Legislative District 46 - State Senator
August 4, 2026 · Legislative (Senate) District 46; 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 · 36 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 160,235 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(164,798 ÷ 160,235) ÷ ln(164,798 ÷ 152,644) = 36.65, comparing state senate 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".
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
Javier Valdez
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Javier Valdez is the Democratic Washington state senator for Legislative District 46. He chairs Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections and serves on Law & Justice and Transportation. Valdez has sponsored legislation on gun safety, hate crimes, election integrity, and civil rights, including a hate-crimes hotline, anti-swatting measures, ghost-gun restrictions, and law-enforcement-identification requirements. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Washington and a master of public administration from Baruch College.
Records: Civil Rights 6 for, Election Integrity 7 for, Gun Control 3 for, Healthcare Affordability 2 for, Housing Affordability 2 for, Public Education Quality 1 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 4 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 for, Social Programs and Welfare 1 for
Sandra Stephens
Republican · declared
Sandra Stephens is the Republican candidate for Washington State Senate in Legislative District 46. Washington Secretary of State, King County Elections, and Washington PDC records confirm her 2026 candidacy. Focused research found no source-backed current governmental office or official campaign website.
Election sources
Source: sos.wa.gov
Source: sos.wa.gov
Source: www2.sos.wa.gov