Legislative District 31 - State Senator
August 4, 2026 · Legislative (Senate) District 31; Washington · State senate district · primary
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 30 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 160,958 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(164,798 ÷ 160,958) ÷ ln(164,798 ÷ 152,644) = 30.77, comparing state senate districts in WA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Phil Fortunato
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Phil Fortunato is the Republican Washington state senator for Legislative District 31. He was appointed to the Senate in 2017 and has since been elected to represent the district. His official legislative page documents current legislative activity and constituent service; in 2024 he also ran for statewide insurance commissioner. He is seeking reelection to the Senate in 2026.
Tamara Stramel
Democratic · declared
Tamara Stramel is the Democratic candidate for Washington State Senate in Legislative District 31. She is a longtime 31st District community volunteer and organizer; her public profile describes work as field organizer for the 2024 Sumner-Bonney Lake school bond and campaign manager for a successful 2025 reelection campaign. PDC records include her 2025 County Charter Review Commissioner campaign. Her Senate campaign focuses on fully funding education, infrastructure outside urban cores, and a more equitable tax code; focused research found no source-backed current governmental office.
Election sources
Source: sos.wa.gov
Source: sos.wa.gov
Source: www2.sos.wa.gov