Washington's 7th congressional district
Washington's 7th congressional district encompasses most of Seattle and Burien, and all of Vashon Island, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and Normandy Park. Since 2017, the 7th district has been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Democrat Pramila Jayapal. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+36, it is the most Democratic district in Washington.[2]
Washington's 7th congressional district | |||
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Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023, with Seattle highlighted in red. | |||
Representative |
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Population (2022) | 783,927 | ||
Median household income | $115,418[1] | ||
Ethnicity |
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Cook PVI | D+36[2] |
The 7th is the most Democratic district in the Pacific Northwest, and the most Democratic district on the West Coast outside the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles. It is also the most Democratic majority-white district in the United States. Democrats dominate every level of government, and routinely win elections with well over 70% of the vote. Al Gore won the 7th in 2000 with 72% of the vote, while John Kerry won 79% in 2004. Barack Obama took 84% of the vote in 2008.
Washington's seventh seat in the U.S. House was added after the 1950 census, but the state did not immediately reapportion. It was contested as a statewide at-large seat in three elections, 1952, 1954, and 1956, and voters cast ballots for two congressional seats, their district and the at-large. Democrat Donald H. Magnuson won all three at-large elections. The 1958 election was the first after the state reapportioned to seven districts; Magnuson was elected to the new district in 1958 and 1960, but lost in 1962.
Election results from presidential races
Year | Office | Results |
---|---|---|
1964 | President | Johnson 62 - 38% |
1968 | President | Humphrey 52 - 40% |
1972 | President | Nixon 56 - 44% |
1976 | President | Carter 48 - 48% |
1980 | President | Reagan 44 - 42% |
1984 | President | Mondale 58 - 41% |
1988 | President | Dukakis 66 - 32% |
1992 | President | B. Clinton 65 - 18% |
1996 | President | B. Clinton 67 - 20% |
2000 | President | Gore 72 - 20% |
2004 | President | Kerry 79 - 19% |
2008 | President | Obama 84 - 15% |
2012 | President | Obama 79 - 18% |
2016 | President | H. Clinton 82 - 12% |
2020 | President | Biden 86 - 12% |
List of members representing the district
Member | Party | Dates | Cong ress |
Electoral history | District location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
District established January 3, 1959 | |||||
![]() Donald H. Magnuson (Seattle) |
Democratic | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1963 |
86th 87th |
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Lost re-election. |
1959–1961 [data missing] |
1961–1969 [data missing] | |||||
![]() K. William Stinson (Bellevue) |
Republican | January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965 |
88th | Elected in 1962. Lost re-election. | |
![]() Brock Adams (Seattle) |
Democratic | January 3, 1965 – January 22, 1977 |
89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th |
Elected in 1964. Elected in 1966. Elected in 1968. Elected in 1970. Elected in 1972. Elected in 1974. Elected in 1976. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation. | |
1969–1973 Parts of King | |||||
1973–1983 [data missing] | |||||
Vacant | January 22, 1977 – May 17, 1977 |
95th | |||
![]() John E. Cunningham (Seattle) |
Republican | May 17, 1977 – January 3, 1979 |
Elected to finish Adams's term. Lost re-election. | ||
![]() Mike Lowry (Renton) |
Democratic | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1989 |
96th 97th 98th 99th 100th |
Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. | |
1983–1985 [data missing] | |||||
1985–1993 [data missing] | |||||
![]() Jim McDermott (Seattle) |
Democratic | January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2017 |
101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th |
Elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Retired. | |
1993–2003 Parts of King | |||||
2003–2013![]() Parts of King | |||||
2013–2023![]() Parts of King and Snohomish | |||||
![]() Pramila Jayapal (Seattle) |
Democratic | January 3, 2017 – present |
115th 116th 117th 118th |
Elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | |
2023–present![]() Parts of King |
Recent election results
2012
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jim McDermott (Incumbent) | 298,368 | 79.6 | |
Republican | Ron Bemis | 76,212 | 20.4 | |
Total votes | 374,580 | 100.0 |
2014
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Jim McDermott (incumbent) | 203,954 | 81.0 | |
Republican | Craig Keller | 47,921 | 19.0 | |
Total votes | 251,875 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2016
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Pramila Jayapal | 212,010 | 56.0 | |
Democratic | Brady Walkinshaw | 166,744 | 44.0 | |
Total votes | 378,754 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2018
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Pramila Jayapal (incumbent) | 329,800 | 83.6 | |
Republican | Craig Keller | 64,881 | 16.4 | |
Total votes | 394,681 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2020
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Pramila Jayapal (incumbent) | 387,109 | 82.99 | |
Republican | Craig Keller | 78,240 | 16.77 | |
Write-in | 1,113 | 0.24 | ||
Total votes | 466,462 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2022
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Pramila Jayapal (incumbent) | 295,998 | 85.4 | |
Republican | Cliff Moon | 49,207 | 14.2 | |
Write-in | 1,442 | 0.42 | ||
Total votes | 346,647 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Historical district boundaries


See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2008
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2010
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2012
References
- "My Congressional District".
- "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- "Federal - All Results". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
- "Federal - All Results". Washington Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
- "November 8, 2016 General Election Results". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- "November 3, 2020 General Election Results". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- "November 8, 2022 General Election Results". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present