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.
CIVPAC endorses Representative Marilyn Strickland in Washington’s 10th Congressional District primary.
Strickland is a practical center-left Democrat with a serious governing profile. She represents Washington’s 10th District, serves as Whip of the New Democrat Coalition, sits on the House Armed Services Committee, and serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
That combination matters. It points toward the kind of Democratic politics CIVPAC is willing to support: pro-growth, institutionally serious, attentive to national security, focused on infrastructure and local economic development, and capable of governing rather than merely performing.
Washington’s 10th District includes communities tied to military service, transportation, infrastructure, housing, and the South Sound economy. It deserves a representative who understands those practical responsibilities.
Strickland does.
Her challenge from the left is revealing. Alex Scheel’s campaign attacks Strickland for her New Democrat ties, corporate support, AIPAC support, and perceived moderation. It argues for Medicare for All, a federal jobs guarantee, opposition to ICE, and a politics framed around activist-left objections to the current Democratic establishment.
CIVPAC understands why many voters are frustrated with ordinary politics. Cost of living pressures are real. Housing is expensive. Health care remains too costly and too complicated. Many Americans feel that neither party has delivered enough.
But frustration is not a governing program.
CIVPAC believes the answer is not to replace practical center-left Democrats with candidates who treat the New Democrat Coalition, national-security seriousness, business engagement, and institutional responsibility as defects. Those are not defects. Properly handled, they are part of building a Democratic Party capable of winning, governing, and reassuring voters who are skeptical of ideological politics.
Strickland is not beyond criticism. No incumbent is. CIVPAC does not endorse every vote she has cast or every position she has taken. But in this primary, the choice is clear enough.
Strickland represents the responsible center-left lane. Her strongest challenge comes from a politics that would pull the Democratic Party further toward activist-left litmus tests. CIVPAC believes that would be a mistake.
A serious Democratic Party needs members who can work on defense, infrastructure, economic growth, housing, transportation, and the practical needs of their districts. It needs members who can cooperate without apologizing for cooperation. It needs members who understand that governing is not the same thing as protest.
Marilyn Strickland fits that standard.
CIVPAC endorses Marilyn Strickland in Washington’s 10th 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.