{"id":6153,"date":"2026-08-04T13:30:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T13:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6153"},"modified":"2026-08-04T13:30:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T13:30:07","slug":"washington-state-democrat-who-flipped-pro-trump-district-faces-tough-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6153","title":{"rendered":"Washington state Democrat who flipped pro-Trump district faces tough primary"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"b19c0868-9d09-475d-a7eb-330684508179\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a woman speaks into a microphone\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/cf659dadcd271290ed158f3fc95fdf53e797f0df\/231_0_5001_4000\/master\/5001.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"371.9256148770246\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.<\/span> Photograph: Karen Ducey\/The Seattle Times via AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"b19c0868-9d09-475d-a7eb-330684508179\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.<\/span> Photograph: Karen Ducey\/The Seattle Times via AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Washington state Democrat who flipped pro-Trump district faces tough primary<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a moderate who owns an auto repair shop, hopes to retain congressional seat<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The two-term Democratic congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is heading into one of the country\u2019s most closely watched contests on Tuesday after national recognition for flipping a Republican seat in 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Representing Washington state\u2019s third district, Gluesenkamp Perez finds herself squeezed between Democrat and progressive <a href=\"https:\/\/brenthennrich.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Brent Hennrich<\/a> and Republican state senator John Braun on her right. There are<a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Washington%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_election,_2026_(August_4_top-two_primary)#google_vignette\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> six other candidates <\/a>on a single crowded ballot and the top two finishers will advance to the November general election regardless of party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Democrats are favored to win the House of Representatives in November\u2019s midterm election, but highly contested seats like Gluesenkamp Perez\u2019s will be crucial to securing a majority, and expanding the margin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler won Washington\u2019s third district in 2010 and held it for six terms, until Gluesenkamp Perez narrowly beat Trump-endorsed<a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonstatestandard.com\/2024\/11\/09\/gluesenkamp-perez-defeats-kent-holding-wa-congressional-seat-for-democrats\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> Joe Kent in 2022<\/a>. Trump has carried the district in all<a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Washington%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_election,_2024\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> three of his presidential runs<\/a>, most recently by <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/election-results-2024\/washington\/?r=0\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">about three points<\/a>, and yet in 2024 Gluesenkamp Perez ran roughly<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/elections\/results\/2024\/11\/05\/washington-house-district-3\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> seven points ahead <\/a>of her party\u2019s presidential nominee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Logging, mills, agriculture, shipping and manufacturing still shape daily life in much of the area and Gluesenkamp Perez\u2019s success has stemmed from her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opb.org\/article\/2025\/11\/03\/marie-gluesenkamp-perez-southwest-washington-3rd-district-3-midterms-elections-politics\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">appeal to moderates and rural voters<\/a>. An auto repair shop owner, she won over many in south-west Washington, including Republicans who considered Kent too extreme.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe like her a lot,\u201d said Laura Oltmann, 41, a resident and supporter who describes herself as a conservative. Kent did not embody conservatism, Oltmann said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">But through Gluesenkamp Perez\u2019s two terms, frustration has built among her own party, growing when Democrats saw her siding with Republicans on major legislation. Hennrich, who is challenging her in the primary, ran for the same seat in 2022 before standing down, but decided to run again. \u201cI stepped out of this race to unify Democrats to help get Marie through, so we could get rid of our six-term incumbent, Jaime Herrera Beutler,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201c[Gluesenkamp Perez] has turned out to be just an absolute epic failure for Democrats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Hennrich is not alone. Several local Democratic organizations inside the district have broken with her. \u201cShe ran as a Democrat and inspired a lot of people, and she won, and we thought she was going to be what we wanted her to be. But everybody\u2019s disappointed,\u201d said LaDonna Kirkpatrick, chair of the 18th Legislative District Democrats, speaking in a personal capacity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Kirkpatrick traces that disappointment to Gluesenkamp Perez\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/seattle-news\/politics\/rep-gluesenkamp-perez-breaks-from-democrats-on-1-15-trillion-defense-bill\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> votes for the Save Act, Trump\u2019s effort to overhaul elections,<\/a> as well as for a bill <a href=\"https:\/\/gluesenkampperez.house.gov\/posts\/gluesenkamp-perez-statement-on-house-gender-ideology-bill\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">restricting how public schools address gender identity<\/a>, and federal funding tied to the war in Iran. She claims the congresswoman has also stopped talking to her own party\u2019s local officers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Thea Zahn, the chair of the 20th legislative district, agreed. \u201cWhat majority are you going for?\u201d she said. \u201cAre you going for a majority that believes in Democratic values, or a majority that will fail over and over again when it comes down to it, when you really need people to stand up and say this is what we believe in?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cIf she gets to the primary, I will be one of them. I won\u2019t vote for Marie. I will never vote for Marie Perez again,\u201d Zahn added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The congresswoman\u2019s defenders make a different argument: that the district\u2019s partisan lean leaves her little room, and that the seat matters more than any single vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe reality is we live in a Republican district. It is Republican,\u201d said Terri Niles, who chairs the 17th Legislative District Democrats and spoke in a personal capacity. \u201cI\u2019ve knocked on tens of thousands of doors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Niles argues that none of Gluesenkamp Perez\u2019s contentious votes actually resulted in legislation passing, and that the calculation for Democrats is simpler than her critics allow. \u201cThe most important thing everybody should keep in mind is that flipping the House is our goal,\u201d she said. \u201cThat should be the most important thing for every Democrat out there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Democratic infighting comes at a precarious moment. An Emerson College <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregonlive.com\/politics\/2026\/07\/new-poll-shows-why-sw-washingtons-house-race-is-drawing-national-attention.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">poll conducted in mid-July<\/a> for the Northwest Progressive Institute found Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican Braun tied. Braun, the Republican leader in the Washington senate, has become one of the GOP\u2019s top congressional recruits, earning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kuow.org\/elections\/2026-07-30\/will-was-marie-gluesenkamp-perez-keep-her-3rd-district-seat-a-guide-to-the-primary\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump\u2019s endorsement <\/a>in April and the backing of the National Republican Congressional Committee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe could hand a truly 100% Maga candidate a congressional seat for life,\u201d said Tim Probst, a local Democratic party leader. \u201cBecause once he gets in there, he\u2019s not getting out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/washington-state\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Washington state<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/democrats\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/west-coast\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">West Coast<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Washington%20state%20Democrat%20who%20flipped%20pro-Trump%20district%20faces%20tough%20primary&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/04\/washington-state-primary-election?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Faug%2F04%2Fwashington-state-primary-election&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/aug\/04\/washington-state-primary-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Photograph: Karen Ducey\/The Seattle Times via AP View image in fullscreen Representative Marie Gluesenkamp<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6153"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6156,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6153\/revisions\/6156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}