Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler Leads In Re-Election Bid
Voters in southwest Washington favored sending U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler back to Washington, D.C., as of early returns Tuesday. The Republican from Battle Ground will serve her fifth term in Congress if she holds on to defeat Democratic challenger Carolyn Long.
While ballots will continue to trickle in throughout the week, initial returns showed Herrera Beutler leading with 52 percent of the vote as of 9 p.m. Tuesday.
"I'm optimistic. I'm excited," Herrera Beutler said late Tuesday evening. "I feel like the folks in this district continue to really make up their own minds about what they want and what they need really irrespective of national trends."
This year’s race was one of the most competitive Herrera Beutler has faced since she was first elected in 2010. The conservative-leaning district went for Trump in 2016 by almost 8 points and has been seen as relatively safe for Republicans, with Herrera Beutler handily winning re-election by double digits.
But after a strong August primary showing from Long, the race began to garner national attention and was eyed as one of three U.S. House districts in Washington that could flip for the Democrats.
Long said she was proud of her campaign, regardless of what the outcome.
“We’ve built not just a campaign but a foundation for rebuilding a stronger Democratic party in Southwest Washington," the Democrat said in a speech Tuesday. "We’ve shown thousands of people in Southwest Washington that we’re willing to stand up and fight for your rights, your values and our shared future.”
Long outraised Herrera Beutler by about $1 million this election, bringing in more than $3 million. Both campaigns saw an unprecedented amount of money flow into the race. It attracted more than $3 million from outside groups, including more than $1.5 million from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Independence USA PAC supporting Long, and nearly $1 million from the National Republican Congressional Committee in television advertising buys for Herrera Beutler.
Herrera Beutler said she thought the race was close because of "newer folks to the region who've moved in who are still getting to know me."
"Regardless of where this ends up, this is based on what's happening across the country and in a swing seat," the congresswoman said. "I'm honored by these results. I realize that the outcome is still yet to be finalized and determined, but I feel good."
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District was redrawn in 2012, cutting out progressive Olympia and stretching east along the Columbia River. The large southwest Washington district includes more of urban Vancouver and Clark County and spans west from the Pacific Coast out east to rural ranchland around Goldendale. [Copyright 2018 Oregon Public Broadcasting]
