Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent set for rematch in 3rd Congressional District
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Joe Kent (left) and U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Photos: Nathan Howard/Getty Images and Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Democrat U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who flipped a Republican-held district in Washington state two years ago, will once again face Trump-backed Republican Joe Kent this fall, The Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: The toss-up race in Washington's 3rd Congressional District is one of this year's most competitive U.S. House races, central to Democrats' and Republicans' battle for control of the chamber.
The latest: Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent captured the most votes in early results from Tuesday's top-two primary in Washington state, causing the AP to call the race shortly after polls closed.
- Both candidates are now set to appear on the November general election ballot, per the AP.
- They edged out Republican Leslie Lewallen, a Camas City Council member who has presented herself as a less extreme alternative to Kent, and John Saulie-Rohman, an independent.
State of play: Gluesenkamp Perez is one of only five House Democrats who represent districts that former President Trump won in 2020.
- Sabato's Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report both list the race as toss-up, meaning either party could easily win the district in November.
Flashback: Kent, a former Green Beret, and Gluesenkamp Perez, who previously co-owned an auto shop, also faced each other two years ago as they fought for the seat formerly held by Republican U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler.
- Herrera Beutler, who lost in the primary in 2022, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over his actions surrounding Jan. 6., 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
- Gluesenkamp Perez went on to win the seat in November in an upset victory for Democrats.
What we're watching: The candidates and their allies have already run ads focused on border policy, with Gluesenkamp Perez attempting to distance herself from President Biden on the issue and Republicans attacking her as too liberal.