More Washington primary election results coming Wednesday

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Counties are expected to post more results Wednesday afternoon as voters have narrowed their choices in dozens of federal, statewide and local races in Washington's primary election.

In the most high-profile races - governor and U.S. Senate - the November candidates have already been decided. Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee will face Republican Bill Bryant while Democratic Sen. Patty Murray will be on the fall ballot against Republican Chris Vance. However the final two candidates are still in question for several statewide offices, including lieutenant governor.

More than 4 million of the state's registered voters started receiving their ballots in the mail weeks ago for the top-two primary, in which the top two vote-getters advance to the November ballot, regardless of party. As of Tuesday night, nearly 24 percent of voters had returned their ballots. The secretary of state's office has estimated a 41 percent turnout rate.

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Results from Washington state's all-mail primary election will continue to trickle in throughout the week, but the races that were decided early on were no surprise: Democratic incumbent Gov. Jay Inslee and Republican challenger Bill Bryant easily advanced through Washington's primary to the November ballot, as did Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and opponent Republican Chris Vance.

All 10 of the state's U.S. House seats are also on the ballot, including Seattle's solidly Democratic 7th District, which is an open seat after Jim McDermott decided to retire after serving 14, two-year terms in Congress. That race has drawn nine candidates, including Democratic Sen. Pramila Jayapal, Democratic Rep. Brady Walkinshaw and Metropolitan King County Councilman Joe McDermott, no relation to Jim McDermott. Jayapal, with 38 percent of the vote, advanced to the November ballot, and Walkinshaw and Joe McDermott were fighting for the second slot, with each receiving about 21 percent.