The political fun house is about to return.

The

King County Elections filing period for the 2010 political races opened June 7 and closed June 11.

Seats in the State House and Senate are up for grabs. Also there will be a race for the U.S. House of Representatives 8th District seat and U.S. Senate.

The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 17 and the general election Nov. 2.

The state primary election features the top-two system, where the two candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general regardless of affiliation with a political party. Usually a Democrat is pitted against a Republican, but there is no guarantee with the top-two primary.

If only two sign up for an office, the race passes the primary and advances to the general election ballot.

5th Legislative District

In the 5th District Legislative races, which includes Maple Valley, both Republican incumbents are back on the ballot.

In Position No. 1 incumbent Jay Rodne, R-Issaquah will be facing Gregory Scott Hoover, D-Issaquah.

Position No. 2 incumbent Glenn Anderson, R-Issaquah, is being challenged by David Spring, D-North Bend and Dean Willard, D-Issaquah.

47th Legislative District

In the 47th District State House races, which includes Covington, the incumbents are back with challengers.

Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, the incumbent in Position No. 1, is being challenged by Nancy Wyatt, R-Covington and Mark Hargrove, R-Covington.

Democrat incumbent Pat Sullivan, Covington, holds the Position No. 2 seat and is being challenged by Rodrigo Yanez, R-Renton.

In the state Senate for the 47th, Claudia Kauffman, D-Kent, is seeking another term and she is facing challenges from Joe Fain, R-Covington and Matthew Sas, R-Kent.

31st Legislative District

For the Senate Pam Roach, R-Auburn, a member of the Senate chambers for the past two decades, is facing three challengers.

Matt Richardson, R-Sumner, is lining up against Roach with Ray Bunk, D-Bonney Lake and Ron Weigelt, D-Bonney Lake.

In the State House races, Position No. 2 incumbent Chris Hurst, D-Greenwater is being challenged by Patrick Reed, R-Sumner and Daniel Geske, R-Bonney Lake.

Hurst is running as an independent Democrat this season. The representative said he was not happy with the infighting in Olympia inside the party.

Position No. 1 is open this year. Republican Dan Roach, who held the House seat, decided to run for the Pierce County Council seat left vacant by Shawn Bunney, whose time on the council ended due to term limits.

Bunney, R-Lake Tapps, is running for the Position No. 1 House seat. Also signed up for the position is Cathy Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw and Peggy Levesque, D-South Praire.

U.S. Senate

Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Patty Murray is facing a bevy of challengers headed by Republican Dino Rossi, who battled Gov. Chris Gregoire twice for the mansion. He lost to Gregoire the first time by less than 200 votes.

Along with Murray and Rossi are 13 other candidates signed up for the office

8th Congressional District

Congressman Dave Reichert, R-Auburn will be asking voters to send him back to Washington D.C. for another term. Reichert is facing Republican challenges from Ernest Huber and Tim Dillon. The Democrats signed up are Suzan DelBene, Keith Arnold, Tom Cramer and Boleslaw “John” Orlinski.

Robin Adair filed with the Independent Party and Caleb Love Mardini filed with no party preference.