A Republican member of the Yakima County Commission and a Democrat who is a retired Air Force major who once worked at the Hanford Site were the top two finishers in Washington state’s open primary for the 4th congressional district.
As a result, Amanda McKinney (R) and John Duresky (D) will go head-to-head in the Nov. 3 general election to decide who will succeed longtime incumbent Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.
Newhouse is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the district includes the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site.
McKinney was the top vote-getter among 11 candidates, receiving nearly 35% of the ballots cast Tuesday night, according to preliminary figures from the state. Duresky was a strong second with about 31%.
McKinney won the endorsement of President Donald Trump and other national Republican figures. Jerrod Sessler, a Republican businessman and former race car driver who Trump endorsed two years ago, finished third in the open primary Tuesday with 14% of the vote. Sessler beat Newhouse in the primary two years ago, only to lose in the general election.
The 4th district is a traditionally Republican-leaning area. Newhouse, a former state lawmaker and agriculture official, has represented the district since 2015. Newhouse is one of the few remaining GOP House members who voted to impeach Trump following the Jan.6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.