Rep. Herrera Beutler, who voted to impeach Trump, concedes
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, one of two Republican members of Washington state's congressional delegation who voted to impeach Donald Trump, has conceded her reelection bid after being overtaken in late vote tallies by a GOP challenger endorsed by the former president.
Trump had targeted the six-term incumbent and endorsed Joe Kent, a former Green Beret, in the 3rd Congressional District contest. The district is in southwest Washington, across the border from Portland, Oregon.
Herrera Beutler, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2010, led Kent by about 4,700 votes on election night but her lead shrunk throughout last week, and updated returns put Kent ahead and into the No. 2 spot on Monday night.
Once Clark County, the district's largest, and Thurston Counties updated their tallies Tuesday, Kent led by 928 votes and 22.7% of the vote, and Herrera Beutler was in third place with 22.3% of the vote.
Herrera Beutler conceded in an email shortly after the latest update, saying that “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,” she wrote, saying that “I’m proud that I always told the truth, stuck to my principles, and did what I knew to be best for our country.
Under Washington’s primary system, the top two vote getters in each race Aug. 2 advance to the November election, regardless of party. Washington is a vote by mail state, and voters don’t have to declare a party affiliation.
Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez had already advanced to the November ballot since she was the top vote getter after the Aug. 2 primary, with 31% of the vote.
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