U.S. House, Washington - 9th District
South Seattle suburbs; small part of Tacoma
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Adam Smith, D
- First Elected: 1996 (6th term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (65.72%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Safe Democrat
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Taking in numerous cities in the south Puget Sound region, the 9th runs south of Seattle along Interstate 5 before picking up small parts of Tacoma and Olympia, the state capital, en route to rural areas that offer spectacular views of Mount Rainier’s 14,410-foot peak (in the 8th).
Just south of the Seattle city line, the 9th’s northern end takes in predominantly middle-class King County suburbs, where half of its population lives. This area includes most of Burien, SeaTac and Tukwila (shared with the 7th) and Renton (shared with the 8th). SeaTac, named after the area’s major cities, includes the region’s major airport and is home to Alaska Airlines’ corporate headquarters. Boeing has a commercial airplane production facility in Renton, where the 737 jet plane is built. The wealthiest areas are in southern King, including Federal Way, where timber giant Weyerhaeuser is headquartered.
South of King, Pierce County’s suburbs account for 40 percent of the 9th’s population and Thurston County makes up the rest. Pierce County also includes the deep-water Port of Tacoma, which has diversified the area’s economy and helped it become a magnet for technology companies looking for fast distribution opportunities. Thurston includes part of Olympia (shared with the 3rd) as well as the most rural portion of the district.
The 9th is politically ambivalent, giving John Kerry 53 percent of the vote in the 2004 presidential election. Democrats fare better in the King and Thurston portions of the district than they fare in Pierce. The blue-collar workers from Boeing and Tacoma’s port form a Democratic base throughout the district, while fiscally conservative suburbanites tend to vote Republican.
Major Industry
Aviation manufacturing, computer software, hardware
Military Bases
Fort Lewis (Army), 20,484 military, 4,500 civilian (2001); McChord Air Force Base, 6,524 military, 2,086 civilian (2004)
Cities
Federal Way, 83,259; Kent (pt.), 43,904; Puyallup, 33,011
Notable
The 17-day Western Washington Fair in Puyallup is the largest annual event in the state.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 654,902
- Under 18: 26%
- Over 65: 10%
- Married: 54.6%
- Non-Hispanic White: 73%
- Black: 6%
- Hispanic: 7%
- Asian: 7%
- Foreign Born: 11.4%
- Language other than English: 15.3%
- Median Household Income: 46,495
- Owner Occupied Housing: 59%
- Income above $200k: 1.4
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 59.4%
- Blue Collar: 25.2%
- Services: 15.5%
- Bachelor's Degree: 22%
- Graduate Education: 6.7%
- Civilian Veterans: 83,049
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Adam Smith (D) | 102,433 | 66.2% |
| James Postma (R) | 52,382 | 33.8% | ||
| 2006 | general | Adam Smith (D) | 119,038 | 65.7% |
| Steven Cofchin (R) | 62,082 | 34.3% | ||
| 2004 | general | Adam Smith (D) | 162,433 | 63.3% |
| Paul Lord (R) | 88,304 | 34.4% | ||
| Robert Losey (GREEN) | 5,934 | 2.3% | ||
| 2002 | general | Adam Smith (D) | 95,805 | 58.5% |
| Sarah Casada (R) | 63,146 | 38.6% | ||
| J. Mills (LIBERT) | 4,759 | 2.9% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 53% | George W. Bush: 46% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 53% | George W. Bush: 43% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMITH, D ADAM (D) | November 24, 2008 | $647,604.00 | $599,702.00 | $233,876.00 | $479,706.00 | ||
| COFCHIN, STEVEN CHARLES (R) | September 30, 2007 | $1,405.00 | $1,398.00 | $72.00 | $14,706.00 | ||
| POSTMA, JAMES LEE (R) | November 24, 2008 | $11,879.00 | $11,833.00 | $265.00 | $95.00 | $9,682.00 | |
