Lakhota
Diamond Member
Manka Dhingra (D) won her special election to a state Senate seat, which switches control of the chamber.
WASHINGTON ― Democrat Manka Dhingra won Tuesday’s special election to a Washington state Senate seat ― a race that most people wouldn’t be paying attention to except that Dhingra just cemented her party’s full control of the state government.
Dhingra defeated Republican Jinyoung Lee Englund in a race that people poured millions of dollars into because of the significance of the seat. Democrats control the governorship and the state House in Washington, but until Tuesday, they’ve been one seat short of a majority in the Senate.
That one-seat differential has mattered. Republicans in the Senate have prevented Gov. Jay Inslee from enacting some of his top legislative priorities relating to climate change, voting rights and birth control. They also forced Democrats to compromise on a smaller state budget.
Inslee told The New York Times earlier this week that if Democrats win control of the Senate, he has ambitious plans for new policies like a carbon tax.
More: Democrats In Washington State Win Full Control Of The Government
Congratulations to Manka Dhingra and the state of Washington!