Ted Cooke

Ted Cooke is the Republican candidate for the Washington House of Representatives, District 47-Position 2, facing Democratic incumbent Chris Stearns in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1] He has run for the seat in several earlier elections, including 2018, 2020 and 2024, and works as a senior software tester and lab manager.[1]

Ted Cooke earned a bachelor's degree in theology from Beacon University in 2000, and Ballotpedia lists his career experience as senior software tester and lab manager.[1] In a biographical submission to Ballotpedia, Cooke said he was born in Renton, was raised in Renton and Maple Valley, and lives in Covington with his wife and five children.[2]

Cooke lost the 2018 and 2020 general elections for District 47-Position 2 to Democratic incumbent Pat Sullivan.[1] In 2022 he finished fourth in the nonpartisan primary for the open seat won by Chris Stearns, and in 2024 he advanced from the primary and lost the general election to Stearns, 55.6 percent to 44.2 percent.[1] He advanced from the August 4, 2026 primary for a rematch with Stearns.[1]

In a 2018 Ballotpedia survey, Cooke listed lower taxes, traffic congestion relief, and putting the needs of the 47th District first as his top priorities.[2] He wrote then that government should be limited mostly to external self-defense, punishing fault, ensuring fair standards for trade and contracts, handling a handful of natural monopolies and providing a very basic safety net.[2]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.