Gluesenkamp Perez, Kent battle for Washington's 3rd District, House majority
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – With the balance of power in the House of Representatives on the line, the race for Washington’s 3rd District continues post-Election Day between Democratic incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.
The latest election results, posted by the Washington Secretary of State’s Office just after 5 p.m. Nov. 6, show Gluesenkamp Perez in the lead with 51% of the vote and Kent with 48%. Over 11,000 votes separate the candidates with nearly 305,000 votes counted.
A spokesperson for the Gluesenkamp Perez campaign told KOIN 6 News on Wednesday, “We’re waiting for ballots to be counted and encourage everyone to check their ballot was accepted.”
In a video statement posted Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kent showed his support for President-elect Donald Trump while wearing a “Make America Great Again" hat, stating the results for the third district race “are still too close to call.”
“There’s still somewhere between 100-120,000 ballots to count. Just waiting on updates from the Secretary of State. So, the most important thing you can do right now is check to ensure that your ballot has been accepted. If it’s been contested or rejected, you need to get down to the county auditor’s office today to potentially fix your signature," Kent said.
“As of right now, just remain calm," Kent said. "I appreciate all the prayers and all the support. Still too early to call and there’s a lot of ballots out there to collect."
The Washington Secretary of State's Office told KOIN 6 News Wednesday afternoon there is no timeline for when all the ballots will be counted.
As reported by The Hill, the race is under the national spotlight as Republicans see Washington's 3rd District as a seat they can flip as the party looks to maintain power in the House.
During a debate hosted by KOIN 6 News, the candidates sparred over issues including abortion, the Interstate-5 replacement project, and immigration.
The two candidates offered different visions when it comes to abortion rights.
During the debate, Kent said he is pro-life, arguing that abortion is not on the ballot since federal abortion protections were overturned under Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, a move that he supported.
Meanwhile, Gluesenkamp Perez said in the aftermath of the Dobbs ruling, Congress needs to codify federal abortion protections previously held under Roe v. Wade.
During the debate, Kent also noted former President Trump supports his campaign. KOIN 6 News asked if Kent still believes that Trump won the 2020 presidential election even though it was won by President Joe Biden.
“I really support President Trump’s agenda, I support building a wall, stopping this flow of illegal immigrants coming into our country, getting inflation under control, getting back to being US energy dependent," Kent said.
Following up, KOIN 6 News asked again if Kent believes Trump won the 2020 presidential election. Kent said, “Joe Biden, I think, is the president right now.” He added, “There’s a lot of us that have questions over what took place in 2020. It is not a focus of mine.”
Stay here for election results for Washington's Third Congressional District.