Brown’s competitor in the general election, Republican Pete Serrano, took home 43% of the statewide vote after the first ballot counts.
First a JAG officer in the Army, Brown later became a prosecutor in the state before being appointed as general counsel for Gov. Jay Inslee from 2013 to 2017. Brown then became a U.S. Attorney for Western Washington after being nominated by President Joe Biden for the position in 2021. He resigned from that position in 2023.
Brown campaigned on issues such as gun violence prevention, combating substance abuse, ensuring access to reproductive health and addressing root causes regarding housing, education and mental health.
“My promise to all Washingtonians is that no matter what happens in Washington, D.C., that we will be ready," Brown said Tuesday. "We will be ready to defend your rights, your civil rights, your right to an abortion, your environmental protections, your rights as a consumer — we will be ready."
Serrano, the current mayor of Pasco in the Tri-Cities, is also an attorney for the Silent Majority Foundation, a nonprofit focused on issues such as Second Amendment rights. Serrano is also currently representing Gators Custom Guns in a lawsuit against the state regarding the ban on high-capacity magazines imposed by the Legislature in 2022. Previously, Serrano served as an environmental attorney at the U.S. Department of Energy at Hanford.
During the election, Serrano campaigned on issues like public safety, Second Amendment rights, energy and environmental issues, and government transparency.
Brown and Serrano were the top two finishers in Washington’s primary election in August, with Serrano garnering 42% of the vote to Brown’s 36%. The Democrat vote was split between Brown and state Sen. Manka Dhingra, who did not advance to the general election.
Ballots will continue to be counted in the coming days, and the Secretary of State has until Dec. 5 to certify the general election results.
This story has been updated to add comment from Nick Brown.
