Voters react to local and national election night results being announced during the Clark County Democrats watch party at the Hilton in downtown Vancouver, Wash. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (Kristina Barker for Crosscut)
Kent, an outspoken “America First” Trump supporter, is a former Green Beret and CIA operative whose campaign has been dogged by reports of interactions and affiliations with far-right street gangs and white nationalists. If elected, Kent has promised to use congressional powers to investigate the 2020 presidential election results, which Trump has baselessly claimed was stolen. Kent would also seek to impeach President Joe Biden and several other members of the administration, and tightly limit both legal and illegal immigration.
Gluesenkamp Perez and her husband own a Portland auto-repair shop and live in rural Skamania County. Gluesenkamp Perez has spent the campaign vowing to boost trade and technical and vocational education, and to assist small businesses and protect legal abortion.
The contest in the 3rd District — as well as a contest in Washington’s 8th Congressional District — is expected to help determine whether Democrats keep their razor-slim majority in the U.S. House. Republicans see both seats as a way to bolster their path to retaking Congress.
Rep. Kim Schrier gives a celebratory speech after leading the polls on election night at the Westin hotel in Bellevue on Nov. 8, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier led Republican challenger Matt Larkin in her bid to keep Washington’s 8th Congressional District in Democratic control. In Tuesday night’s initial election results, Schrier had 53% to Larkin’s 47%.
A pediatrician from Sammamish, Schrier in 2018 became the first Democrat ever elected to the district, which currently includes Chelan and Kittitas counties as well as eastern King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. She then fended off a Republican challenge in 2020.
She has campaigned on Democratic legislation passed earlier this year, which capped insulin prices for seniors on Medicare. She has also touted her bipartisan work on bills, including legislation signed by former president Donald Trump and bills co-sponsored with GOP members of Congress. Schrier this year has campaigned on protecting abortion protections.
Larkin, who works for his family’s manufacturing business, ran unsuccessfully in 2020 for attorney general. This year, he has campaigned on reining in government spending and boosting funding for law enforcement, using the slogan: “Make Crime Illegal Again.”
With most U.S. House seats gerrymandered to favor one major party or the other, the other races were not expected to see any major upsets.
In the initial election results in Washington’s 1st Congressional District, Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, led GOP challenger Vincent Cavaleri, 64% to 36%.
In Washington’s 2nd Congressional District, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, led Republican Dan Matthews, 62% to 38%.
In Eastern Washington’s 4th Congressional District, Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, led Democratic challenger Doug White, 67% to 31%.
In Eastern Washington’s 5th District, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, led Democratic challenger Natasha Hill, 59% to 41%.
In the 6th Congressional District, which includes the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, led GOP challenger Elizabeth Kreiselmaier, 62% to 38%.
In the Seattle-area 7th District, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, led Republican challenger Cliff Moon, 84% to 15%.
In Washington’s 9th Congressional District in King County, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Bellevue, led Republican challenger Doug Basler, 71% to 29%.
In the 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Thurston and Pierce counties, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Tacoma, led Republican challenger Keith Swank, 57% to 43%.
