Washington Democrats picked up another Senate seat in the state Legislature after Clark County elections concluded a machine recount Monday.
Adrian Cortes will become the first Democrat to hold the seat in Washington’s 18th District, encompassing Vancouver, Battle Ground and Clark County, in nearly three decades. Cortes won over his Republican opponent, Brad Benton, by 173 votes. The recount picked up another vote in his favor, Cortes told Cascade PBS in a text Tuesday.
“In one of the most expensive legislative races in the state, we did what some thought couldn’t be done,” Cortes added. “We flipped the 18th legislative district senate seat after almost 30 years of Republican control. After a free and fair election our message won the day; now I’ll focus on serving the people well in the state Senate.”
The seat was left vacant by Sen. Ann Rivers, first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010. In 2012 she was appointed to the Senate. Rivers announced in April that she would not seek another term.
The Clark County canvassing board will meet Thursday to certify the recount and forward the signed and sealed certification to the Secretary of State.
In total, Cortes’ campaign raised more than $473,500 while Benton’s campaign raised more than $237,000.
In a September interview with Cascade PBS, Cortes said that he wanted to tackle issues of concern from voters in his district such as the high cost of living, reproductive freedoms, and ensuring that taxes “don’t get out of control.”
The legislative session begins on Jan. 13.
