黑料福利社

For the first time in a decade, Central Washington residents will vote in an open-seat congressional primary in August, choosing among nearly a dozen candidates vying for a seat opened up by retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse.

The 11 candidates running to replace Newhouse include six Republicans, one Democrat, one independent, one Cascade Party candidate and two candidates who state no party preference.聽

Washington has a top-two primary system, which means whichever two candidates get the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Newhouse, a Sunnyside Republican, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. Over the last decade, he鈥檚 maintained a reputation as a moderate conservative focused on agriculture and other issues affecting Central Washington. Notably, he was one of 10 House Republicans to impeach President Donald Trump in 2021 following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which drew criticism from the state and Yakima County Republican Party organizations.

In December, he announced he鈥檇 be retiring at the end of his term.聽

Brief history

In 2022, Doug White聽鈥� the sole Democrat in the district鈥檚 congressional race聽鈥� received the most votes in the primary, with Newhouse coming in second with five Republican challengers.聽Newhouse won the general election.

In 2024, the progressive vote was split among multiple Democrats. Newhouse and Jerrod Sessler聽鈥� two Republicans聽鈥� advanced to the general election.

With one Democrat listed on the ballot this year, it鈥檚 possible both major parties could make it past the primary again.

鈥淚t's a heavily red district, so obviously there is a chance that you'll see two Republicans advance, but the way I read this is similar to what happened in 2022,鈥� said Todd Schaefer, a professor of political science at Central Washington University. 鈥淚t's likely that the Republican vote will be split and the Democrat will come in second, at least, and advance.鈥�

From there, it鈥檚 more than likely a Republican will claim the seat, Schaefer said.

In 2024, Sessler received the most votes during the primary. In the general election, however, Schaefer said Newhouse was saved by independents and Democrats who saw him as a safer and more moderate option than Sessler, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump and landed with MAGA voters.

Trump endorsement

Trump endorsed Yakima County Commissioner and Republican Amanda McKinney earlier this year . Sessler was one of two candidates Trump endorsed in the 2024 primary, and says he has the president's nod.

A White House official, in response to a question from the Herald-Republic, said this week that Trump has only endorsed McKinney this year.

Newhouse has not made an endorsement.聽It's unclear exactly how much weight a Trump endorsement holds, but Schaefer said it appears having the president鈥檚 backing is helpful.

Schaefer said name recognition could give Sessler, who has run twice before, an advantage. However, the fact that McKinney and Republican state Sen. Matt Boehnke have both run successful campaigns for their respective offices could also give them a boost. It鈥檚 possible the race鈥檚 independent candidates could have some influence on overall voter turnout, although it鈥檚 hard to say if their presence will affect the final outcome, Schaefer said.

Although candidates differ in many ways, one uniter across party lines is congressional term limits. Thus far, four candidates聽鈥� Sessler, McKinney, John Duresky and Jacek Kobiesa聽鈥� have committing to co-sponsor a resolution supporting a limit of three two-year terms in the House and two six-year terms in the Senate.

Through March 31, McKinney's campaign had raised $523,892, according to data from the . Sessler raised $402,499, Duresky raised $81,606 and Boehnke raised $58,239. Republican John C. Hughs raised $1,305.

The 4th Congressional District stretches from the Oregon state line to the Canadian border, encompassing Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, Yakima, Benton and Klickitat counties, and parts of Adams and Franklin counties. Primary ballots will go out next week, and are due by 8 p.m. on election night, Aug. 4.

Here's a look at who is running:

Matt Boehnke

Republican, Kennewick

State Sen. Matt Boehnke has been in the Legislature since 2019, serving four years in the House and four years in the Senate. Boehnke brings a background of more than 21 years of active duty in the U.S. Army. He also teaches cybersecurity at Columbia Basin College.

鈥淐entral Washington voters have been asking for an experienced representative that can actually bridge the gap with these bipartisan issues that are going on in the world today, and that was what they looked for (in) me,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hy I'm running is not really for social media likes and clicks, it's really to get down to solving problems, to being effective on day one, to be the one who can work not only national security, agriculture, energy, but getting us ready for the next 10, 20 years.鈥�

Boehnke said one of his top priorities is agriculture. As a state senator, he said he鈥檚 worked with the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan and developed a deep understanding of water rights that would serve as an asset in advocating for increased water storage capacity and sustainable water access in the district. Other priorities include energy production, economic development, border security and workforce and technology.

As an educator and a member of the state Senate higher education and workforce development committee, Boehnke said he wants to reduce barriers to higher education and build out programs at institutions like 黑料福利社 College and Perry Technical Institute to help keep local talent in central Washington.

鈥淲e have the people to do it, we have the land to do it, and we have the operations, the foundation to do it,鈥� Boehnke said. 鈥淲hat always seems to happen is we shortcut ourselves that the money isn't prioritized to the students first.鈥�

John Duresky

Democrat, West Richland

Duresky is the only Democrat listed on the ballot. A combat veteran and retired Air Force major, he has 37 years of experience in government service, including several years of civil service working as a project control officer at the Hanford site.

As one of more than a million federal employees who was offered a choice to resign with a severance package by Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency, he said the race is personal to him.

鈥淚 served my country for 37 years, 24 years in the Air Force, 13 years in civil service," he said, adding he sees firsthand聽"the damage that has been done to our federal government, to the capacity and to the capability of our state."

One of Duresky鈥檚 top priorities is affordability. Duresky is one of two Washington state congressional candidates to sign the Take BAC Congress pledge, which advocates for term limits, a ban on stock trading by sitting congressmen, a moratorium on lobbying by departing congressmen, overturning Citizens United and an enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court.

鈥淲e need to fix Congress so that it is looking out for the people that the congressmen are sent to represent,鈥� Duresky said. 鈥淭hat's the key.鈥�

John C. Hughs

Republican, Lind

Hughs is a certified pharmacy technician who works in medical therapeutic management for the Community Health Plan of Washington. The Lind Republican said he was inspired to run for office after learning he was related to one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution.

Hughs has a wide-ranging educational background, with degrees in Spanish, chemical engineering and pharmacy technology, plus a master of intellectual property and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound School of Law. He said his priorities include getting control of government spending and empowering the young workforce to realize the American Dream by investing in vocational and technical education. One of his biggest priorities is regulating artificial intelligence.

鈥淲e need legislation right now that limits AI and strictly prohibits it from infringing upon citizens' constitutional civil liberties,鈥� Hughs said. 鈥淲e need that legislation in place right now, because the fathers of AI have already indicated clearly they have no regard for that.鈥�

Jacek Kobiesa

No party preference, Pasco

Kobiesa ran for the 4th District in 2022 as a Republican but didn鈥檛 advance past the primary. This year, he stated no party preference in his filing.

鈥淲hat's happening right now within the Republican establishment is something I will never support,鈥� Kobiesa said. 鈥淭here's a bunch of lies, mistruths, withholding information.鈥�

Kobiesa said he鈥檚 observed division in the political system, both among Democrats and Republicans and in the form of infighting. He said he believes designating English as the country鈥檚 national language could be a first step in creating unity and healing the nation, although he believes people should have the freedom to speak their native languages at home.

The Pasco-based mechanical engineer moved to the United States from Poland at the age of 23. He said observing unrest in Poland and other European countries in the 1970s and 80s has influenced his worldview, adding that concerns about the rising influence of socialism and communism on this side of the globe have propelled his decision to run for Congress.

鈥淲hen I predicted, let's say 10, 15 years ago, that we're going to have more and more socialism and communism taking afoot in the United States, people kind of said, 鈥楾hat will never happen,鈥欌�� Kobiesa said. 鈥淵et we have New York City, Seattle聽鈥� there's more and more presence of, they call themselves Socialist Democrats, but I call them communists.鈥�

Amanda McKinney

Republican, Yakima

McKinney has served as a Yakima County commissioner since 2020. With a background in real estate finance and agriculture, she said she鈥檚 running to be a voice for the challenges facing the 4th District. Over the last six years, she鈥檚聽served in leadership roles that have brought her across the country and helped her see how local, state and federal government interact.

鈥淚 saw that my voice of representing rural communities was effective, and it really made me see how important it is to have someone in Congress who really has a deep understanding of the drivers of our economy, and of course, our district,鈥� McKinney said.

As a commissioner, McKinney has been involved with the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, a framework for managing the region's water resources, protecting fish and habitat and increasing conservation.

鈥淚 have always believed that water is centric to our thriving economy here, but also to our way of life, living in a desert, and I think having that perspective is greatly needed in Congress,鈥� McKinney said.

McKinney said she believes in limited government and has advocated for bringing more decision-making power back to the local level. Her other priorities include agriculture, energy production and bringing down costs for her constituents.

Devin Poor茅

Cascade Party, East Wenatchee

Poor茅 announced his candidacy earlier this year as an independent. After receiving a nomination from the of Washington聽鈥� a new, centrist state party founded by former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoseli膰聽鈥� he chose to officially run under that banner.

Poor茅, who lives in East Wenatchee, worked for five years as a software engineer before quitting his job to run his campaign full time. One of his main priorities is getting big money out of politics and addressing what he sees as a broken political system. He鈥檚 advocated for measures like a ban on congressional stock trading, congressional term limits and public funding of elections.

鈥淚t's critical to our democracy to address it, in my view, and unfortunately our politics has really trended towards focusing on issues that tend to be more divisive,鈥� Poor茅 said. 鈥淭here's a reason why neither the Republicans or the Democrats really spend any significant time talking about this issue of money in our politics, because it really is a great uniter.鈥�

Poor茅 has also been working to create a framework for a 鈥淐entral Washington New Deal鈥� focused on regional issues like affordability, energy independence and community resilience around food, water access and agriculture.

Zac Rossi

States no party preference, West Richland

Rossi did not respond to a request for an interview from the 黑料福利社. However, on his website he states, 鈥淒O NOT WASTE YOUR VOTE ON ME. I am only throwing my name on the ballot to call attention to the National Debt. Both parties are responsible for the current state of the National Debt Crisis. Reform must happen to fix it.鈥�

Elpidia Saavedra

Republican, Toppenish

Saavedra is the mayor of Toppenish and a dental hygienist for a federally qualified health center in the Lower Valley. As someone who was born and raised in Toppenish, Saavedra said her experience in local government has opened her eyes to the challenges and opportunities smaller cities in Central Washington face.

鈥淭here's a lot of teamwork that's involved, there's a lot of learning that's involved, processes that are in place, government policies and requirements, and even red tape,鈥� Saavedra said of her time serving on the city council. 鈥淚've seen how sometimes our smaller municipalities, especially governments within our rural communities such as the 4th Congressional District, can a lot of times be overlooked.鈥�

Saavedra said she鈥檚 committed to representing the needs of rural communities in Central Washington. When she learned that the congressional race wouldn鈥檛 have an incumbent, she said she saw an opportunity to run with a more level playing field. Her priorities include supporting the district鈥檚 agricultural economy, labor and farmworkers, advocating for water rights and bringing more resources to local municipalities. She emphasized that she has no ties to big money or PACs.

鈥淚 bring a unique type of representation. Not only do I represent 41% of the of the Latino community that makes up the 4th Congressional District, but I feel like I can bring a very unique perspective,鈥� Saavedra said. 鈥淚 can bring a level of bringing people together versus antagonizing or making the division worse.鈥�

Jerrod Sessler

Republican, Prosser

Sessler ran for the 4th District seat in 2022 and 2024 as a Republican. He got past the primary in 2024, but was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid against Newhouse.

Sessler said his top priority is to protect Americans鈥� wallets, adding that he鈥檚 frustrated by the way he鈥檚 seen the government spend taxpayer money, especially on a state level. He hopes to聽rein in spending and realign priorities with what the American people find important, 鈥渘ot socialism-type issues that the left thinks are more important than maybe public safety or hospitals or military.鈥�

鈥淭here's so much waste, I think we obviously continue to uncover more and more of that waste,鈥� Sessler said.

Sessler said other priorities include supporting farmers, ranchers and dairy operators, investing in agriculture-related infrastructure projects and building more energy products in Washington state. He also emphasized the importance of supporting rural healthcare, including care for veterans.

鈥淭hey risk their lives for us, and there's lots of care and support that they need that they're not getting,鈥� Sessler said.

Favian Valencia

Independent, Yakima

Valencia is a Yakima-based civil rights attorney whose family settled in the 黑料福利社 when he was in elementary school to work as farmworkers. He spent most of his summers through college working in orchards.

After Newhouse announced his retirement, Valencia said he started looking at the candidates running to replace him. He didn鈥檛 see anyone he could fully align with, so he chose to enter the race as an independent.

He said one of his first priorities in Congress would be to try to pass legislation exempting Americans who make less than $60,000 a year from paying federal income taxes. The measure, he said, would provide relief for significant portion of Americans and reduce IRS spending, while only cutting tax revenues minimally.

鈥淚 think the inflation, the tariffs, gas prices are one of the most pressing issues, and with this tax relief, it's a very direct way to address that by not taking money out of people's pockets,鈥� Valencia said.

He added that he wants to see increased transparency and accountability in government by establishing congressional term limits, removing dark money from politics and undoing Citizens United.

Ken Vaz

Republican, Seattle

Vaz is the only candidate that does not live in Central Washington. The Seattle-based Republican has a background in engineering and technology and has worked for retail and tech companies including Nordstrom, Amazon and Salesforce. He is currently focused full-time on his campaign. While state legislators are required to live in the district they represent, the U.S. Constitution only requires that members of Congress live in the state they represent and be over the age of 25.聽

Vaz said he chose to run for the 4th District, rather than the district he lives in, because he believes the issues and opportunities facing this area have such a significant impact on the state as a whole.

鈥淔or me, it was less about picking a district on paper and more about where I think some of Washington's most important issues are concentrated,鈥� Vaz said. 鈥淭he 4th District is central to agriculture, energy, water, infrastructure and trade, and those issues affect the entire state, so I felt like this was the right place to make the case for a more practical, fiscally responsible approach focused on affordability and accountability.鈥�

Vaz said his priorities include affordability, responsible government spending, supporting reliable energy, water and infrastructure and protecting constitutional rights. He added that he wants the focus to remain on practical solutions versus ideological issues.