How the Democrats won in the 42nd

Plus some recommended reading, and Re-Wire is just around the corner

After the August primary, Democrats had reason to be worried about winning in Whatcom County’s 42nd Legislative District, where they were trying to unseat a Republican senator and hold two Democratic House seats considered among the most vulnerable in the state. They finished with less than 50 percent of the primary vote in all three races. Now they’re celebrating victories — albeit narrow victories — in all three.

The Senate seat in particular is a coup for progressives. It gives Democrats a 29-20 majority in that chamber, strengthening the leftward end of the caucus in a year when many expected Republicans to make significant inroads.

This story has a little of everything: Some political long game, some opportunistic gamesmanship, the good-cop/bad-cop nature of modern campaigns, the drag of a bad national political brand, and an absolute boatload of money.