Herrera Beutler loses lead in latest vote count
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U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Battle Ground) in June 2020. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Republican challenger Joe Kent overtook U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Battle Ground) in the latest round of ballot counting Monday, making it appear unlikely that Herrera Beutler — one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach ex-President Trump — would advance to November's general election.
Driving the news: On Monday, Kent, who received Trump's endorsement, pulled ahead of Herrera Beutler by 960 votes in Washington's 3rd Congressional District.
- That's a big shift from a week ago, when Herrera Beutler led Kent by about 4,700 votes — more than 4 percentage points — the night of the Aug. 2 primary.
- Herrera Beutler has represented the district in southwest Washington for 12 years.
The intrigue: Trump threw his support behind Kent shortly before Labor Day, turning the race into a test of the ex-president's lasting influence on the GOP.
Catch up quick: Kent and Herrera Beutler are duking it out for second place right now.
- Whichever Republican edges out the other will face Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, whose primary performance has already earned her a spot on the November ballot.
What they're saying: While some votes are still being counted, Dave Wasserman, an editor at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, tweeted Monday that it was clear that Herrera Beutler had lost and that Kent would advance instead.
The big picture: Washington state is home to two of the 10 House Republicans who voted for Trump's impeachment in 2021.
- The other, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Sunnyside), defeated a Trump-endorsed challenger last week and will advance to the November general election.
- Most of the 10 pro-impeachment Republicans, however, won’t be returning to Congress. Four are retiring, while two already lost their primaries.
What's next: A recount will occur in the race between Kent and Herrera Beutler if they remain less than half a percentage point and fewer than 2,000 votes apart.
- In Clark County, at the heart of the district, an estimated 10,000 votes remained uncounted on Monday.
- Updated results are scheduled to be posted Tuesday.
The bottom line: While some lawmakers' fates remain up in the air, it's possible Newhouse will be the only Republican who voted for Trump's impeachment who will still be a member of Congress come January, Wasserman wrote.