CQ Politics

The 8th is Washington’s wealthiest district, and it takes in the prosperous King County suburbs outside Seattle in its west and beautiful farmland in its east and south. Seattle’s Eastside suburbs have become fertile ground for the Pacific Northwest’s technology businesses, and the fast growth has caused traffic congestion and fueled debates over infrastructure upgrades and smart growth.

The 8th’s largest population center is Bellevue, which is one of the most diverse areas in the state — nearly 20 percent of its population is Asian and one-fourth is foreign born. Some of Bellevue’s largest employers are Boeing, Expedia and T-Mobile USA. Lincoln Square in Bellevue’s financial and retail district is expanding in order to meet the needs of regional giant Microsoft, among other companies. The city’s Bellevue Square is a resort and shopping center that attracts visitors from throughout the Pacific Northwest.

South of Bellevue, in one of the most private areas in an otherwise bustling region, tony Gold Coast hamlets such as Hunts Point, Clyde Hill, Yarrow Point and Medina host million dollar homes on Lake Washington.

In addition to its near-in Seattle suburbs, the 8th continues east to the border of King County and heads south to take in a mostly rural part of Pierce County, which includes a portion of the Cascade Range and Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington’s highest point.

Once a stronghold for Republican politics, the 8th’s population boom has created an urban and Democratic-minded constituency. Generally fiscally conservative and socially moderate, residents of the politically competitive district gave John Kerry 51 percent of the vote in the 2004 presidential election. The area’s growing number of minority votes will continue to influence elections.

Major Industry

Aviation manufacturing, software, logging

Cities

Bellevue, 109,569; Kent (pt.), 35,620; Sammamish, 34,104

Notable

Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states — it is covered by more than 35 square miles of snow and glacial ice.