Southwest Washington Democrats want to flip the 17th and 18th state House districts this election. Republican-aligned PACs are spending big to try and make sure that doesn’t happen.

Each district has two seats on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Democratic candidates — Ben Christly, Diana Perez, Randi Knott and Deken Letinich — are among the state’s most heavily targeted candidates, according to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, which tracks money in politics.

The spending comes as Democratic leaders in the state eye the 17th and 18th legislative districts as potential pickups that could give their party a supermajority in the state legislature. The 17th District covers east Vancouver and runs through Skamania County and parts of Klickitat County along the Columbia River Gorge. The 18th District spans northern Clark County, including Battle Ground.

The level of Republican-led PAC spending in these races was notable even during the August primary election, as OPB previously reported. It’s surged even more in the final weeks of the campaign.

In October alone, a single PAC — Fix Washington Sponsored by Evergreen Leadership Fund — has spent $285,000 against Christly, who’s running to unseat Republican Kevin Waters in one of two positions representing the 17th District.

Waters could not immediately be reached for comment. Neither could the treasurer listed in state records for the Fix Washington committee.

“I’ve really been trying to focus on affordable and accessible healthcare, breaks for small businesses and fully funding education,” Christly, a flight nurse, told OPB, “and every time I open my mailbox it’s more negative, more hatred.”

He said his neighbors have also been inundated with ads targeting him.

“We’re talking almost $600,000 worth of these,” he said. “I think that’s over $5 a voter in our district.”

Some of the ads have focused on a DUI arrest from 2016.

“I had a DUI over a decade ago and they’re making it sound like something out of Grand Theft Auto,” Christly said. “Obviously, it wasn’t my proudest night, but I haven’t hid from it and I’ve been very vocal about it, but that’s the reason I don’t drink anymore.”

Christly had the second-most spending against him of any candidate running for legislative, judicial or statewide races in Washington as of Oct. 29. All 98 Washington House seats are up for election this year.

Republican-aligned PACs have so far spent a total of $1,892,079 on mailers, text messages and TV and digital ads against Christly, Perez, Knott and Letinich.

Total PAC spending against the Republican incumbents in these races was a fraction of that — $391,224 as of Oct. 29.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/29/southwest-washington-state-house-dems/