Who's In the Race

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) faces Republican Doug Basler in the November 3 general election in Washington's 9th District, a top-two primary race where the top two vote-getters advance regardless of party. The 2026 contest is the sixth general-election matchup between Adam Smith and Doug Basler, following their races in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. ​

Smith was first elected to represent the district in 1996. He also served in the Washington State Senate and worked as a Seattle prosecutor. He led the Aug. 4 top-two primary with about 47% of the vote; Basler finished second with about 22%. Basler founded and leads Prologue Digital Inc., a Washington advertising and video-production company, and is a former King County Republican Party vice chairman. Basler advanced from the same Aug. 4 primary with about 22% of the vote, with Smith as the top finisher.

What They Stand For

Smith has proposed a path to a single-payer health-care system like Medicare for All, according to his official House website. He's also supported:

  • Bringing down housing costs and making homeownership more achievable, according to the Federal Way Mirror,
  • Growing the economy "from the middle out," expanding job training, and protecting unions,
  • Ensuring service members and their families receive adequate support; and
  • Protecting abortion rights, saying personal health decisions should be left to women, their doctor, and their family.

Basler has called his vision an "Opportunity Revolution," arguing government should protect freedom, reward work, and remove unnecessary barriers, according to the Federal Way Mirror. He also supports:

  • Making housing more attainable by reducing barriers to building rather than subsidizing affordability,
  • Opposing a federal abortion ban while supporting IVF and contraception, and describing himself as pro-life,
  • Holding people accountable for crime and addiction-fueled disorder; and
  • Repealing the Climate Commitment Act, which he says raises energy costs, in favor of reliable, affordable energy, according to his campaign website.

The Money Behind the Race

Through July 15, Smith had raised about $1.9 million and had about $870,000 in the bank, according to Federal Election Commission filings; Basler had raised about $12,000 and had about $5,000 on hand over the same period. Smith carries no debt.

Outside spending in the race totals about $5,610, but nearly all of it, $5,600, supports independent candidate Kshama Sawant; the largest spender is Revolutionary Change PAC. Sierra Club Independent Action spent $10 supporting Smith.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Cook Political Report rated the seat Solid Democratic as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball agreed as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections also rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Smith, a 97.97% chance of winning as of Oct. 15.

Smith won the district with about 72% in 2022 and about 65% in 2024, a decline of about six percentage points over two cycles. Democrats held eight of Washington's ten U.S. House seats in both 2022 and 2024, with Republicans holding the other two. In the 2024 presidential race, Kamala Harris carried Washington with about 57% of the vote.

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