Legislative District 45 - State Senator
August 4, 2026 · Legislative (Senate) District 45; 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: Average · 49 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 158,714 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(164,798 ÷ 158,714) ÷ ln(164,798 ÷ 152,644) = 49.1, comparing state senate districts in WA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: None · only 1 candidate
One candidate is running unopposed, so votes can't change the outcome.
Average representation + an uncontested race → Below average vote impact.
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
Manka Dhingra
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Manka Dhingra is the Democratic Washington state senator for Legislative District 45 and Senate Deputy Majority Leader. She chairs Senate Law & Justice and serves on Ways & Means, Environment, Energy & Technology, the Washington State Task Force Against the Trafficking of Persons, and the WorkFirst Poverty Reduction Oversight Task Force. First elected in 2017, she was the first Sikh state legislator elected in the nation. Her prior career includes two decades as a prosecutor and behavioral-health work, including King County therapeutic-alternative and crisis-intervention work.
Records: Civil Rights 2 for, Environment and Public Health 1 for, Gun Control 5 for, Healthcare Affordability 15 for, Housing Affordability 2 for, Public Education Quality 2 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 14 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 for, Social Programs and Welfare 6 for, Women's Reproductive Rights 1 for
Election sources
Source: sos.wa.gov
Source: sos.wa.gov
Source: www2.sos.wa.gov