(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., appears to be cruising to victory over Republican challenger Dr. Raul Garcia in a relatively low-profile race somewhat overshadowed by the presidential and gubernatorial contests.
According to preliminary Tuesday night results from the Office of the Secretary of State, Cantwell garnered some 60% of the vote, compared to Garcia’s 40%.
Garcia, an emergency room doctor, originally joined the race to be Washington’s next governor before dropping out and announcing a run for Cantwell’s Senate seat.
Cantwell has served in the Senate since 2001. In 2000, she defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Slade Gorton by approximately 2,000 votes statewide – less than 0.1%. None of her subsequent races have been close.
During this campaign cycle, the longtime senator and former businesswoman has sought to portray herself as a technocrat who pursues bipartisan solutions to issues like bringing internet access to everyone and cybersecurity.
Garcia, hoping to appeal to more people in deep blue Washington, presented himself as a moderate Republican. He has been coy about who he supports for president and does not dispute the results of the 2020 presidential election.
His stance on abortion is similarly moderate. His campaign website notes that “Washington is a pro-choice state.”
His website goes on to state, “As an elected Senator whose duty it is to represent the will of the people, Dr. Garcia will oppose bills or policies that run counter to the majority position of the people of Washington on abortion.”
There were previous indications Garcia faced an uphill battle in challenging Cantwell.
A late October SurveyUSA Election Poll found that Cantwell was in front of Garcia by 23 points. In the poll, 55% of likely voters chose Cantwell, compared to 32% for Garcia. Undecided voters made up 13% of those polled.
Campaign war chests were even more lopsided than polling. Cantwell has raised nearly $11.8 million in total contributions, according to the Federal Election Commission, compared to Garcia’s almost $686,000.
