
Tara Simmons
Washington State Representative, District 23 since 2020. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2028.
Washington State Representative, District 23Born 1977Lawyer
- In office
- 6 yrs
- Since 2020
- Bills became law
- 5
- 29 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 4.9%
- Chamber median 0.6%
- With party
- 98%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- −12.5
- Won 2026
- Next election
- 2028
- Nov 7, 2028
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Community Safety · vice chair
- Health Care and Wellness
- Rules
- Technology, Economic Development and Veterans
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Became law Mar 2026
Became law May 2025
Became law Apr 2025
Became law Apr 2025
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Simmons sits in the Washington House of Representatives
Simmons is closer to the center than 75% of the chamber's Democrats.
Closest: David Hackney, Steve Tharinger, Osman Salahuddin
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:09 PM ET
With Simmons’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Democrats98%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills10%
Black tick: the average of Democrats in the Washington House of Representatives.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Simmons’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Democrats.
| Date | Bill | Simmons | Dem. majority | Rep. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2026 | HB 2034: Concerning termination and restatement of plan 1 of the law enforcement officers' and… | No | Yes | No | Passed 50–46 |
| Mar 12, 2026 | SB 6231: Removing a tax exemption for the replacement of equipment for data centers. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 51–46 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | SB 6260: Implementing efficiencies and programming changes in public education. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 50–47 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | HB 2689: Concerning the working connections child care program. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 51–45 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | HB 2225: Concerning regulation of artificial intelligence companion chatbots. | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 74–21 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Simmons was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Washington Legislative District 23 | Won | R+12.5 | D+33.7 | −46.2 |
| 2024 | Washington House of Representatives, District 23 | Won | R+1.7 | — | — |
| 2022 | Washington House of Representatives, LD-23-1 | Won | D+27.7 | — | — |
| 2020 | Washington House of Representatives, LD-23-1 | Won | D+23.9 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Washington Secretary of State (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $227.9K
- Spent
- $227K
- Cash
- $21K
Source: Washington Public Disclosure Commission filings through Oct 26, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 3:31 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| Tarra Simmons State | Active |
Source: Washington Public Disclosure Commission filings through Oct 26, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 3:31 AM ET
Seats Simmons has held
- Washington House of Representatives, District 23 · since 2024
- Washington House of Representatives, District 23-1 · since 2020
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Simmons has run against
- Greg Nance (D) · 2026 general, won
- Greg Nance (D) · 2024 election, won
- Janell Hulst (R) · 2022 election, won
- April Ferguson (R) · 2020 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Washington Secretary of State (unofficial)
How we know Simmons
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/b6b3538a-d8ce-409f-a0e8-8f517037d748
- Wikidata Q93777502
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET