Oh, and yes, you are right, people in E. Wash. are quite conservative. You see this play out almost daily with various issues.
When I had cable (now, I choose only the internet), the CBS/ABC/NBC/Fox and PBS affiliates were all from Spokane–Coeur d’Alene and the people and politics seemed much more conservative than Seattle. The news broadcasters weren’t so much, but they seemed toned down from the Seattle news broadcasters. Don’t know what it is about the ‘left’ coast, but it seems to be a bizarre place.