Top-two primary
All candidates run in one primary regardless of party and the two with the most votes advance, so two candidates of the same party can meet in November. The forecast then marks the seat as safe for that party.
Washington › Washington House of Representatives · State legislature · November 3, 2026 · Updated Oct 16, 2026
Washington Legislative District 44
2 seatsTop twoDonaghy is very likely to win: Donaghy wins in more than 99 of every 100 simulations.
Donaghy (D)
>99%
chance of winning
Elder (R)
<1%
- Average margin
- D+26.4
- 80% of outcomes
- D+17 to D+36
- Partisan lean
- D+22
- Polls
- No pollsmodel only
Donaghy is very likely to win: Donaghy wins in 49 of every 50 simulations.
Donaghy (D)
99%
chance of winning
Elder (R)
1%
- Average margin
- D+25.9
- 80% of outcomes
- D+13 to D+39
- Partisan lean
- D+22
- Polls
- No pollsmodel only
2 seats in this district
2.0 D · 0.0 R expected of 2 seats
2.0 D · 0.0 R expected of 2 seats
How this race is decided
Two House positions per district
Each of the 49 districts elects one senator and two representatives, who run for separate positions (1 and 2). The forecast treats each position as its own race.
Range of outcomes
Final margin across our simulations; the white dashes mark the middle 80%.
The candidates
DemocraticIncumbent
Brandy Donaghy
- Experience
- State legislature
DemocraticIncumbent
April Berg
- Experience
- State legislature
Republican
Chris Elder
Republican
Tonya Stadlman
What goes into the forecast
Every ingredient's estimate of the final margin.
- National environment
- D+9.5Election Day forecast
- Washington state offices
- +0.0Polls for governor, statewide and legislative races · details
- Environment here
- D+9.5Used by the fundamentals
- Swing reaching this office
- 58%Of a shift in the environment, from past legislative races since 2016
- Pacific adjustment
- −1.7How legislative races in the region have run against lean and environment lately
Each estimate is a margin before national and statewide uncertainty is simulated. Horizon blends polls, fundamentals and a little of the similar-places estimate, weighting each by how precise it is; Pulse uses polls and similar places only.
Fundamentals inputs
| Incumbency (+1 D, −1 R) | 1 |
| Fundraising edge (log ratio of individual money) | -0.26 |
| Elected-experience edge | 0.67 |
| First-term incumbent | 0 |
| Seat's last result vs. expectation | 4.68 |
| Incumbent's last result vs. expectation | 4.68 |
Polls
No public polls of this race. The forecast relies on fundamentals and on polling of similar places in the state.
The district
Lean D+22: how much more Democratic or Republican than the nation it votes for president.
Presidential vote
Precinct results re-aggregated to the current district lines.
Who lives here
- Population
- 173,816
- People per km²
- 625
- Adults with a B.A.+
- 48%
- White, no degree
- 37%of adults
- White 62%
- Hispanic 9%
- Black 2%
- Asian 19%
- Other / multiracial 8%
American Community Survey 2020–2024, aggregated from census tracts.
Past results
Results in the same-numbered district; earlier elections may have used different lines.
2024
130,019 votes · D+23.8✓ Brandy Donaghy (D)39.7%
✓ April Berg (D)33.2%
Sam Sim (R)24.4%
Write-In (—)2.8%
2024 President Vote in this district
77,091 two-party votes · D+21.6 · D+23.1 vs. the nation✓ Kamala Harris (D)60.8%
Donald Trump (R)39.2%
2020 President Vote in this district
82,548 two-party votes · D+22.2 · D+17.7 vs. the nation✓ Joe Biden (D)61.1%
Donald Trump (R)38.9%
2016 President Vote in this district
63,387 two-party votes · D+17.5 · D+15.3 vs. the nation✓ Hillary Clinton (D)58.8%
Donald Trump (R)41.2%
Neighboring districts
LD-1Davina DuerrMaggie Wang2 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. LD-12Stacy WilloughbyBrian BurnettD flipD flip2 seats74%Dem.77%Dem. LD-21Strom Peterson—D vs D2 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. LD-38Julio Cortes—D vs D2 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. LD-39Kathryn LewandowskySam Low2 seats79%Rep.63%Rep. LD-45Roger GoodmanJoAnn Tolentino2 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem.