U.S. House, Washington 2nd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Washington's 2nd Congressional District?
Rick Larsen has the strongest record in Washington's 2nd Congressional District. Rick Larsen scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Rick Larsen's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Edwin H. Feller (4 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
Edwin H. Feller
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Rick Larsen
69 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 69
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.
Edwin H. Feller
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Rick Larsen
- Mark against2023-05-26
Reported 28 trades from a managed IRA in May 2023, some dating to 2020, after not filing periodic reports on them; he said earlier ethics guidance had not required them.
Source: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20000807
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electoral votes; did not vote on the January 2005 Ohio objection.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 7, Jan. 6, 2005
- Credit2026-04-14
Received the 2026 Henry M. Jackson Award from the Economic Alliance Snohomish County for his transportation work and project funding in the district.
- Credit2024-12
Held open in-person town halls in Ferndale and Edmonds in December 2024 and in Skagit County in May 2025.
Sources: My Everett News, Dec. 7, 2024, Office press release, May 5, 2025
- Credit2022
Was the primary sponsor of the National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act of 2022 (H.R. 884, 117th Congress), which GovTrack lists as enacted.
Source: GovTrack, enacted legislation
- Credit2021
Was the primary sponsor of the Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act of 2021 (H.R. 4961, 117th Congress), which GovTrack lists as enacted.
Source: GovTrack, enacted legislation
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Edwin H. Feller. A candidate financial disclosure is on file with the House Clerk (filed Sept. 23, 2026) and a statement of candidacy is on file with the FEC. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082880, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Rick Larsen. His 2025 annual disclosure was filed May 13, 2026. In May 2023 he reported 28 trades in a managed IRA dating to 2020, noting in the filing that he had not filed periodic reports on earlier guidance; that acknowledgment meets E16.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20000807, House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075151
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Held open in-person town halls in Ferndale and Edmonds in December 2024 and in Skagit County in May 2025. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: My Everett News, Dec. 7, 2024, Office press release, May 5, 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Has served in the House since January 2001. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Rick Larsen, House Committee on Ethics site search for Larsen
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Has held sworn office in the House since 2001. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections and did not vote on the January 2005 Ohio objection. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 7, Jan. 6, 2005
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Edwin H. Feller. Worked 60 years in the HVAC industry, including HVAC work for U.S. State Department facilities in 60 countries. Has not held public office.
Rick Larsen. In the U.S. House since January 2001, now in his thirteenth term.
Sources: GovTrack, Rick Larsen, Office site, Biography
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Edwin H. Feller. Has stated positions on immigration, Title IX, hydropower and nuclear energy, trade schools and voter proof of citizenship, in general terms.
Rick Larsen. Ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; sponsored the National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act of 2022, which was enacted. Publishes priorities on costs, fentanyl, veterans and transportation.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, The Herald (Everett), July 11, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Offers a newsletter, publishes issue pages on his office site and holds in-person town halls. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Biography, My Everett News, Dec. 7, 2024, Ballotpedia, Rick Larsen
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Edwin H. Feller. Lives in Lynden, in Whatcom County, per The Herald. No itemized contributions are reported by state.
Rick Larsen. Born and raised in Northwest Washington and based in Everett. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 66 percent of itemized individual contributions from Washington.
Sources: Campaign site, Meet Rick, The Herald (Everett), May 6, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.670 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.568, meeting expectations. Primary sponsor of eight enacted bills, most recently the National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act of 2022.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Missed 391 of 16,176 roll call votes, 2.4 percent, from January 2001 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Keeps district offices in Everett and Bellingham and holds regular in-person town halls across the district.
Sources: Office site, office locations, Office press release, May 5, 2025, My Everett News, Dec. 7, 2024
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.97152 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 323 of 436, just 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.
Edwin H. Feller. No public record found.
Rick Larsen. 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 2nd Congressional District?
Rick Larsen has the strongest record in Washington's 2nd Congressional District. Rick Larsen scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Rick Larsen's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Edwin H. Feller (4 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 2nd Congressional District in 2026?
Edwin H. Feller (Republican), Rick Larsen (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Edwin H. Feller a good candidate for Congress?
Edwin H. Feller has public evidence on 4 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 Rick Larsen a good candidate for Congress?
Rick Larsen scores 69 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 69 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.