Washington state election results 2026 now hinge in part on Initiative 645, as voters on Election Day decide whether to repeal the Millionaires Tax before it collects any revenue. A yes vote would erase the tax; a no vote would keep it in place as part of a broader ballot that also includes school, court, and council contests.
The tax applies to anyone or any household making more than a million dollars each year. The first million dollars of earnings is exempt, and any amount above that threshold would face a 9.9% state income tax come 2029 if it withstands challenges.
Rian Watt on Initiative 645
Rian Watt, part of the no campaign, said passage would lead to $13 billion in cuts to K-12 education, childcare and healthcare. He said, "The bottom line is that if initiative 645 passes, there will be 13 billion dollars in cuts to K-12 education, childcare and healthcare in this state."
Watt also said, "Washington has one of the most upside-down tax codes in the country, where the rich are paying far less of their income in taxes than the rest of us. This is not the time to give a tax break to millionaires and cut K-12 education." His argument ties the repeal fight to how the state would pay for services that have not yet been funded by the tax.
Jaime Herrera Beutler and the tax
Jaime Herrera Beutler, speaking for the yes campaign, said the tax is not set to be collected for another two years. She said, "They're saying if we repeal this in the next five weeks, that it will cut money that they have" and added, "That's not true. The tax isn't set to actually even be collected for another two years."
That dispute is the central policy question inside Initiative 645: supporters say voters are deciding before any money reaches state accounts, while opponents say repeal would open a gap that would force cuts elsewhere. The measure turns on whether voters accept that timing argument or the warning about what would have to be reduced if the tax disappears.
Anna Conner on school rights
The same ballot also asks voters to weigh changes to parental rights in public schools, transgender students' participation in girls' sports, five races for the state Supreme Court, and a closely watched Seattle City Council contest. The Parents’ Bill of Rights fight has gone back and forth for several years, after the legislature passed its first version, known as Initiative 2081, in 2024 and Democrats stripped much of what was passed in 2025.
Anna Conner, a mom, substitute teacher, and coach, spoke as a parent and educator in favor of restoring the Parents’ Bill of Rights. She said, "Instead of moving towards taking away their rights, we need to empower parents and teach them that their job is the most important for the child that they have in their home."
Courtney Normand, a mom and Washington State Director for the Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, took the opposite side on that measure. She said, "Washingtonians should vote no on this issue because it removes common sense protections for students, their families, and even for our schools."
Ballots cast on Election Day will decide whether Initiative 645 survives, along with the rest of the statewide and local slate. The immediate answer will be in the vote itself: whether Washington keeps the Millionaires Tax in place or repeals it before 2029, and how voters split on the other measures remains the unfinished part of the night.
