2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Washington House District 37, Position 1

2 candidates, listed alphabetically.

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Washington uses a top-two primary: the two candidates with the most votes in the August 4 primary advanced, regardless of party preference.

Candidates

Sharon Tomiko Santos

DemocraticIncumbent

In office now: State Representative, District 37
Work: State Representative, 37th District (Chair, Education); nonprofit founder and manager

Listed in the official Washington voters' pamphlet. Elected experience: Chair, Education Committee; Member, Finance Committee and Consumer Protection and Business Committee.

Sharon Tomiko Santos is a state representative who chairs the House Education Committee. She has worked in nonprofit governance and management, founding three nonprofit organizations, and in local government policy and community relations.

In these tough times, Washington families face rising costs and complex challenges. As your State Representative and the House Education Chair, I am focused on a future where economic security and quality education are accessible to everyone. I am working to lower the cost of living while protecting the essential services upon which we all rely. …

Candidate's statement in the official Washington voters' pamphlet · Washington Secretary of State

Santos's experience

Elected experience: Chair, Education Committee; Member, Finance Committee and Consumer Protection and Business Committee.
Other professional experience: Non-profit governance and management, including creating three non-profit organizations (two national, one local); Local government executive branch policy and community relations
Community service: Board Member, Neighborhood House; Member, Washington Civil Rights Coalition; Founding Board Member, Hate Free Zone of Washington (OneAmerica); Founding Board Member, Puget Sound Public Radio, KUOW; Founding Member, Washington Tax Fairness Coalition; Founding Member, Task Force on Immigration and the States, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

Santos's education

Franklin High School
B. A., The Evergreen State College
M.A., Northeastern University.

Santos's committees

Consumer Protection & Business
Education
Finance

Sources for Santos

Online Voters' Guide, General Election November 3, 2026 (Washington Secretary of State, Public record)
Washington State Legislature: current member roster (Washington State Legislature (legislative web services), Public record)
Washington State Legislature: committee information (Washington State Legislature (legislative web services), Public record)

Kelabe Tewolde

Democratic

Work: Associate Director of Leadership Development, Rainier Scholars

Listed in the official Washington voters' pamphlet. Elected experience: First time candidate running to bring needed generation change to Olympia

Kelabe Tewolde has worked at Rainier Scholars since 2018 and is associate director of leadership development; earlier work includes user experience research for Bloom Works and internships with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. The 2026 race is a first run for office.

As a child in Seattle, we experienced housing insecurity, medical debt, and gun violence. We achieved stability when she found a union healthcare job, and I joined Rainier Scholars. …

Candidate's statement in the official Washington voters' pamphlet · Washington Secretary of State

Tewolde's experience

Elected experience: First time candidate running to bring needed generation change to Olympia
Other professional experience: Associate Director of Leadership Development, Rainier Scholars (2018-present); UX Research, Bloom Works and Washington Thriving (2024); Casework and Legislative Internships, US Senator Patty Murray.
Community service: Current Seattle Planning Commissioner, 2020-present, helping make our city more affordable, inclusive, and welcoming to our growing, diverse population. Organized mutual aid in 2020, helping feed thousands of community members alongside local organizers. Additional volunteer work with the Mamelodi Initiative, in Pretoria, South Africa, helping expand education and outreach, and with the Youth Grantmaking Advisory Board with the Seattle Foundation.

Tewolde's education

Colgate University, BA Political Science

Sources for Tewolde

Online Voters' Guide, General Election November 3, 2026 (Washington Secretary of State, Public record)

Sources

Candidate list and race details

GENERAL 2026 Candidate List (VoteWA, election 899) (Washington Secretary of State, Public record)

What's included: U.S. Senate and House, statewide offices, every state legislative district on the ballot and statewide ballot measures.
Everything else: Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: voter.votewa.gov.
Candidate lists: As of Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.