Incumbent 3rd Congressional District Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler has formally conceded in the August primary, with fellow Republican Joe Kent overtaking her for the second spot in latter vote counts behind Democrat Marie Glusenkamp Perez .
Also facing a GOP primary challenge was 4th District Rep. Dan Newhouse, who advanced to the November general election. Both he and Herrera Beutler were among those who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump following the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
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U.S. Congress, District 3
Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez comfortably led throughout post election day tallies, although totals for Republican candidates comprised roughly 64% of the remaining votes. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler bowed out of the race after failing to finish in the top two spots. Kent -- who was endorsed by Trump in the days leading up to the election -- trailed in third behind Herrera Beutler early on, before eventually overtaking her by the time all votes were tallied.
In a statement, Beutler said in part, “Though my campaign came up short this time, I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together for the place where I was raised and still call home.”
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District includes Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties, and part of southern Thurston County.
Herrera Beutler was seeking her seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives after first being elected to the position in 2011.
According to Gluesenkamp Perez’s campaign website, her great-great-grandfather “helped build the Washington State Capitol building as a quarry foreman.” She owns an auto-repair shop with her husband, and touts herself as a candidate “for working Washingtonians.”
Kent, a former Green Beret in the U.S. Army, has been formally endorsed by Trump and is running in part because of Herrera Beutler’s decision to vote to impeach the former president. Kent’s campaign website calls Herrera Beutler a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) and highlights his endorsement from the former president.
The headwinds Herrera Beutler faced were evident in the northern edge of the 3rd District, in southern Thurston County.
Rochester realtor Larry Weaver supported Herrera Beutler in the past, but after she voted to impeach Trump following Jan. 6, he shifted his allegiance to Kent.
“He’s a ball of fire as far as I’m concerned and we share a lot of the same values. Jamie would be fine, we’re not anti-Jamie, but I think it was damaging the position she took,” Weaver said.
Another Rochester resident, Diana Wiens, said, “I thought she should have stuck with her party, and she didn’t and that was a disappointment.”
While Beutler has bowed out of the race, she will complete her term in Congress which ends Jan. 3, 2023
U.S. Congress, District 4
Incumbent Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse prevailed in his own primary, followed by Democrat Doug White. Former gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp finished in third, followed by Navy veteran Jerrod Sessler and state Rep. Brad Klippert.
Washington’s 4th congressional district encompasses a large area of central Washington, including all of Okanogan, Douglas, Grant, Yakima, Benton and Klickitat counties, as well as parts of Adams and Franklin counties.
Only three Democrats have ever represented the district in Congress. The last Democrat to represent the district was now-Governor Jay Inslee, who held the seat for one term before he lost to Doc Hastings in 1994.
Before Newhouse he was elected to Congress in 2014, he served four terms as a legislator in the Washington State House of Representatives, representing the 15th Legislative District from 2003 to 2009.
White’s campaign website describes his lineage as part of a 4th generation farming family, before eventually working in Saudi Arabia as a operation manager “for the world’s largest telophony project.”
Culp previously served as the police chief of Republic, a town with a population of about 1,000 in Ferry County and was endorsed by Trump in February. He is perhaps best known for his unsuccessful run for governor in 2020 in which he refused to concede to Jay Inslee, and filed a lawsuit demanding an audit of paper ballots which he later withdrew.
Klippert is a seven-term state representative from Kennewick who touted his 27-year career in law enforcement, as well as his over 34 years of military service. While Klippert lagged behind the other candidates in fundraising, he received endorsements from the Franklin and Benton County Republican Parties.
Sessler is a former NASCAR driver and Navy veteran who described himself as a “successful entrepreneur and America First Patriot.” He has also won the endorsement of former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
For more on local politics across the state of Washington, head to kiro7.com/politics.
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