Trump-endorsed McKinney, Democrat Duresky advance in WA-4 primary to replace Newhouse

Republican Amanda McKinney and Democrat John Duresky are set to advance to the November general election for the recently vacated Washington Congressional District 4 seat within the U.S. House of Representatives.

McKinney earned 25,633 votes (34.9%) while Duresky received 22,657 votes (30.8%). McKinney, a Yakima County commissioner, earned the most votes in the primary after she earned Donald Trump’s endorsement.

The top two vote-getters of any party advance to the November election, as per Washington’s open primary system.

The district has long been the state’s most conservative congressional seat. The last Democrat to win a U.S. House seat in Washington’s 4th District was former Governor Jay Inslee, who won in 1992 but lost reelection after one term to Republican Doc Hastings. Hastings held the seat until his retirement in 2015.

“Amanda McKinney is running for Congress to defend Central Washington and put America First. Her priorities are grounded in faith, family, agriculture, public safety, and freedom,” her campaign website read. “She believes the role of government is to protect citizens, not control them, and that decisions should be made by the people closest to the consequences, not by distant bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.”

McKinney worked in mortgage banking for more than two decades before entering politics.

Duresky served 24 years with the U.S. Air Force, earning the rank of major, while serving an additional 13 years in federal civilian service.

He recently worked as a project control officer at the Hanford Field Office within the U.S. Department of Energy, emphasizing the importance of protecting Hanford cleanup jobs.

“I’m not a career politician,” Duresky said. “I’m someone who served this country for 37 years and can’t sit on the sidelines while working families are being left behind.”

Newhouse steps down

Last December, Washington Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced he would not seek reelection in 2026 after representing Washington’s Fourth District for more than a decade. His career concluded after more than 25 years in public service.

Newhouse was one of the few House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Republican Jerrod Sessler finished third in the primary with 10,426 votes (14.2%). He advanced to the general election in 2024 after earning Trump’s endorsement, but fell short to Newhouse.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.