Voters in the 4th Legislative District once again backed Republicans, but will have one new representative in Olympia.

House Position 1

On election night, the incumbent for the 4th Legislative District, Bob McCaslin, had a commanding lead over challenger Lori Feagan, earning 59% of the vote to Feagan’s 41%.

McCaslin, a Republican, has represented the district since he was elected in 2014. He previously has run for position 2, but switched seats at the last minute when seatmate and longtime ally in the legislature Matt Shea decided not to run for reelection. Feagan had originally planned to run against Shea.

Feagan, a nurse practitioner and Democrat, beat out two Republicans in the primary to face McCaslin in the general election. In the primary she won about 36% of the vote and he came in first with 38.8% of the vote.

McCaslin is a teacher and is one of the legislatures who has co-sponsored bills to make Eastern Washington its own state and has sponsored bills in the state legislature that are skeptical of vaccines. 

House Position 2

Republican Rob Chase also held a clear lead over opponent and Democrat Lance Gurel on election night in the race for the 4th Legislative District’s second House seat. 

Chase had 61% of the vote compared to Gurel’s 39%.

Chase is the former treasurer for Spokane County and had unsuccessfully run for Congress and Spokane County Commissioner in the past. Chase supports making Eastern Washington its own state and was asked to run for the seat by Shea.

Gurel is an accountant who has unsuccessfully campaigned for Spokane Valley City Council.

Gurel took first in the August primary with 34.4% of the vote. Chase came in second, beating out two more moderate Republicans to go on to face Gurel in the general election with 33.2% of votes.

Senate

Incumbent Republican Senator Mike Padden was well ahead with 61% of votes on election night, with challenger and former County Commissioner John Roskelley earning 38%. 

Padden has spent decades in elected office, first as a state representative, later as a judge and again as a state senator. Roskelley, a Democrat, renowned mountain climber and advocate for the environment, is also no stranger to politics. He served as a Spokane County Commissioner for nine years and ran an unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the commission in 2012.

In August, Mike Padden won the primary with 60.8% of votes. Roskelley was in second, beating independent Ann Marie Danimus, to move on to the general election with 33.1% of votes.