Washington uses a bipartisan Redistricting Commission to draw both congressional and legislative districts. After the 2020 census, the commission missed its statutory deadline late on Nov. 15, 2021, transmitting completed plans to the state supreme court a few hours after midnight. On Dec. 3, 2021, the Washington Supreme Court unanimously declined to take over map-drawing, holding that the commission had “substantially complied” with its mandate, and allowed the commission’s congressional plan to proceed for use beginning in 2022. In February of 2022, the state legislature approved the commission's maps with minor changes as allowed by state statute.

For the state legislature, the same commission plans took effect for 2022, but a federal court later found that LD15 in the Yakima Valley violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Latino voting power. On Aug. 10, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington invalidated LD15 and ordered a remedy (Soto Palmer v. Hobbs). On Mar. 15, 2024, the court adopted a remedial configuration (implemented in time for the 2024 elections). A related racial gerrymandering challenge to LD15 (Garcia v. Hobbs) was dismissed as moot after the Soto Palmer ruling.

last updated: Oct 2025