Schrier, Larkin To Debate In 10 Days; Schrier Ahead In Fundraising

The candidates in Washington's 8th District Congressional race are 10 days away from a debate.

Democratic incumbent Kim Schrier will face off against Republican challenger Matt Larkin in a forum at Central Washington University on Friday, October 28th.

It's the sixth installment of the Washington State Debate Coalition’s series.

New campaign financing reported Sunday by the Federal Election Commission show Schrier has raised four times as much money as Larkin.

Schrier reported raising $8.17 million, with $2.33 million cash on hand. Larkin reported raising $1.94 million, with roughly $446,500 cash on hand.

But Larkin still emerged as the general election challenger after two other Republicans outspent him in the primary.

The 8th District is considered a swing district that Republicans hope to flip in an effort to swing the House in their favor.

Schrier has held the position for the past two terms after it was previous occupied by Republicans dating back to 1983. She is a pediatrician who lives in Sammamish.

Larkin is an attorney who owns a manufacturing business. He was the 2020 Republican nominee for Washington attorney general.

According to Ballotpedia, both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) have prioritized this election.

The DCCC named Schrier to a program providing resources intended to help incumbents hold competitive seats. The NRCC included the 8th District in its target list for 2022 and named Larkin as an "On the Radar" member of its Youngs Guns program.

Joe Biden won the district in the 2020 Presidential Election by seven percentage points.