Larkin advances, Dunn concedes in 8th Congressional District

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn is throwing in the towel in the 8th Congressional District primary.

Dunn conceded to fellow Republican challenger Matt Larkin, who will face incumbent Democrat Kim Schrier in the general election.

As of Friday morning, Aug. 5, Dunn had 14.62% of the vote. Larkin had 17.07%. They were separated by 4,048 votes. So far, Schrier has taken in 47.67% of the vote (a total of 78,788 votes).

In a statement, Dunn said, "Matt will make a wonderful Congressman and I encourage all of my supporters to support him as well."

Dunn continued to say:

"I am proud of the campaign we ran, and I look forward to continuing to serve this area on the King County Council. I will keep fighting for the values I ran on, supporting our law enforcement heroes and ensuring fiscal responsibility. I will continue in my commitment to be a voice of reason on the County Council, and push back against extreme and irresponsible policies. Now more than ever, we need local leaders in King County who will stand up for what's right, not what's politically expedient."

Larkin is a businessman and former Pierce County deputy prosecutor who for ran for state attorney general in 2020. Earlier this year, KUOW asked Larkin how he compares to other Republicans running in the 8th District.

"I view myself as being the most conservative one in the race," he said.

Larkin's yards signs with the slogan, "Make Crime Illegal, Again" can be seen throughout the sprawling district, which runs from Issaquah in the west across the Cascades to Chelan in Eastern Washington.

Voters in the 8th District will decide between Schrier and Larkin in the November election.

The race was somewhat personal for Dunn. His mother Jennifer Dunn represented the 8th Congressional District from 1993 through 2005 as a Republican. After she left office, Republican Dave Reichert took over through 2019. Schrier's win in the 8th was significant as she turned the district from red to blue after it had been represented by a Republican since 1983. Republicans have been eager to take the district back ever since.

This post has been updated with a statement from Reagan Dunn and to include updated election numbers and historical context of the 8th District.