The open-seat race in Washington’s 32nd Legislative District has turned crowded, with four Democrats competing to replace longtime Rep. Cindy Ryu after she decided to run for state Senate. Covering northwest Seattle, Shoreline, Lynnwood, and Edmonds, the primary in August is expected to determine the winner, as no Republicans have filed so far.
Endorsements are already drawing early battle lines. Sen. Jesse Salomon and Rep. Lauren Davis have thrown their support behind Chris Bloomquist, while Ryu is backing Shoreline City Councilmember Keith Scully, according to Washington State Standard. Bloomquist, who runs a recruiting firm focused on environmental and tech sectors, is leaning into an outsider narrative built on regional climate work. Ryu, by contrast, has been explicit about her preference for Scully in a campaign email quoted by the paper.
Also in the mix are Edmonds City Councilmembers Jenna Nand and Will Chen. Both argue that the state House is where they can make the biggest dent on bread-and-butter problems such as affordability, health care access and homelessness, the Lynnwood Times reports. Candidates have until May 8 to officially file, with the top-two primary set for August 4, 2026. Given that no Republicans had entered the race at the time of reporting, the August ballot is shaping up as the de facto final round.
Money and early positioning
On the fundraising scoreboard, Scully holds an early edge, reporting nearly $31,000 in contributions, while Bloomquist is close behind with about $26,000, according to Public Disclosure Commission data cited by the Washington State Standard. Nand and Chen, who got into the race later, are lagging in cash and banking on endorsements, retail politicking and grassroots networks to close the gap.
In a solidly Democratic district where general elections rarely get suspenseful, this early money and organizing burst is where the real competition lives. Whoever builds the strongest field operation and small-donor base over the spring will have a serious leg up by the time ballots hit mailboxes.
Where they differ
The four Democrats are not divided by sweeping ideological rifts so much as by priorities and branding. Nand centers her pitch on health care access and homelessness. Chen leans into his image as a fiscal problem solver for working families and immigrant communities, a message reflected on his campaign site at electwillchen.com. Bloomquist is emphasizing school funding and environmental policy, while Scully is highlighting tax reform and building housing near transit, according to local coverage in the Lynnwood Times.
What happens next will hinge on whether those early endorsements translate into door-knockers, phone bankers and small-dollar donors, and whether the two city councilmembers can stretch their local name recognition across the full district. The 32nd District Democrats’ calendar, including filing timelines and endorsement meetings, will shape how activists and voters sort through the field as May 8 and the August 4 primary approach. Whoever survives that crowded primary is almost certainly walking into a low-drama general election in this safely blue corner of the state.
