DelBene cruising in Congressional re-election bid
Nov 4, 2014, 4:38 PM | Updated: 9:09 pm
U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene appears to be on her way back to Congress for a second term after taking a dominant lead in Washington’s 1st Congressional District.
The Democrat was defeating Republican challenger Pedro Celis 55-45 percent in early results.
The candidates differed widely on a number of issues including minimum wage, with DelBene supporting an increase to the federal minimum while Celis opposed it.
The duo was also polar opposites on the Affordable Care Act, climate change, and a number of other issues.
Celis, a Mexican immigrant who barely survived the primary, was far outspent by DelBene and got virtually no support from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which raises money for GOP candidates nationwide.
Celis is a retired Microsoft software engineer who reportedly spent more than $60,000 of his own money on the race.
The 1st Congressional District encompasses the majority of Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish Counties, along with a portion of King County.
