Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
August primary election map.
OTHELLO – Incumbent Dan Newhouse appears to have eked out a narrow primary election win in the contest for the 4th Congressional District seat.
But he only had the support of two counties - Benton and Franklin - in the district that includes portions of eight counties. The remaining counties went to political newcomer Doug White or former gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp.
As of Friday, Aug. 12, Newhouse, running as a Republican who has been censured by most Republican committees in the 4th Congressional District, had received 37,636 votes, or 25.46%, to lead the race district-wide.
District-wide, political newcomer Democrat Doug White is a close second with 37,242 votes, or 25.2%, and former gubernatorial candidate and Second Amendment and President Trump-backed candidate Loren Culp, a Republican, was third with 31,873 votes, or 21.56%.
Local results were scheduled to be certified Tuesday, Aug. 16, after The Journal went to press.
Over the last several years, Newhouse represented all of Adams County as part of the 4th Congressional District.
Since redistricting, he now only represents the Othello area; most of Adams County is now in the 5th Congressional District represented by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who easily outpaced competitors in the race for her congressional seat.
Trump factor
Newhouse is only one of two of the Republican party's "impeachment 10" to make in into the Nov. 8 general election, so far. Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney is facing a strong primary challenged on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
Polls showed her losing by more than 20% prior to the Wyoming election; The Journal went to press prior to the closing of Wyoming's polls.
Of the other Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2020, Capitol protest, only Rep. David Valadao of California survived a primary challenge.
Unlike Newhouse, Valadao didn't run against a Republican endorsed by Trump.
The remaining seven Republicans either chose to resign or lost to Trump-endorsed challengers, including Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, representing Washington's 3rd Congressional District in southwest Washington.
Beutler is a career politician, having previously worked for Rep. McMorris Rodgers before running for Congress.
She lost her re-election bid in the primary to Joe Kent of Yacolt.
Only two counties
Newhouse, a career politician from Sunnyside, is only carrying Benton and Franklin counties, with 17,748 votes (26.47%) and 3,169 votes (26.79%), respectively, so far.
Newhouse isn't even carrying his home county - Yakima County.
Newcomer White is leading in Yakima County with 10,532 votes (26.71%). The incumbent was a distant second with 9,369 votes (23.76%). Culp is third with 7,906 votes (20.05%).
White appears to have won three counties, the same number as Culp.
In addition to Yakima County, White is carrying Okanogan County with 3,641 votes (30.53%) and Culp is second with 3,525 votes (29.56%). Newhouse is third with 2,715 votes (22.77%).
White is also carrying Klickitat County with 3,045 votes (38.01%), followed by Culp with 2,382 votes (29.73%). Newhouse was a distant third with 1,346 votes (16.8%).
Culp is winning the remaining counties with voters in the 4th Congressional District; Newhouse was second in all three, followed by White in third.
In Adams County, Culp is carrying the area around Othello with 421 votes (33.15%). Newhouse has 358 votes (28.19%) and White has 216 votes (17.01%).
In Douglas County, Culp leads with 3,113 votes (30.46%). Newhouse is second with 2,786 votes (27.26%) and White third with 2,438 votes (23.85%).
Culp is also leading Grant County with 5,558 votes (32.76%). Newhouse is second with 5,145 votes (30.32%) and White third with 2,738 votes (16.14%).
Roger Harnack is co-owner and publisher of Free Press Publishing. An award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher who grew up in Eastern Washington, he's one of only two Washington state journalists ever to receive the international Golden Quill for editorial/commentary writing. Roger is committed to preserving local media, and along with it, a local voice for Eastern Washington.
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