Free Republic

Joe Kent, a Republican 3rd Congressional District candidate, believes the Yelm and Rainier communities are a crucial factor in his second attempt running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. That’s why he visited Mr. Dougs in Yelm on Thursday, Feb. 8 for a meet and greet with approximately 50 supporters in attendance. Despite only a portion of southern Thurston County being represented in the 3rd District, Kent said the region is “key” to his candidacy. “Yelm and Rainier and this little sliver of Thurston County is very important because it’s a very conservative district. We did very...

The liberal Navigator public tracking poll flashed a major warning sign for Democrats in mid-October, reporting a 20 percentage point jump since September in the share of independent voters concerned about the economy and gas prices. That was not the only data showing a turning of the tide in the battle for Congress. Regional challenges had shown up in internal Democratic polls from deep blue sanctums in the Pacific Northwest, New York and even Rhode Island, Democratic strategists say. Crime, a major focus of Republican advertising, has also risen as a major issue in several races. Candidates say they have...

David Nierenberg has funded a lot of Republican candidates over the years. But when GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler lost her primary in August, he switched sides to fund Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez over the Trump-backed Republican who advanced to the general election. “I immediately went to work,” Nierenberg said. “And I think I've now transformed myself from Jaime’s largest bundler to Marie's.” Gluesenkamp Perez’s campaign team confirmed Nierenberg has raised over $100,000 for her campaign from his network of moderate Republican donors since the August primary. But the money is only part of the story in a district that...

Six-term U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler conceded her loss to Donald Trump-endorsed challenger Joe Kent on Tuesday after new vote totals confirmed she would place third in the primary. “Ever since I was first elected to this seat I have done my very best to serve my home region and our country. Though my campaign came up short this time, I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together for the place where I was raised and still call home,” Herrera Beutler said in a statement. Herrera Beutler did not mention Kent in her statement but made an apparent reference to her...

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — Though the vote tally is not final, GOP challenger Joe Kent has taken a lead of 960 votes over incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler in the race for second place in the Washington 3rd Congressional District primary. Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez remains solidly in the lead by around 17,000 votes. Since Washington primaries select the top two finishers regardless of party affiliation, the candidate who places second will face Perez in the November election.