A state Senate race showdown among Kent City Council members Bill Boyce and Satwinder Kaur as well as former Sen. Claudia Kauffman highlights the Aug. 2 primary ballot.

King County Elections mailed more than 1.4 million ballots July 13 to registered voters. Ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 2 or returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. Aug. 2.

Elections staff predicts a 45% turnout. In 2020, primary turnout in King County reached 56%. In 2018, voters turned out at 43%.

The two candidates with the most votes in each race advance to the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

Kent-area Senate race

It’s an open race for the 47th Legislative District Senate seat after Mona Das, D-Kent, decided not to seek reelection to a second four-year term. Boyce is a Republican while Kaur and Kauffman are Democrats.

Boyce has raised $177,343, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission website on July 13. Boyce’s largest contribution is $47,000 is from the Olympia-based Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Kaur has raised $73,522, with $1,000 donations as her largest contributors. Kauffman has raised $41,937 with $1,000 as her largest contributors.

The 47th District includes parts of Kent, Covington and Auburn.

Republicans hope to recapture the seat after Das defeated Joe Fain, R-Auburn, in 2018 with 50.79% of the vote. Fain defeated Kauffman in 2010 and held the position for eight years.

Kent-area House races

District 47 voters will decide which candidates advance in two House races.

Three Republicans and two Democrats are running for Position 2 to replace Pat Sullivan, D-Covington, who decided not to run again after 18 years in Olympia.

The Republicans are Carmen Goers, Barry Knowles and Ted Cooke. The Democrats are Chris Stearns and Shukri Olow.

Goers has raised $155,206, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Goers has received nearly $60,000 from the Olympia-based House Republican Organizational Committee. Knowles has raised $3,005 and Cooke has raised $2,605.

Olow has raised $64,612 and Stearns has raised $45,086, with numerous $1,000 contributors as their largest donations.

State Rep. Debra Enteman, D-Kent, will seek to retain Position 1 against Republican challengers Kyle Lyebyedyev and Jesse Ramsey. Entenman defeated Lyebyedyev in 2020 and incumbent Mark Hargrove, R-Covington, in 2018.

Lyebyedyev has raised $28,363, with $1,233 from the House Republican Organizational Committee as the largest donation. Entenman has raised $24,347, with $1,000 donations as the largest. Ramsey has raised $740.

The Seattle Times endorsed Goers for Position 2 and Entenman for Postion 1.

Congressional races

Voters in Kent are in either District 8 or District 9.

Democrat Kim Schrier is running for reelection in District 8 with Republican Reagan Dunn, a member of the King County Council, among the challengers.

The other Democratic candidates are Emet Ward and Keith Arnold. The other Republican candidates are Matt Larkin, Dave Chapman, Jesse Jensen and Scott Stephenson. Justin Greywold is running as a Libertarian, Patrick Dillon prefers the Concordia Party and Ryan Dean Burkett didn’t state a party.

In District 9, Democratic Congressman Adam Smith is running for reelection against Democrat Stephanie Gallardo and Republicans Doug Basler, David Anderson, Sea Chan and Seth Pedersen. The Seattle Times endorsed Smith for another term.

U.S. Senate race

Seventeen candidates are challenging Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. Republican Tiffany Smiley leads the list of challengers.