Kim Schrier is leading race to become the Democratic nominee for Washington state’s swing 8th congressional district. Image by Flickr/Kim Schrier

Jewish Democrat Kim Schrier eked out a narrow primary victory against Jason Rittereiser to take on Republican Dino Rossi in a key Congressional race in Washington state.

The Associated Press called the win for Schrier, a pediatrician, who leads by a little more than 1,100 votes. The Democrat, who has the backing Emily’s List, is part of the party’s strategy of targeting swing suburban and exurban districts to flip at least 23 seats to regain a House majority.

She is also one of a several Jewish candidates expected to help boost the number of Jews in Congress.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Schrier has an especially good shot at winning with Republican incumbent Dave Reichert retiring in the Seattle-area district that has been trending more Democratic. Hillary Clinton won the district by a 3% margin.

Democrats also garnered more votes than Republicans in the open “jungle primary” — a sign pollsters say points strongly to a Schrier win in November.

EXPLORE ALL THE RACES WITH JEWISH CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES IN OUR INTERACTIVE MAP

Rossi still has a big fundraising advantage, with more than $1,7 million cash on hand compared to Schrier’s $650,000.

Contact Ben Fractenberg at fractenberg@forward.com or on Twitter, @fractenberg

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount