than doubled over the last decade, and we are not getting results,” he argued, pointing to stagnant student test scores despite the increased investment. He’s also opposed recent Democratic tax policies, including a capital gains tax on wealthy residents that was upheld by voters in a recent initiative.
The financial stakes in this race are significant. Magendanz has raised about $384,000 for his campaign, with business-backed PACs contributing $292,000 to his cause. Hunt, meanwhile, has raised about $366,000, and PACs funded by unions and Democratic allies have spent $206,000 in her support. Despite the influx of outside money, the race’s competitiveness came into question after Hunt finished more than eight points ahead of Magendanz in the August primary.
The broader political environment is also shaping the race. Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, who leads the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, acknowledged the GOP is contending with anti-Trump headwinds and high enthusiasm among Democratic voters. “They are energized. We didn’t vote well in the primary,” he said, noting hopes that increased GOP turnout and support from moderate Democrats could still swing the race.
Democratic leaders, for their part, remain confident. Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, who chairs the Senate Democrats’ campaign committee, told Insider that Magendanz can’t fully distance himself from the Trump-aligned wing of the Republican Party. “You are seeing more and more of suburbia turn blue over the years. People really want to make sure that in Washington, we are taking care of people,” she said.
Meanwhile, the race in the 26th Legislative District, where Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, D-Gig Harbor, faces a challenge from Rep. Michelle Caldier, R-Gig Harbor, is expected to be even more competitive and expensive. But even if Republicans manage to flip one or two Senate seats, they are unlikely to retake the majority or significantly dent the Democrats’ control. The most tangible impact would be the GOP gaining leverage over bond measures for the state capital budget, which require a three-fifths majority to pass.
On the ground, both sides are pulling out all the stops. The state Republican Party, led by Jim Walsh, is ramping up “ballot harvesting” efforts, encouraging voters to drop off ballots at designated businesses. Hunt, undeterred by her primary lead, is canvassing thousands of homes with volunteers. The outcome will hinge on whether suburban voters’ recent blue streak holds firm or if Republicans can reclaim lost ground by appealing to moderates wary of tax hikes and one-party rule.
As the 2025 races heat up, the contests in Washington’s suburbs are proving to be a test of both parties’ visions for the state’s future—and a barometer for the enduring influence of national politics on local elections.