How to Read What Happened Tuesday Night

Joe Fain, President & CEO, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce  |  August 6, 2026

Former US Speaker Tip O'Neill is credited with coining the phrase, "all politics is local," but for over a decade that maxim has completely collapsed.

Social media has nationalized political tribalism, made party platforms more rigid, and empowered zealots to punish elected officials who stray from the party line. That has left a record number of Americans feeling unrepresented by either party.

At a time when over two-thirds of Washingtonians disapprove of the President's job performance, these disaffected voters are steering clear of the Republican brand. Even the most talented local Republican candidates, of which there are several, are finding it difficult to swim against that tide.

Losing Confidence

The late Senator Andy Hill represented the 45th District of East King County for two terms a decade ago. Tuesday night, the top vote-getting Republican in that district barely crested 27%. This isn't a sign of a party in trouble, it's a sign of a party that has lost the confidence of voters.

Not a Leftward Turn

Some Democrats will misread these results, as the national party appears to be veering left. But the rejection of high-profile Democratic Socialist-aligned candidates, including three prominent races in downtown Seattle, shows Democratic voters are right alongside Independents and many Republicans in tiring of the political sideshow that has hijacked our discourse and tried to derail sober, competent governance.

Adam Smith's utter shellacking of Kshama Sawant illustrates that even voters in Seattle have a particular direction in mind, and it isn't what the more extreme segments of either party are trying to peddle.