U.S. House, Washington 8th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Washington's 8th Congressional District?
Kim Schrier has the strongest record in Washington's 8th Congressional District. Kim Schrier scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Kim Schrier's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Spencer Meline (6 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
Spencer Meline
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Kim Schrier
73 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 88
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.
Spencer Meline
- On the record2026
Lent his campaign $85,000, which the committee reported as owed to him as of July 15, 2026.
Source: FEC candidate page
Kim Schrier
- Mark against2021-11-12
Reported a July 27, 2021 joint purchase of $500,001 to $1,000,000 in Apple stock on Nov. 12, 2021, past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline; she said her husband handled the investments.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20019808, Seattle Times, 2022
- On the record2025-01
Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act in January 2025 when Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 6, 2025
- Credit2026-09-25
Sponsored H.R. 3657, the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act, signed into law Sept. 25, 2026.
- Credit2023
Ranked 39th of 436 House members on the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index for 2023.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
- Credit2023-01-20
Her office reported in January 2023 that she had held her 100th town hall in four years.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Spencer Meline. 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
Kim Schrier. Reported a July 27, 2021 Apple stock purchase of up to $1 million on Nov. 12, 2021, past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline, as the Seattle Times reported. No House Ethics matter or FEC fine found.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20019808, Seattle Times, 2022, House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075089, House Committee on Ethics site search for Schrier
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. Voted against her party's leaders on several significant measures: Yea on the Laken Riley Act, the Senate amendments to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 and the 2026 farm bill, when Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 6, 2025, Laken Riley Act, House Clerk Roll Call 53, 2026, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 154, 2026, Farm, Food, and National Security Act
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. Holds open in-person town halls; her office reported her 100th town hall in four years in January 2023 and lists in-person events such as an April 2022 Wenatchee town hall. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: Office press release, Jan. 20, 2023, Office site, event listing
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. A practicing pediatrician for 17 years before serving in the U.S. House since 2019. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kim Schrier, House Committee on Ethics site search for Schrier
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. Has held sworn House office since January 2019 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.
Spencer Meline. Small business owner who built restaurant businesses in Leavenworth. Has not held public office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Spencer Meline (survey), Campaign site, home page
Kim Schrier. In the U.S. House since 2019, now in her fourth term; a pediatrician in Issaquah before that.
Sources: GovTrack, missed votes, Office site, About
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Spencer Meline. Publishes priorities on small business, cost of living, public safety, public lands and immigration, mostly in general terms, with some specifics such as active forest management.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Spencer Meline (survey), Campaign site, home page
Kim Schrier. Serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and its Health, Energy, and Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade subcommittees; her hydropower licensing bill became law in 2026. Holds no chair or ranking post.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, GovTrack, H.R. 3657 (119th Congress)
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Spencer Meline. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 and publishes campaign priorities.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Spencer Meline, Campaign site, home page
Kim Schrier. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026, offers an email newsletter and a town hall list, and publishes issue pages.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Spencer Meline. Born and raised in Edmonds and lives in Cashmere, in the district. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show all itemized individual contributions, $38,957, from Washington.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Spencer Meline (survey), Leavenworth Echo, Aug. 6, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Kim Schrier. Lives in Sammamish and practiced pediatrics in Issaquah for 17 years before Congress. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 91 percent of itemized individual contributions from Washington.
Sources: Office site, About, Ballotpedia, Kim Schrier, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Spencer Meline. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026. The committee owes $85,000 in loans from the candidate. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Kim Schrier. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026, with no debts owed. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.388 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.530, meets expectations. Her Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act was signed into law Sept. 25, 2026.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 3657 (119th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. Missed 30 of 3,869 roll call votes, 0.8 percent, from January 2019 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. Runs district offices in Wenatchee and Issaquah and publishes casework results: 6,492 constituents helped with casework.
Sources: Office site, Office Locations, Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.81450 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 39 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Spencer Meline. No public record found.
Kim Schrier. 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 8th Congressional District?
Kim Schrier has the strongest record in Washington's 8th Congressional District. Kim Schrier scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Kim Schrier's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Spencer Meline (6 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 8th Congressional District in 2026?
Spencer Meline (Republican), Kim Schrier (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Spencer Meline a good candidate for Congress?
Spencer Meline has public evidence on 6 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 Kim Schrier a good candidate for Congress?
Kim Schrier scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 88 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.