Central WA remains reliably red for Republicans in regional races
Dems haven't seen success here in decades.
Updated
Democrat John Duresky (left) trails Republican Amanda McKinney in their race to represent the 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Despite Democrats’ “blue wave” of election success across the country, several regional races in conservative central Washington remain reliably red for Republicans, based on updated returns from Tuesday’s general election.
Also, it’s a mixed bag for regional support of three statewide initiatives on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Tabulations remain ongoing, but the Washington Secretary of State’s office must certify final results by Dec. 3.
Endorsed by President Trump, Yakima County commissioner Amanda McKinney has received over 54% of the vote to lead Democrat John Duresky of West Richland for the 4th District congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, who did not seek reelection to a seventh two-year term in office.
The sprawling 4th District includes eight central Washington counties — Adams, Benton, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Klickitat, Okanogan and Yakima — stretching from the Canadian border to Oregon. It is largely agricultural but includes a number of high-tech industries in the Columbia Basin, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near the Tri-Cities, and multiple hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River.
The last Democrat to hold office here was Jay Inslee, who served a single term in the early 1990s before moving to western Washington to continue his congressional career followed by three terms as the state’s governor.
McKinney is a former mortgage banker whose family has farming operations in Yakima County. She has voiced agreement with Trump’s border security and immigration enforcement, tax cuts, deregulation efforts, and war with Iran. She has blamed rising costs on federal bureaucracy and the prior Biden and Obama administrations.
Duresky is a retired Air Force officer and former Hanford worker who faults Trump for his tariffs, immigration enforcement, and war with Iran, saying they have hurt families and farmers in the 4th District. Duresky has voiced support for labor unions, protection of Social Security and Medicare, and efforts to protect rural hospitals.
Washington state has 10 federal congressional districts with Democrats currently leading races in eight of them — only eastern Washington’s 4th and 5th Districts have Republican representatives. But incumbent 5th District Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane, at 50.3%, is clinging to a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Carmela Conroy, who trails by about 1,800 votes in early returns.
Even if McKinney and Baumgartner prevail, they will find themselves in a distinct minority when Congress convenes in January for a new term. Democrats are projected to have well over the 218 seats needed to control the 435-member House.
13th District legislative district
This central Washington legislative district, which includes Adams, Douglas, Grant, and Kittitas counties, has also remained a Republican stronghold for decades.
Current 13th District state Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, is unopposed for the Senate seat held by incumbent Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who is retiring after her current four-year term expires Dec. 31.
There are two contested races for the House of Representatives.
Position 1 incumbent Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, is easily on pace to win a seventh two-year term in Olympia, leading with 66.5% of the vote over Democratic challenger Juan “Jerry” Garcia of Othello.
In the race for Position 2, a pair of Republicans, Deanna Martinez of Moses Lake and Joshua Thompson of Ellensburg, are vying for the House seat being vacated by Ybarra.
Thompson, a technical and marketing consultant who serves on the Ellensburg city council and is generally viewed as more conservative, is leading with 52.4% of the vote over Martinez, a registered nurse and former Moses Lake city council member.
Tom Dent (left), Juan "Jerry" Garcia, Deanna Martinez, Josh Thompson.
— The measure to repeal the so-called “millionaires tax” is being rejected by over 58% of Washington voters. IP26-645 seeks to eliminate a legislatively approved 9.9% tax on annual individual incomes exceeding $1 million. Opponents have called it an unlawful income tax under the state constitution. Supporters contend it is constitutional and will provide additional funding for public schools, higher education and health care services.
— Confusing in its language, Initiative 26-001 is failing with 52.8% of voters opposed to the measure. Opponents say it would remove protections for vulnerable and abused children by forcing schools to hand over sensitive information to parents under criminal investigation. Supporters say the initiative would restore parents’ rights to access records and information about their child’s education, including if a child expresses “a new gender identity” at school.
— Initiative 26-638 is passing with 56.8% of the vote. The measure would prohibit students defined as biologically male from competing in certain school athletic activities intended only for female students.
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Central WA remains reliably red for Republicans in regional races
Dems haven't seen success here in decades.
Despite Democrats’ “blue wave” of election success across the country, several regional races in conservative central Washington remain reliably red for Republicans, based on updated returns from Tuesday’s general election.
Also, it’s a mixed bag for regional support of three statewide initiatives on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Tabulations remain ongoing, but the Washington Secretary of State’s office must certify final results by Dec. 3.
Endorsed by President Trump, Yakima County commissioner Amanda McKinney has received over 54% of the vote to lead Democrat John Duresky of West Richland for the 4th District congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, who did not seek reelection to a seventh two-year term in office.
The sprawling 4th District includes eight central Washington counties — Adams, Benton, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Klickitat, Okanogan and Yakima — stretching from the Canadian border to Oregon. It is largely agricultural but includes a number of high-tech industries in the Columbia Basin, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near the Tri-Cities, and multiple hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River.
The last Democrat to hold office here was Jay Inslee, who served a single term in the early 1990s before moving to western Washington to continue his congressional career followed by three terms as the state’s governor.
McKinney is a former mortgage banker whose family has farming operations in Yakima County. She has voiced agreement with Trump’s border security and immigration enforcement, tax cuts, deregulation efforts, and war with Iran. She has blamed rising costs on federal bureaucracy and the prior Biden and Obama administrations.
Duresky is a retired Air Force officer and former Hanford worker who faults Trump for his tariffs, immigration enforcement, and war with Iran, saying they have hurt families and farmers in the 4th District. Duresky has voiced support for labor unions, protection of Social Security and Medicare, and efforts to protect rural hospitals.
Washington state has 10 federal congressional districts with Democrats currently leading races in eight of them — only eastern Washington’s 4th and 5th Districts have Republican representatives. But incumbent 5th District Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane, at 50.3%, is clinging to a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Carmela Conroy, who trails by about 1,800 votes in early returns.
Even if McKinney and Baumgartner prevail, they will find themselves in a distinct minority when Congress convenes in January for a new term. Democrats are projected to have well over the 218 seats needed to control the 435-member House.
13th District legislative district
This central Washington legislative district, which includes Adams, Douglas, Grant, and Kittitas counties, has also remained a Republican stronghold for decades.
Current 13th District state Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, is unopposed for the Senate seat held by incumbent Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who is retiring after her current four-year term expires Dec. 31.
There are two contested races for the House of Representatives.
Position 1 incumbent Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, is easily on pace to win a seventh two-year term in Olympia, leading with 66.5% of the vote over Democratic challenger Juan “Jerry” Garcia of Othello.
In the race for Position 2, a pair of Republicans, Deanna Martinez of Moses Lake and Joshua Thompson of Ellensburg, are vying for the House seat being vacated by Ybarra.
Thompson, a technical and marketing consultant who serves on the Ellensburg city council and is generally viewed as more conservative, is leading with 52.4% of the vote over Martinez, a registered nurse and former Moses Lake city council member.
Statewide ballot measures
Three statewide voter initiatives were listed on the Nov. 3 ballot:
— The measure to repeal the so-called “millionaires tax” is being rejected by over 58% of Washington voters. IP26-645 seeks to eliminate a legislatively approved 9.9% tax on annual individual incomes exceeding $1 million. Opponents have called it an unlawful income tax under the state constitution. Supporters contend it is constitutional and will provide additional funding for public schools, higher education and health care services.
— Confusing in its language, Initiative 26-001 is failing with 52.8% of voters opposed to the measure. Opponents say it would remove protections for vulnerable and abused children by forcing schools to hand over sensitive information to parents under criminal investigation. Supporters say the initiative would restore parents’ rights to access records and information about their child’s education, including if a child expresses “a new gender identity” at school.
— Initiative 26-638 is passing with 56.8% of the vote. The measure would prohibit students defined as biologically male from competing in certain school athletic activities intended only for female students.