SEATTLE — Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, seeking to win a sixth term that would place her among the longest-serving senators in American history, led Republican challenger Tiffany Smiley 58% to 42%, as Tuesday night’s results began to roll in.
Murray ran up huge margins in King County, the state’s largest county, winning more than 74% of the vote there on Tuesday. That, combined with leads in the state’s next two largest counties, Pierce and Snohomish, easily outpaced Smiley’s dominance in the eastern part of the state.
While Murray never trailed in a single public poll, the race has been highly competitive, with the polling margin narrowing as the election approached. Smiley out-fundraised the longtime incumbent down the stretch, and outside national groups from both parties poured in more than $20 million collectively.
