In a state like Washington where Democrats have long held power, Republicans already have a structural disadvantage, said Ben Gaskins, a political science professor at Lewis and Clark College. While Republicans need to focus on November’s general election, they shouldn’t lose sight of the long term, said Mark Stephan, an associate professor of political science at Washington State University Vancouver. Rep. Jim Walsh, chair of the Washington State Republican Party, called the nationalization of the election a “Democrat talking point.”