House Republican who impeached Trump survives challenge from the right in Washington
Rep. Dan Newhouse (Wash.), one of the original 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, is projected to survive a challenge from a Trump-backed contender, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Newhouse won another term to represent Washington’s 4th Congressional District, which is situated in the middle of the state and went for Trump by 17 points in 2020. He ran against former NASCAR driver Jerrod Sessler, who also enjoyed endorsements from the House Freedom Caucus and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Sessler touted himself on X as a “Trump endorsed challenger to impeacher Dan Newhouse” and came in first in the primary for Newhouse’s House seat, with the House Republican placing second.
Washington operates an open primary system, meaning all candidates running for the same office are placed under one ballot, regardless of political affiliation. The top two finishers then proceed to the November general election.
Sessler ran against Newhouse during the 2022 primary but placed fourth.
Trump waded into the primary this cycle to back Sessler — and later another GOP candidate, Tiffany Smiley — as a part of a revenge tour to oust Republicans who crossed him. Newhouse won his first reelection bid since his impeachment vote in 2022, handily winning 68 percent of the vote, but Trump sought to pick off the defector this time around.
Newhouse is only one of two pro-impeachment House Republicans who still serve in Congress. Rep. David Valadao (Calif.) is the other.