Legislative District 2 - State Representative Pos. 1
August 4, 2026 · Legislative (House) District 2; Washington · State house 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 · 42 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 159,524 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(164,798 ÷ 159,524) ÷ ln(164,798 ÷ 152,644) = 42.46, comparing state house districts in WA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → Average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
This office is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the statehouse
- Serving on committees that shape bills before final votes
- 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
Andrew Barkis
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Andrew Barkis has represented Washington House District 2, Position 1 since 2016. He is a property-management business owner and longtime community volunteer with a background in communications and Army ROTC.
Records: Government Efficiency 1 for, Housing Affordability 3 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
William Dehnel
Labor Democrat · declared
William Dehnel is a Pierce Transit supervisor and dispatcher, union shop steward, labor organizer, and LGBTQ+ advocate. He helped found the Transit Togetherness Pride Caucus of ATU Local 758.
Election sources
Source: sos.wa.gov
Source: voter.votewa.gov
Source: sos.wa.gov