Free Republic

The wave of voter discontent that helped Republicans win back control of the U.S. House on Tuesday propelled newcomer Jaime Herrera into the open congressional seat in Southwest Washington. In another closely watched race, Republican Snohomish County Councilman John Koster was slightly ahead of incumbent Democrat Rick Larsen in the 2nd Congressional District. And Republican incumbent Dave Reichert appeared to win a fourth term against challenger, Suzan DelBene, who conceded the 8th District race at a party in Bellevue Tuesday night.

Tea Party Republican and one-time congressional candidate David W. Hedrick pleaded not guilty on Monday to one count of fourth-degree assault domestic violence, court records show. Hedrick was arrested at his Camas home early Sunday morning after his wife alleged he struck her twice in the back of the head during an argument. Hedrick was arraigned Monday and released on bail. He is due in court for a pre-trial hearing Nov. 2. If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail and a possible $5,000 fine. Reached by phone, Hedrick declined comment.

David W. Hedrick, the outspoken Tea Party Republican who is running for the 3rd Congressional District seat, was exhilarated last month after someone e-mailed him the results of a new poll that appeared to show him running neck-and-neck with state Rep. Jaime Herrera and far ahead of David Castillo, his two Republican opponents in the primary race. The July 7 results showed Hedrick with 17 percent of the vote, Herrera with 18 percent and Castillo with just 9 percent in a match-up of all six candidates. The Camas ex-Marine quickly posted the new numbers on his campaign website, calling the...

On February 24, Moe Lane posted a short piece alerting one and all to the fact that one of the Republican candidates for Washington State's 3rd Congressional District is a favorite of the hard-core lefties in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) -- one of Obama's favorite Big Labors cohorts. Mr. Lane, though, was sure that Jaime Herrera "regrets that endorsement now." Unfortunately, I am not so sanguine because Herrera has been far more compliant with Big Labor's goals than is evident from what Lane might have thought was a mere wayward endorsement. There is a reason, it appears, that...