OLYMPIA — The Washington state Senate voted Tuesday night to approve a bill that would strengthen the state’s 2016 presidential primary and move it from May to March.
In a 36-12 vote, a bipartisan majority supported a bill from Secretary of State Kim Wyman to revamp how the state conducts its presidential primary. Under the bill, Washington’s primary date would move from late May to one week after the early March Super Tuesday primaries. In 2016, that would be March 8 — early enough, the bill’s backers hope, to make Washington delegates more valuable to candidates.
“We’d like to be part of the national debate here on the West Coast so that more candidates will come to Washington state,” said Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, lead sponsor of the bill.
Along with changing the date of the primary, the bill also aims to lessen the influence of party caucuses in favor of the citizens who vote in primaries.
