Rep. Adam Smith, Washington’s longest-serving U.S. House member, was ahead in Tuesday’s primary, with Republican Doug Basler in second place, putting them on course for a likely November matchup. The result, if it holds, would end the political comeback attempt by Kshama Sawant, the socialist former Seattle City Councilmember, who was in third place.

Thousands more votes remain to be counted in the coming days. In Tuesday’s vote count, Smith, D-Bellevue, had 51% in the 9th Congressional District race. Basler, a perennial GOP candidate, was in second with 24%. Sawant was in third with 13%, barely ahead of Melissa Chaudhry, a Democrat challenging Smith from the left.

Sawant, speaking to about 50 people at the Casa Latina worker center, was defiant in the face of the results. She blamed union leaders for endorsing Smith and Chaudhry for splitting the leftist vote.

“Shame on Melissa Chaudhry,” she shouted, to boos and hisses from the crowd.