YAKIMA — Republican Jerrod Sessler and incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse appear headed to a rematch in November based on 4th District primary election results Tuesday.
Sessler, who is from Prosser, led Tuesday night with 20,703 ballots, or 29.8% of the vote. He was ahead in every county except Grant County, where Newhouse led.
Newhouse was in second with 17,365 ballots, or 25% of the vote. The top two candidates in the primary election move onto the general election.
Mail-in ballots will continue to be counted over the next several days. The top two candidates in the primary, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
In a statement Tuesday evening, Sessler thanked his supporters, his family and Donald Trump. He focused on Newhouse, as well.
“The vast majority of the district who knows Dan Newhouse well voted to end his congressional career,” Sessler wrote.
Newhouse was optimistic after seeing results Tuesday night.
“Ballots are still being counted, we don’t have the full picture yet,” Newhouse said in a news conference. “I’m feeling good.”
Newhouse said he was fine being in second and said he expects more voters and higher turnout in November’s general election.
“I’m feeling optimistic and good about this because the people who support me, my constituents, support good governance. That’s what I deliver,” he said. “There will be a lot bigger turnout in the general election.”
Newhouse said he would work to distinguish himself from his opponent in the general election. He spoke little about Sessler, touting his pragmatism, policies in Congress and familiarity with Central Washington.
National attention came to the 4th District after Newhouse voted to impeach Donald Trump in 2021. Trump endorsed Sessler and Tiffany Smiley of Pasco. Smiley had 19.5% of the vote, or 13,545 ballots, as of Tuesday night.
Sessler thanked Smiley for campaigning against Newhouse and called her his co-endorsee. He promised to be Trump’s greatest ally.
Newhouse did not focus on the former president and current Republican presidential nominee.
“I’m not sure the endorsement of two of my opponents by the former president really changed anything,” Newhouse said.
The district
The 4th District covers Okanogan, Douglas, Grant, Adams, Franklin, Benton, Yakima and Klickitat counties. Yakima County’s results were in line with the district as a whole. Sessler led Newhouse 5,917 votes to 4,513 in Newhouse’s home county.
If results hold, two Republicans would be facing off in the election for the 4th District seat for the first time since 2016.
Ballots will continue to be counted; Washington residents could turn them in up until 8 p.m. Tuesday, when the first round of election results were released. In Yakima County, for example, Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross said there could be between 15,000 and 20,000 ballots still to be counted.
“Historically, we’ve started to look at tonight as halfway,” Ross said.
Crowded field
For the second congressional primary in a row, Central Washington saw a crowded primary election, with seven candidates challenging Newhouse.
Democrat Mary Baechler of Yakima was fourth Tuesday, with 10,421 votes, good for 15%.
Sessler lost in the primary in a race for the same seat in 2022, with Newhouse facing a Democrat in the general election that year. Sessler could be on track for a much better finish this time out, leading the incumbent Republican by more than 3,000 votes as of Tuesday evening.
Smiley ran for Senate in 2022 but lost to Democrat Patty Murray in the general election.
Newhouse, Smiley and Sessler raised the most money for their campaigns thus far. Newhouse has raised around $1.6 million, Smiley around $719,000 and Sessler around $409,000 as of election day.
The final four candidates were Democrats “Birdie” Jane Muchlinski and Barry Knowles, Independent Benancio “BG3” Garcia and MAGA Democrat John Malan, finished in that order on election night.
Muchlinski had 6.6% of votes, Knowles had 2.6%, Garcia had less than 1% and Malan had around 0.6%.
The next round of results will be released Wednesday.
