A Northwest politics roundup as the 2022 election draws near

We’re just under a week out from the 2022 midterm election on Nov. 8. You’ve got until Tuesday at 8 p.m. to get that ballot into a drop box, or postmarked and in the mail.

And if you’re wading through debates, political mailers, and some pretty scary attack ads, don’t panic. KUOW politics reporter David Hyde is here to help.

If you’re one of the roughly 78% of registered voters in Washington still hanging on to your ballot: there are plenty of politicians who would love to secure your vote, or just dissuade you from voting for the other party.

Last week, 8th District Congressmember Kim Schrier faced off in a debate against Republican Matt Larkin.

They’re vying to represent an area that includes parts of the eastside and Central Washington. Schrier flipped this seat to the blue column in 2018 – a first since it was created.

But for those watching or listening to the debate, the candidates' answers may have been frustrating.

"Republican Matt Larkin ducked at least eight questions, and incumbent Democrat Kim Schrier ducked around three," Hyde said. Both avoided answering questions about abortion policy, and claims about the 2020 election being stolen. You can find more about the questions Larkin and Schrier answered or ducked here.

Hyde isn't sure if the debate will swing many voters to either candidate's side. And Democrats are working on other ways to sway voter opinion.

A recent Washington Post story highlights how the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is changing its strategy for current political campaigns, including Kim Schrier’s. Previously, Democrats had been focusing on abortion as a policy to win over voters.

"Abortion was the big issue for Democrats following Roe," Hyde said. "They'd been trailing in the polls, then it looked like this was the issue that was basically going to save them. Or at least make this election a little bit less worse than it would otherwise be."

Now, abortion is being pushed to the background in favor of pocketbook issues, like Medicare and Social Security.

Schrier focused on the issue of making potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security during the debate as well. Hyde noted that Schrier pushed that if Republicans are discussing making cuts – and particularly deep cuts – "those are two places that Republicans may well go.'"

It’s not just the Democrats who are shifting strategies. U.S. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy was out in Southwestern Washington this week to support 3rd district Republican house candidate Joe Kent.

That's unexpected since Joe Kent has made a lot of hay from attacking establishment Republicans like McCarthy in the past.

Hyde notes there is a reason McCarthy might be more interested in supporting Kent. Former Republican house member Jamie Herrera Beutler claimed McCarthy called President Trump asking for help during the January 6 insurrection.

"He's a part of the establishment but he's also a part of the the pro Trump wing of the party that got her [Herrera Beutler] kicked out in the first place," Hyde said.

While MCarthy was campaigning for Kent, his events were kept pretty quiet.

"He's here, but it's a fundraiser behind closed doors," Hyde said. "Are they worried about alienating some of those Jaime Herrera Beutler supporters who don't like the kind of MAGA extremism of Joe Kent?"

In national news, last Friday a man broke into Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home. There, he attacked Congresswoman Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, striking him with a hammer.

The attacker has been charged with attempted kidnapping and assault of a relative of a public official. He was carrying zip ties and rope, and was at the Pelosi home to hold congresswoman Pelosi hostage and break her kneecaps, according to news reports.

Local candidates have condemned the attack. But while Democratic candidate Kim Schrier connected the attack to extremism resulting from misinformation about the 2020 election, Republican candidates Matt Larkin and Tiffany Smiley did not.

"We're at this moment where it seems like politics and policy is just kind of severed from reality," Hyde said. "70% of people believe that the 2020 election was stolen and nothing seems to be able to convince them that it wasn't. And so I'm wondering: how does policy and politics function in this post reality environment? Is misinformation something that can be addressed? Or do we just need to figure out how to adapt and figure out what politics looks like now that this is the world we now inhabit?"