Washington will hold its primary election on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
Washington uses a Top Two primary system. All candidates appear on the same ballot. Voters do not register by party for the primary ballot, and the two candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party preference.
That makes this race especially important. The primary is not merely an internal party contest. It determines which two candidates voters will see in November.
CIVPAC endorses Representative Adam Smith in Washington’s 9th Congressional District primary.
This is a clear endorsement.
Adam Smith is a serious, experienced, center-left Democrat with deep national-security credentials. He is the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee and has spent decades working on defense policy, military readiness, foreign policy, and the responsible use of American power.
CIVPAC does not agree with Smith on every issue. We would have ordinary centrist disagreements with parts of any standard Democratic platform. But that is not the question in this race.
The question is whether Washington’s 9th District should be represented by an experienced, institutionally serious national-security Democrat or by a revolutionary socialist challenge built around ideological confrontation.
Kshama Sawant is not merely a progressive Democrat. She is running as an explicit socialist challenger. Her campaign calls for electing the first revolutionary socialist to Congress, building a new party for working people, ending U.S. military aid to Israel, shutting down ICE, canceling student and medical debt, and pushing politics sharply away from market-based liberal democracy.
CIVPAC believes that is the wrong direction for the country, the wrong direction for Congress, and the wrong direction for the Democratic coalition.
This does not mean Smith is beyond criticism. Long-serving incumbents should be challenged when they become complacent, corrupt, ineffective, or disconnected from their districts. But replacing a serious Armed Services leader with a revolutionary socialist would not be a correction. It would be a retreat from responsible governance.
At a time of war, authoritarian aggression, pressure on democratic institutions, and rising political extremism, Congress needs members who understand both American power and constitutional responsibility. Smith has spent his career in that world. He may not satisfy every activist demand, but he understands the seriousness of national security and the responsibilities of governing.
That matters.
CIVPAC’s position is simple: serious center-left governance is preferable to revolutionary socialist politics. Reform is necessary. Economic pressure is real. Housing, health care, wages, and inequality matter. But the answer is not to treat markets, alliances, defense policy, and constitutional institutions as obstacles to be swept away.
Washington’s 9th District should send Adam Smith back to Congress.
CIVPAC endorses Adam Smith in Washington’s 9th Congressional District primary.
CIVPAC welcomes comments, corrections, and opposing views. Please share your thoughts on our Contact Us page. If you are commenting on a particular candidate or race, please include that in your comment.