OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee will face each other on the November ballot for governor after easily advancing through Washington state's top two primary.
Under the state's "top two" primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.
Republican Kim Wyman has advanced to the fall election in the secretary of state's race, where she'll likely meet Democrat Kathleen Drew.
Wyman, Thurston County's auditor since 2001, was garnering the most votes in early returns in Tuesday's primary. Drew is a former state senator. She was receiving the second-most votes, outpacing two other high-profile Democrats - former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and state Sen. Jim Kastama.
Longtime incumbent Sam Reed is retiring. Reed has been Washington's top elections official since 2000.
A Marine Corps veteran who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan has ousted several other Republicans from a crowded congressional race.
Bill Driscoll emerged Tuesday to come in second place in the 6th District race. He will now face state Sen. Derek Kilmer, who handily won the primary as the only Democrat in the race.
The two are seeking to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Norm Dicks.
Driscoll is a Weyerhaeuser descendent who was able to put in about $500,000 of his own money to help buoy his campaign. He still trails in fundraising against Kilmer, who has raised some $900,000. The 6th District covers much of the Olympic Peninsula.
Pierce County Councilman Dick Muri and TVW founder Denny Heck have advanced to the fall election in Washington's newest congressional district.
Heck won the race comfortably on Tuesday as he picked up the establishment Democratic support over fellow party member Jennifer Ferguson. Muri finished second in the top-two race, besting fellow Republican Stan Flemming after a heated primary contest between the two. Flemming is also on the Pierce County council.
The 10th District is a new seat formed by the redistricting process and is anchored around the Olympia area.
Former Microsoft executive Suzan DelBene has emerged from a pack of Democrats in Washington's most competitive congressional district.
DelBene placed second in Tuesday's top-two primary, rising above several other Democrats in what became a rancorous and costly campaign. DelBene will now move on to face John Koster, who was the only Republican in the race and is also advancing.
The 1st Congressional District was carved during the redistricting process to be a tossup for Republicans and Democrats. It stretches from eastern King County areas such as the wealthy enclave of Medina all the way to the northern border.
DelBene spent some $2.3 million in the race and committed about that much of her own wealth to the campaign, flooding televisions with ads. The district is already ranked as one of the costliest U.S. House races in the country.
Longtime incumbent Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and Republican Bill Finkbeiner have advanced to the fall election.
The Democrat Owen, who has served 16 years, garnered the majority of the votes following early vote counts. Finkbeiner, who previously served as the Republican majority leader in the state Senate, finished second.
Along with presiding over the Senate, which is the most visible part of the job, the lieutenant governor is in command when the governor is out of state.
Republican Reagan Dunn and Democrat Bob Ferguson have advanced to the November election in the attorney general's race.
Early results from Tuesday's primary showed both men garnering enough votes to move on in Washington's top two system. Dunn and Ferguson are both King County Councilmembers. Dunn, a former federal prosecutor, has emphasized his law enforcement experience. Ferguson has said he'd use the office to focus on protecting consumers from fraud.
The attorney general oversees more than 1,100 people, including 525 attorneys. The current two-year budget for the office is about $229 million.
Business development consultant James Watkins advanced to the fall election in the race for state auditor, where he'll likely face state Rep. Troy Kelley.
The Republican Watkins from Redmond was getting the most votes in Tuesday's primary, with Democrat Kelley of Tacoma coming in second. Longtime Democratic incumbent Brian Sonntag is retiring after 20 years.
Incumbent Mike Kreidler has advanced to the fall election in the state insurance commissioner's race. The Democrat will likely face Republican John Adams.
Kreidler was getting over 50 percent of the vote in early primary returns Tuesday night, with Adams placing in second. The top two finishers advance to the November contest.
