Senator Maria Cantwell in 1992, the district had been in Republican hands for 40 years (and 42 of the previous 46 years). Since the 1998 election, when Inslee was first elected, the growing Democratic trend in the Seattle area enabled him to turn it into a fairly safe seat.
In 1992, Senator Maria Cantwell pointed out that the district had been under Republican control for 40 years (and 42 of the previous 46 years). Since Inslee's election in 1998, the growing Democratic influence in Seattle has enabled him to make it a relatively safe seat.