Schrier, Larkin To Advance After Dunn Concedes 8th District Primary

ISSAQUAH, WA — King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn conceded the race for Washington's 8th District Thursday as new ballot returns showed fellow Republican Matt Larkin holding on to his lead for second place in the August primary. Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier is seeking a third term in Congress after flipping the seat blue in 2018 and securing reelection in 2020 over Republican challenger Jesse Jensen, who ran again this year.

After Thursday's ballot drop, vote totals showed Schrier with 48 percent of the primary vote, followed by Larkin at 16.73 percent, Dunn at 14.69 percent and Jensen at 13.08 percent.

In a statement posted on his campaign page, Dunn congratulated Larkin on his win and threw his support behind him for November's general election.

Dunn's statement reads in part:

"I just called Matt Larkin to congratulate him on his primary victory. Matt ran an honorable and positive campaign, and I am proud to endorse him in this November’s election. Matt will make a wonderful Congressman and I encourage all of my supporters to support him as well.

I am proud of the campaign we ran, and I look forward to continuing to serve this area on the King County Council. I will keep fighting for the values I ran on, supporting our law enforcement heroes and ensuring fiscal responsibility. I will continue in my commitment to be a voice of reason on the County Council, and push back against extreme and irresponsible policies. Now more than ever, we need local leaders in King County who will stand up for what’s right, not what’s politically expedient."

Vote totals are likely to change a little more in the coming days as more last-minute ballots are added to the tally. The deadline to correct signature challenges is Aug. 15 and the Secretary of State's office will certify the results by Aug. 19.