While voting closed for this year’s election on November 8, ballot counting continues, and some tight races may come down to the last few ballots. County election officials have until November 29 to certify and report results, and then the Secretary of State must certify the election results by December 8.

As we saw in the primaries in August, the expected 2022 Republican red wave didn’t materialize. For the state Legislature, we will still see a number of newly elected members because so many incumbents opted not to run again or to run for different office. But, even at this relatively early point in the election returns, it is clear the Democrats will continue to hold the majorities in both the House and the Senate.

A few House seats may change with some results still too close to call, such as District 4, where the incumbent is trailing, and the Senate races in Districts 26 and 42 among several others. It appears that the Democrats may pick up some additional seats in the House, expanding their majority. With some key Senate races still so close, it is hard to say if the Democrats will pick up an additional seat or not.

The election results will have a variety of implications for the upcoming session. One is reshuffling committees. Traditionally this is a time when the majority revisits the committee structure and sometimes adds or removes committees or realigns the issues that they cover. Committee chairs and membership will also shuffle. The House is losing eight committee chairs with members stepping down or moving to the Senate, so there will definitely be new faces holding the gavels come January.

As the election results become clear and counting wraps up, the caucuses will hold their organizing meetings and we will learn more about policy priorities and committee structures.

Need an advocacy refresher in advance of the 2023 session? Check out our AWC tools

Looking for some tips and inspiration about how to engage with your legislators and the legislative session in advance of January? Check out AWC’s website for ideas and tools. You can also revisit our Advocacy Academy session from the 2022 City Action Days Conference. Take advantage of this time before the session begins to connect with your legislators at home before they head to Olympia in January.

Preparing for the legislative session

Plan now to take advantage of these AWC engagement opportunities:

City Action Calls
Every Friday at 12:30 pm via Zoom (beginning January 13)
This is your chance to join the AWC lobbyists for quick updates about hot issues every week.

City Action Days
February 15-16 in-person in Olympia (registration opens December 12)
There’s no better way to engage in the legislative process than at City Action Days! Held annually during the legislative session, this popular event allows you the opportunity to interact with colleagues as you educate statewide decision-makers about city legislative priorities.

City Lobby Day
March 16 in-person in Olympia
This one-day event focuses on updates on the latest legislative action and meeting with legislators as the session enters its final stage.