What the 2026 Election Results Mean for Black Communities in the Northwest

The 2026 election results are in across Alaska, Oregon and Washington, and they cut both ways for Black families in our region. Washington voters turned back Initiative 001 and kept the millionaires tax that funds schools and child care. They also passed IL26-638, a sports measure we opposed, and it is already in court. Alaska is still counting in a U.S. Senate race that a federal judge refused to let anyone block before a single vote was cast.

Washington Kept Student Privacy in Place

Initiative 001 would have repealed the parents’ rights changes the Legislature made in 2025 and brought back the 2024 version of the law. Supporters called it a restoration. We read it as a rule that would force schools to pass along what students say to counselors and nurses, even when home is not a safe place to say it.

Voters said no. By Thursday after Election Day, KIRO 7 reported about 53% of Washington voters rejecting it. For Black students dealing with racial trauma, family stress or a school discipline system that already treats them harder, a trusted adult at school can be the only safe door. That door stays open.

The Millionaires Tax Stays, and So Does the Money for Kids

Initiative 645 asked voters to repeal Washington’s 9.9% tax on individual income over $1 million. It failed, with about 58% voting No in OPB’s count as of November 10. That money pays for schools, child care and free school meals.

Washington’s tax system leans hardest on families with the least, and most BIPOC households, Black families included, pay a higher state and local tax rate than white households. Repealing the tax would have pushed that weight further onto working families. Keeping it is a real win for economic justice in our state.

IL26-638 Passed, and the Fight Moved to Court

IL26-638 passed with about 56% of the vote. It bars transgender girls from girls’ K-12 sports and requires any girl who wants to play to prove her sex through a provider’s statement. We opposed it because the burden falls on every girl, and Black girls are already more likely to have their bodies questioned for being too tall, too strong or not “feminine enough.”

On November 9, a coalition including TransFamilies, the Washington Education Association and five families with daughters on school teams sued in King County Superior Court. The 19th reports the suit argues the measure violates Washington’s Equal Rights Amendment and the privacy rights in the state constitution. The ACLU of Washington, Legal Voice and Pacifica Law Group represent the plaintiffs. We will follow the case and share what it means for families as it moves.

A New Washington Legislature

Democrats flipped seven Republican-held House seats, which would give them 66 of 98, according to the Washington State Standard via OPB. Two thirds of the House can override a veto and send constitutional amendments to voters. The party last held that many seats in 1949.

In the 14th District in central Washington, redrawn under the Voting Rights Act, voters elected Chelsea Dimas of Sunnyside, who says she is the first Indigenous person and first Democratic Latina elected to the Legislature from east of the mountains. Fair maps change who gets elected. That is why we keep fighting for them.

Alaska Is Still Counting, and That Is How It Should Work

Alaska’s U.S. Senate race is not decided. The state’s unofficial summary report shows Mary Peltola with 48.79% of first-choice votes and Dan Sullivan with 47.05%, with ranked choice tabulation still to come. Ballot Measure 2, which would repeal ranked choice voting, is trailing with about 52.6% voting No.

Before Election Day, the Justice Department asked a federal court to block certification of this race if the Republican candidate lost. The judge threw the case out. NAACP and AOWSAC filed a brief in that case, and you can read our report on the dismissal. The point stands: Alaskans decide Alaska’s elections, and officials must count and certify every lawful ballot.

Oregon Re-Elects Its Governor

In Oregon, Gov. Tina Kotek won a second term over Christine Drazan, 53.3% to 43.8%, according to the AP call reported by MultiState. Oregon branches will be pressing the governor and Legislature on housing, policing and school funding in the 2027 session.

An election is not the finish line. It decides which fights we have next and where we have them.

What Comes Next for Us

Washington counties certify on November 24 and the state follows in early December. Until then, every number here can still move. After that, the work changes shape. We will watch the IL26-638 lawsuit, hold Washington’s new supermajority to the promises made on the trail, and push Alaska officials to finish the count and certify on time. Our branches in all three states will carry these issues into the 2027 legislative sessions, and we want you in the room.

Additional Resources

• OPB, Election Results 2026
• The 19th, Lawsuit Quickly Follows Washington Ballot Measure on Trans Sports Participation
• ACLU, Voting Rights Groups Win Case to Protect Alaska’s Election Certification
• Alaska Division of Elections, 2026 General Election Summary Report
• Washington Secretary of State, Elections