SPOKANE, Wash. — Central Washington's buzzing with the announcement both incumbent Rep. Dan Newhouse (R - Wash.) and Republican Tiffany Smiley joining the race for Washington’s 4th Congressional District.
This seat covers most of Central Washington, including Grant, Douglas and Okanogan counties.
Smiley previously ran for Senator Patty Murray's seat back in 2022.
The race is garnering national attention because Newhouse is one of the last republicans left in Congress who voted to impeach former president Donald Trump.
"He voted to impeach President Trump and then also supported invoking the 25th amendment,” said Smiley. “And so that's fine, like, if he was voting his conscious, but I just don't see how now with President Trump, obviously, as a Republican nominee, you're going to be able to work with him.”
Newhouse's campaign shared a statement with KREM 2 about Smiley entering the race:
"With our dams under threat, a crisis at our border, and working people unable to afford gas and groceries, this is no time for Central Washington to give up its clout in Congress or to hand over the keys to the federal budget to someone who couldn't manage her own campaign's finances. We have enough big spenders in D.C., we need a fiscal conservative to represent us in Congress, and Dan Newhouse is the only one who’s proven he can do just that."
The two now join Republican Jerrod Sessler of Prosser, who was endorsed by Trump last month.
“I'm not really concerned about her [Smiley] getting in the race. I think that it'll probably help us to retire Dan Newhouse. And I think when the, you know, the Eastern Washington voters look at my record and my history and my experience up against hers, and it's just going to be very easy choice to make,” said Sessler.
Newhouse has been in office for the 4th Congressional District since 2015.
According to the Washington Secretary of State, candidate filing opened up Monday, May 6.
It will stay open until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 10.
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