Article Author:
Associated Press
Rachel La Corte
OLYMPIA, WA (AP) — Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, two Republicans in the Washington Congressional delegation who voted to impeach the former president One member, Donald Trump, has granted her re-election bid after being overtaken by an intra-party challenger in a delayed vote tally. It targeted six-term incumbents and endorsed former Green Berets Joe Kent in elections for the district.The district is located in southwestern Washington state across the border from Portland, Oregon.
Herrera Beutler, who was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, led Kent by about 4,700 votes on election night, but her lead narrowed throughout the week, with an update. A successful return put Kent in the lead, and she took second place on Monday night.
District-largest Clark County updates its tally on Tuesday with most of the remaining votes, with Kent leading with his 869 votes and his 22.7% share, Herrera Beutler with his 22.3%. came in third for him in terms of percentage of votes.
Herrera Beutler admitted in an email shortly after the latest update, stating, "Since I was first elected to this seat, I have done my best to serve my community and my country." I came," he said.
"My campaign was short this time, but I am proud of everything we achieved together for the place where I was born and raised and still call home." she wrote, stating: I always told the truth, stood by my principles, and did what I knew was best for our country.
In Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters in each August 2 race advance to her November election, regardless of party. Washington is a mail-in ballot state, and voters are not required to declare a political party affiliation.
Democrat Marie Grusenkamp Perez was the top vote-getter after the August 2 primary with 31% of the vote, so she was already on the ballot in November.
According to the Secretary of State, the last incumbent to lose a primary in Washington was Rep. John Miller, who lost to Ralph his Ho in 1930.
Because it's Washington. It is a vote-by-mail state, meaning ballots must arrive by Election Day. Ballots arrive at county elections offices throughout the week, so it often takes days to know the final results in the case of a close race.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said on Tuesday that a large number of voters had held their ballots longer than in previous elections, prompting his office to process ballots. said it took longer than usual. Kimsey said he received 92,300 votes from Monday to Wednesday last week, compared to 49,000 votes in the same three days in 2018. According to McCarthy, including her revelation that minority leader Kevin McCarthy told her he spoke to Trump while the mob was storming the Capitol, the president said: "Well, Kevin, I think these people are more upset about the election than you are."
Kent was a regular on his show for the conservative cable president. It echoes the former president's complaints about the election. His Kimsey, elections officer for
County, noted that signature verification is an important part of the process of ensuring the security and integrity of the state's vote-by-mail system.
In a statement released Monday night after Kent stepped forward, Grüsenkamp-Perez pointed to Kent's comments on the state elections, saying that the campaign for the third congressional constituency "It will be a national trailblazer on the direction of the country," he said. , and for the future of our democracy. ''
Of her 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, four chose not to run for re-election. Rep. Peter Meyer of Michigan lost the primary to pro-Trump John Gibbs last week, while Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina lost to a pro-Trump challenger in June. Rep. David Valadao of California, who has primaries open like Washington, survived the primary challenge. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney is poised to lose to her Trump-backed rival in the Aug. 16 primary.
Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse advanced to the general election in last week's Washington state primary, fending off a Trump-backed rival and edging out Democratic opponent Doug White on the November ballot.
Cornell Clayton, director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy at Washington State University, said the three anti-Newhouse Republican candidates each had double-digit percentages. Only 25% said the facts helped them get through the primary. of voting.
But in the third, when the only serious Republican challengers were Kent and Heidi St. It did not.”
counties have until August 16 to finish counting, have the results certified by the balloting commission, and then have until August 19 to be certified by the Secretary of State.