Redrawn election maps could push a Tri-Cities senator out. She isn’t giving up yet
A state lawmaker from the Tri-Cities, who was drawn out of her own district last year by a federal judge, says she will run for her seat next year.
But even if an opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit goes her way, she could still face a challenger from a fellow Republican.
State Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, says she remains “hopeful” the court will restore Washington’s 15th Legislative District to its previous boundaries and draw her back in it.
A trio of circuit judges last week heard oral arguments in the appeal of Palmer v. Trevino, the federal suit that resulted in changes to a quarter of the state’s legislative districts.
That news spurred Torres to announce her reelection, citing it as a “really good sign” that judges might overturn the decision. Although she does not live in the redrawn district, Torres is allowed to serve the rest of her term through the end of 2026.
“Since taking office in 2023, I have fought tirelessly for our communities, championing public safety, economic opportunity, and ensuring that all voices of the people of Central Washington are heard. But our work is far from over,” she said in her announcement.
A day later, state Rep. Jeremie Dufault, R-Selah, announced he would be pursuing the same seat next year.
Dufault and Torres are district mates, both representing the 15th District. All of Washington’s legislative districts elect two representatives to the state House and one representative to the state Senate.
In a statement, Dufault, 46 said he was challenging Torres because he believes voters deserve “conservative, experienced representation in the state Senate by someone who lives in the Yakima Valley.”
“I have lived here most of my life and have represented this community for five years in the House. I am a part of the Yakima Valley and I will work hard to represent my lifelong friends and neighbors in Olympia,” he said.
But Torres, 49, the first Latina to ever represent Central Washington, says her work speaks for itself.
Six of her bills have made it to the governor’s desk for signing, and she hopes to send another four to Gov. Bob Ferguson before the Legislature wraps up work on April 27. She also highlighted $136 million in 2025-27 capital budget investments she secured for the district.
“My work that I’ve done shows I’ve done a pretty darn good job,” she said.
9th Circuit appeal
It’s unclear how soon appellate judges could release an opinion on U.S. District Court of Western Washington’s August 2023 ruling that the redrawn map for Washington’s legislative districts impaired the ability of Latino voters to elect candidates of their choice.
Plaintiffs argued successfully that the 2021 Washington Redistricting Commission’s map “cracked” Latino voters in the Yakima Valley and divided voters of interest into multiple legislative districts, a violation of Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Each year after a decennial U.S. census, Washington convenes its redistricting commission to proportionally redraw the Evergreen State’s 49 legislative districts and 10 congressional districts.
Sonni Waknin, senior voting rights counsel at the UCLA Voting Rights Project, a current attorney for plaintiffs in the Palmer v. Trevino case, says a decision could come days, weeks or even several months from now. She’s not expecting any additional oral arguments.
A spokesperson for the court’s Office of the Circuit Executive said there’s “no specific length of time” by which opinions are granted.
“Some courts have internal rules and deadlines regulating that interval but the Ninth Circuit does not and there is no way to predict it,” the spokesperson said.
An affirmation of the lower court’s rulings could lead to a U.S. Supreme Court appeal, Waknin said. But in that case four of the court’s nine justices would have to agree that the case holds precedential value or national significance to proceed.
The nation’s highest court declined an emergency stay from last year that would have blocked the maps from being used in 2024 elections.
But the Ninth Circuit could also overturn it, returning the case back to U.S. District Court for changes if they felt the court made a mistake, Waknin said.
Republicans, Torres included, are hoping for the latter outcome.
Torres seeks 2026 reelection
Between 2022 and 2024, the 15th Legislative District stretched from Pasco to Yakima, and encompassed large swaths of the Hanford nuclear site and the Othello area.
But the map was ordered to be redrawn by Judge Robert Lasnik, of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, in 2023. The state Redistricting Commission was given an opportunity to revise and adopt a new map, but declined, leaving the work up to the court.
The remedial map, which was used in 2024 elections, redrew the 15th Legislative District further up the Yakima Valley and it no longer includes Torres’ north Pasco property. She instead lives in the 16th Legislative District.
Torres told the Herald she doesn’t plan to move, but when asked about a Ninth Circuit ruling that would favor the status quo, she said “we’ll see.”
Senate Republican Deputy Whip Perry Dozier represents Torres in the 16th District. She declined to challenge his reelection bid last year.
So far, Torres has raised more than $17,000 for reelection next year. Dufault has filed paperwork with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission to run, but hasn’t reported any contributions yet.
Candidates seeking this seat must file with the Washington Secretary of State’s Office in May 2026.
Dufault is a commercial real estate developer and serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He’s a military veteran who served in Kuwait and Afghanistan, and is a former Selah city councilor.
He was named one of the most conservative voting members of the Washington House of Representatives by the Conservative Political Action Committee, or CPAC, according to his news release.
Torres served on the Pasco City Council but ran unopposed in 2022 to replace longtime Sen. Jim Honeyford, who retired.
She works as a business development manager and is a past president of the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She’s served on various other Tri-City boards and organizations.
The Washington Legislature is made up of 147 lawmakers in the state House and Senate.
