Loren Culp says he’ll run against Newhouse, who ‘has a spine made of jelly’

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp says he will challenge a fellow Republican in next year’s primary for a seat in the U.S. House.

Culp, who lost to Gov. Jay Inslee in the November election, joined KTTH’s Jason Rantz Show to discuss his campaign.

“[U.S. Rep. Dan] Newhouse has been a Congressman for a long time and he represents a very conservative district. … And for him to join the radical Left Democrats and vote to impeach the President of the United States, a fellow Republican, one of the greatest presidents in my lifetime, him and Ronald Reagan (I supported both of them, I support the America-first agenda), and for Newhouse to turn his back on his conservative constituents, which there are many, … that just shows what Newhouse is made of,” Culp said. “He’s got a spine made of jelly. I don’t know what the Democrats have on him or what kind of deal he made, but obviously he did make some kind of deal.”

Many Republican organizations in his district demanded that Newhouse resign. Newhouse, first elected in 2014, refused.

Culp says the violence that happened at the U.S. Capitol in January was wrong, but that it was not incited by former President Trump.

“President Trump did not incite that by saying peacefully and patriotically, ‘let your voice be heard,'” Culp explained, adding that the state and country needs people in power with backbones.

The 4th District covers much of central Washington. Rep. Brad Klippert of the Tri-Cities also said in March that he will run against Newhouse.

Culp first caught the attention of voters when he declared, as a police chief in Republic, Washington, that he would not enforce the new gun laws that came with I-1639. Culp also wrote a book expanding on his position titled, American Cop, Upholding the Constitution and Defending Your Right to Bear Arms. The book’s forward is written by Culp, and Second Amendment advocate Ted Nugent.

Culp says he will formally announce his candidacy at a rally in Tri-Cities on Friday night.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.