Republican Newhouse wins reelection in Washington’s 4th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse has defeated fellow Republican Jerrod Sessler in Washington’s 4th Congressional District in a duel between two men in the same political party. The Associated Press made the race call Tuesday afternoon, a week after Election Day.

According to vote counts released late Tuesday afternoon, Newhouse is ahead by nearly six points as he has secured 137,051 votes (52.05%) while Sessler is behind with 121,722 votes (46.23%).

Newhouse is one of the few House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and is facing a challenging reelection campaign. Newhouse, a third-generation Yakima Valley farmer, is one of only two of those lawmakers still serving in the House.

In the 2022 primary, Newhouse secured about 25% of the vote, successfully fending off Republican challengers, including Loren Culp and Jerrod Sessler. Sessler, who has Trump’s endorsement, is back again this year, intensifying the race in the district.

Newhouse’s impeachment vote remains a contentious issue in the heavily Republican district, especially as the GOP rallies around Trump’s latest White House bid. Despite this, Newhouse has deep roots in central Washington and has been vocal on regional hot-button issues. He has opposed the removal of the Snake River dams and plans to reintroduce grizzly bears in the North Cascades, according to Columbia Basin Herald.

Voters in the district, which stretches from the Canadian border to the Oregon state line, will have to decide whether they were satisfied with Newhouse’s record or if they wanted to shift direction with Sessler. The district includes the heavily agricultural Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Reservation and the Tri-Cities, a regional hub. The Snake River, which runs into the Columbia at the district’s southeast corner, is a focal point of fierce debate over the future of its dams. Some argue for their removal to help salmon, while others defend them as vital for hydropower and agricultural barging, according to the Associated Press.

The last Democrat to win a U.S. House seat in the 4th District was now-Governor Jay Inslee, who won in 1992 but lost re-election after one term to Republican Doc Hastings. Hastings held the seat until his retirement in 2015.

Newhouse has mostly steered clear of the subject of Trump, focusing instead on agriculture and border security in a state with millions of acres of pastures, orchards, and cereal grain lands where immigrant labor is crucial3. His opponents have repeatedly touted his impeachment vote as a significant liability, but political experts caution that it’s difficult to predict whether Trump’s endorsement will sway voters who previously supported Newhouse.

Sessler, a Navy veteran and former NASCAR driver, has been endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party and has received backing from notable Trump allies, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and GOP campaign adviser Roger Stone1. Sessler has accused Newhouse of betraying his voters by joining Democrats to impeach Trump.

As the 2024 election season heats up, Newhouse is emphasizing his commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by Central Washington residents. With Washington’s top-two all-party primary system, the top two vote-getters in each contest advance to the November election, regardless of party affiliation.

Newhouse and U.S. Rep. David Valadao of California are the only remaining Republican Congressional lawmakers among the 10 who voted to impeach Trump in 2021. Others retired or were defeated by Trump-endorsed primary challengers1. Newhouse’s campaign has raised significantly more funds than Sessler’s, with endorsements from the NRA and the National Right to Life.

The outcome of this race will be a critical indicator of the GOP’s direction in the post-Trump era, particularly in districts where Trump’s influence remains strong.

Editors’ note: This story originally was published on Tuesday, Nov. 5. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.

Contributing: Steve Coogan

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X and email him here.