OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Republican Representative Dan Newhouse, who voted to impeach Donald Trump, qualified for the general election on Friday after days of vote counting in the Washington state primary, but his colleague Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler has seen his advantage against a Trump-endorsed opponent quickly shrink inside recount territory with thousands of votes still to be counted.
Both have sparked cross-party protests over their vote to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Newhouse, the four-term incumbent from the 4th congressional district in central Washington, and Democrat Doug White were essentially tied, each getting about 25% of the vote in a tight ballot. White also qualified for the fall ballot. Loren Culp, a Trump-endorsed former small-town police chief who lost the 2020 gubernatorial race to Democrat Jay Inslee, was at about 21%.
In Washington’s southwest 3rd congressional district, Democrat Marie Perez won the most votes, with 31 percent of the vote. Herrera Beutler, who had around 24% on Tuesday night, fell to 22.6% on Thursday night, 257 votes ahead of Joe Kent – a former Trump-endorsed Green Beret – who was at 22.5%.
A mandatory recount would take place if the margin of votes between candidates No. 2 and No. 3 is less than half of 1% and close to 2,000 votes.
Because Washington is a mail-in voting state and ballots simply need to be cast on Election Day, it often takes days to find out the final results in tight races as ballots arrive at polling stations. of the county throughout the week.
An estimated 35,000 votes remain to be counted, and the three counties where votes remain to be counted — the majority in the 3rd District’s largest county, Clark, — won’t update their tallies until late Monday afternoon. Counties have until August 16 to complete their tally and for canvassing commissions to certify the results, followed by certification by the Secretary of State by August 19.
In Washington’s primary system, all candidates run on the same ballot, and the top two voters in each of Tuesday’s races qualify for the November election, regardless of party.
Of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, four chose not to run for office. Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer was defeated in a Tuesday primary by Trump-endorsed John Gibbs, and South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice lost to a Trump-endorsed challenger in June. Rep. David Valadao of California — which has an open primary like Washington — survived a primary challenge. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is bracing for defeat in her Aug. 16 primary against a Trump-backed rival.
In another key game in the 8th congressional district, Democratic incumbent Kim Schrier qualified for the November ballot with more than 47% of the vote and will face former state attorney general nominee Matt Larkin. , in November.
With about 17% of the vote, Larkin edged out King County Councilman Reagan Dunn, a former federal prosecutor whose mother once held the seat. Dunn conceded the race on Thursday. The district is a key target of GOP efforts to regain control of the House.