U.S. House, Washington 10th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Washington's 10th Congressional District?
Marilyn Strickland has the strongest record in Washington's 10th Congressional District. Marilyn Strickland scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Marilyn Strickland's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Chris D. Chung (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Chris D. Chung
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Marilyn Strickland
68 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 63
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Chris D. Chung
- On the record2024-08-06
Ran in the August 2024 primary for Washington Insurance Commissioner with a Democratic party preference; he files as a Republican in 2026.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Chris Chung, FEC candidate page
Marilyn Strickland
- On the record2025
Voted Yea on the HALT Fentanyl Act in 2025 when Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025
- Credit2025-12-12
Sponsored H.R. 970, the Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2025, on servicemember life insurance; it was signed into law Dec. 12, 2025.
- Credit2025-03-20
Appeared at an open town hall in Yelm on March 20, 2025 with Republican state Rep. Matt Marshall.
- Credit2024-12-23
Sponsored H.R. 6537, the REWARD Experience Act on military nurse experience; its provisions were enacted in the FY2025 defense authorization signed Dec. 23, 2024.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Sept. 9, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076603, House Committee on Ethics site search for Strickland, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Voted against her party's leaders on several significant measures: Yea on the HALT Fentanyl Act, the Affordable HOMES Act and the Electric Supply Chain Act when Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025, HALT Fentanyl Act, House Clerk Roll Call 12, 2026, Affordable HOMES Act, House Clerk Roll Call 324, 2025, Electric Supply Chain Act
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Took part in an open in-person town hall in Yelm on March 20, 2025 alongside a Republican state representative. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Served on the Tacoma City Council, two terms as Tacoma mayor and in the U.S. House since 2021. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Roll Call, Dec. 15, 2025, House Committee on Ethics site search for Strickland
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Has held sworn local and federal office since 2008 and voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. In the U.S. House since 2021, now in her third term; two terms as mayor of Tacoma and president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce before that.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Serves on the Armed Services and Transportation and Infrastructure committees and four subcommittees; her campaign lists her as a Chief Deputy Whip. Several of her bills have become law.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Campaign site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Offers an email newsletter, has held telephone town halls and publishes issue pages. Completed Ballotpedia's survey in 2020 but not in 2026.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Media Center, Ballotpedia, Marilyn Strickland
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Grew up in Tacoma, where her family settled after her father's Army retirement, and served as its mayor. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 68 percent of itemized individual contributions from Washington.
Sources: Roll Call, Dec. 15, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026; the committee reports $50,000 in debts. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.749 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.526, meets expectations. Her Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act was signed into law Dec. 12, 2025.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 970 (119th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Missed 65 of 2,915 roll call votes, 2.2 percent, from January 2021 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Runs district offices in Lacey and Lakewood and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, Office Locations
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.52154 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 228 of 436, negative but above the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Chris D. Chung. No public record found.
Marilyn Strickland. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Washington's 10th Congressional District?
Marilyn Strickland has the strongest record in Washington's 10th Congressional District. Marilyn Strickland scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Marilyn Strickland's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Chris D. Chung (0 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Washington's 10th Congressional District in 2026?
Chris D. Chung (Republican), Marilyn Strickland (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Chris D. Chung a good candidate for Congress?
Chris D. Chung has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Marilyn Strickland a good candidate for Congress?
Marilyn Strickland scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Washington race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Washington 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.