Krist Novoselic’s Cascade Party in Washington’s Nov. 3, 2026 Election: The Results

How Krist’s Cascade Party Did in Its First Big General Election Test

Washington voted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and for Krist Novoselic fans there was one more thing to watch besides the music news: the general election was the first big test for the Cascade Party of Washington, the centrist party Krist founded in 2024 and still chairs. Here is a plain guide to who was on the ballot, what the party says it stands for, how things stood after the August primary, and how the races came out.

The short version: the Cascade Party did not win a seat this time. Its only candidate with a Cascade label on the ballot, Jeff Kelly, took about a third of the vote in the 38th District and conceded to incumbent Julio Cortes. Damon Townsend, the party’s pick for Pierce County Auditor, is also running about two to one behind incumbent Linda Farmer. The numbers below are unofficial, taken from the Secretary of State’s results site as checked on November 8, 2026. Washington votes by mail, so counties keep counting late ballots; they certify by November 24 and the state certifies by December 3.

What is the Cascade Party?

The party was created in 2024, with Krist as its founder (The Everett Herald), and it qualified as a minor party in Washington in August 2024 (Wikipedia). The party’s own site lists Krist Novoselić as chair, with Marjorie O’Rourke as secretary and Erik Raistakka as treasurer (Cascade Party). Members approved 11 resolutions at their January 24, 2026 convention. They cover housing, forest practices rules, the Interstate Bridge replacement, Sound Transit debt, medical billing, tobacco taxes and a proposed Peninsula County, among others (Cascade Party).

Krist explained the branding on KIRO Newsradio’s John Curley Show in August: “you see a donkey, you see an elephant, and we want people to see and recognize an owl.” He said the party’s pitch centers on everyday costs like fuel, groceries and housing. He also said the party doesn’t support the Climate Commitment Act, and he was careful on the proposed millionaires’ tax. The same interview notes that Krist is a former Democrat who once chaired the Wahkiakum County Democratic Central Committee before leaving the party in 2009. On the slow work of party-building he said: “It’s hard to build a new party… but we’re in no rush… We’ve been around since 2024, and we’re getting rolling” (MyNorthwest).

38th Legislative District, State Representative Position 1

This is the one race on the November ballot where a candidate is officially listed with a Cascade party preference. Thomas (Jeff) Kelly is listed with the party preference “Cascade” on the Secretary of State’s general election candidate list (WA Secretary of State). He faced incumbent Democrat Julio Cortes, who was seeking a third term in a district covering most of Everett, Marysville and Tulalip. The Herald describes Kelly as a 49-year-old first-time candidate from Everett. He is a retired nurse and Army combat medic and chairs the Delta Neighborhood Association, and he lists affordability, tax reform and spending cuts as his priorities (The Everett Herald). His campaign site groups his platform under public safety, affordability and opportunity (Jeff Kelly campaign).

In the August 4 top-two primary, the official Snohomish County results had Cortes at 13,707 votes (51.10%), Kelly at 7,627 (28.43%), Annie Fitzgerald at 5,176 (19.30%) and write-ins at 315 (1.17%). Cortes and Kelly advanced (Snohomish County Elections; The Everett Herald).

Result: In the latest count, Cortes has 32,982 votes (66.12%) and Kelly has 16,462 (33.00%), with 436 write-ins (0.87%) (WA Secretary of State, Snohomish County update of November 6). The Herald reported that Cortes will likely keep his seat (The Everett Herald), and Kelly conceded in a statement on November 5: “Congratulations to Julio Cortes on his reelection… I’m proud that Cascade Party Washington brought fresh ideas and a new voice to this election” (Lynnwood Times). Kelly roughly doubled his primary vote total and went from 28% in August to 33% in November.

Pierce County Auditor

The Cascade Party also lists Damon Townsend as one of its candidates (Cascade Party), and Townsend sits on the party’s board (Cascade Party). The auditor’s race is nonpartisan, though, so no party appeared next to his name on the ballot. He faced Linda Farmer, who was elected Pierce County Auditor in 2022 (Ballotpedia; Ballotpedia). The two met in that 2022 race too. In the 2022 primary Farmer finished first with 43.87% and Townsend third with 23.51% (Pierce County Elections). A piece supporting Townsend on the party’s blog, The Summit, says he worked as Pierce County Elections Supervisor for five years and as interim elections manager in Clallam and Cowlitz counties in 2020 (The Summit).

Result: Farmer leads with 192,444 votes (65.98%) to Townsend’s 97,896 (33.56%), with 1,342 write-ins (0.46%) (Pierce County results, update of November 5; Pierce County’s next update is expected November 10). We haven’t seen a formal call or concession yet, but with a lead of more than 94,000 votes, Farmer is on track to win a second term.

Other races the party is talking about

Krist told KIRO the party is working with independent candidate Marcia Kelbon in the 24th District (MyNorthwest). On the ballot, Kelbon is listed as “States No Party Preference” for State Representative Position 2 in the 24th Legislative District, who ran against Democrat Kaylee Kuehn (WA Secretary of State). Kelbon has also written for The Summit (The Summit). The blog has run a piece backing Dave Larson in the nonpartisan race for Supreme Court Position 5, where he faced Theo Angelis (The Summit; WA Secretary of State).

Two other Cascade-preference candidates ran in the August primary, Antony Barran in the 3rd Congressional District and Devin Poore in the 4th. Neither appears on the general election list (WA Secretary of State).

Results: In the 24th District, Kuehn leads Kelbon 34,474 votes (57.13%) to 25,730 (42.64%) (WA Secretary of State, count of November 7). Kelbon carried Grays Harbor County but trailed in Clallam and Jefferson counties. On election night she told the Peninsula Daily News that “it’s most likely Kaylee will be the winner” (Peninsula Daily News). In the statewide Supreme Court race, Angelis leads Larson 1,509,936 votes (55.72%) to 1,191,679 (43.98%) (WA Secretary of State, count of November 7), and Decision Desk HQ has called the race for Angelis (DDHQ). As of November 8 we hadn’t found a statement on the results from Krist or the Cascade Party itself. We’ll add one if it appears.

Where to check the final count

Counting continues until counties certify on November 24, and the state certifies on December 3. Statewide and legislative results are posted by the Washington Secretary of State. County results come from Snohomish County Elections and Pierce County Elections. This page reports on Krist’s party and its candidates and does not endorse anyone. As always, check your own ballot and voters’ pamphlet for your races.

For Krist’s three decades in politics, see our Krist and Politics section, his Political Career page, and the Krist Novoselic Timeline: 2005 to Today.

Featured photo: Krist Novoselic’s Bona Fide Band at the Spanish Ballroom, Tacoma, July 23, 2024, with a Cascade Party banner behind Krist. Photo by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources: WA Secretary of State 2026 general election results, The Everett Herald (Nov. 2026), Lynnwood Times, Peninsula Daily News, Decision Desk HQ, WA Secretary of State candidate lists, Snohomish County Elections, Pierce County Elections, The Everett Herald, MyNorthwest, Cascade Party, Ballotpedia, Jeff Kelly campaign, Wikipedia.