Eleven candidates are vying for a longstanding Republican stronghold. They’re running to represent Central Washington state after U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse retires at the end of his current term.

For over 30 years, two Republicans have represented Washington Congressional District 4 in the U.S. House. The district covers most of Central Washington, including Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, Yakima, Benton and Klickitat counties. It also serves parts of Adams and Franklin counties.

Newhouse will retire after 12 years, during which he threw his support behind hydropower, agricultural labor reform and stopping the Chinese Communist Party from buying American farmland.

“I am truly humbled by this uniquely American journey that took a farm boy from Sunnyside, Washington clear across the country to represent his friends and neighbors in the ‘other’ Washington,” Newhouse said in his retirement announcement.

Newhouse was one of 10 Republicans who also voted to impeach President Donald Trump in 2021. There are only two of those ten still in Congress. Newhouse and Rep. David Valadao, who is running for reelection in California.

“Central Washington will have a strong, capable leader to whom I can pass the torch,” Newhouse wrote in the announcement.

However, Chris Vance, the former chairman of Washington State’s Republican Party, said changes might be coming. Voters in Congressional District 4 were historically “very pragmatic,” he said.

“They understood that their communities and their economy were in many ways dependent on the federal government, on the Hanford Project, on the dams and the irrigation projects, on trade, on the ability to get the workers necessary to harvest the crops,” Vance said.

For decades, Vance said, the district was represented by moderate Republicans and Democrats, who he said were “highly effective at … bringing home the bacon” for Central Washington.

Prior to Newhouse, Rep. Doc Hastings served the district for 20 years. Hastings also championed hydropower and rural economics. From 1993-1995, Jay Inslee, a Democrat, represented the region.

Long tenures in the district, especially for Hastings, helped amass power in the U.S. House, Vance said.

“ Farmers in Eastern Washington need free trade. Tariffs are a disaster for them. And they need the workers that they need to harvest the crops,” Vance said.

Now, Vance said, moderates will likely no longer take the seat, and a freshman congressional member might bring less clout.

“There’s more to being in Congress than just being an ideological warrior and getting up and giving fiery speeches,” Vance said. “It’s about delivering for your community. Central Washington needs the federal government’s help.”

And Vance said he believes the generation of Republicans now fighting for Newhouse’s seat aren’t as moderate as previous representatives.

The candidates vying for the position in the Aug. 4 primary include:

• Jacek “Jack” Kobiesa, No party preference
• Amanda McKinney, Republican
• John Duresky, Democrat
• John C. Hughes, Republican
• Favian Valencia, Independent
• Jerrod Sessler, Republican
• Devin Poore, Cascade Party
• Ken Vaz, Republican
• Zac Rossi, No party preference
• Elpidia Saavedra, Republican
• Matt Boehnke, Republican

Washington is a top-two primary state. That means the two candidates with the most votes will go on to November’s general election, no matter the party.

Many people pay less attention to U.S. House races, said Todd Schaefer, professor and chair of political science at Central Washington University. Often, voters go by name or party recognition, especially during midterm elections. If voting by party affiliation, that makes it harder for Republicans when lots of GOP members are running.

That means it’s likely the Republican candidates will take each other’s votes, he said. The Republican with the highest vote total will likely move on to the general election.

“ Even though it’s a heavily Republican area, it’s highly likely the Republican vote will be split so much that the Democrat will (also) advance,” he said.

Or less likely, Schaefer said, a moderate Republican could take second place, making it to the general election ballot.

The Cook Partisan Voting Index rates Congressional District 4 the most Republican district in all of Washington state.

In the last two elections, Washington’s top-two primary system benefited Newhouse, Schaefer said. In those elections, Schaefer said Republicans who strongly supported President Trump pushed to unseat Newhouse.

“The vote was split so much among the Trump faction that Newhouse came in second, and the Democrat came in first,” he said. “Then, Newhouse won easily in the general (election) because the Trump voters, most of them came home.”

The irony, he said, is that the top-two primary system that benefited Newhouse could look more like a traditional partisan primary this November, with a Republican and a Democrat on the ballot.

The primary election is Aug. 4 and ballots are due in drop boxes that day by 8 p.m. If mailing in ballots, Washington’s Secretary of State recommends mailing them more than a week in advance. Accessible voting is available at county elections offices or voting centers until 8 p.m. on Aug. 4.

Read the audio transcript here.

Courtney Flatt is a reporter with NWPB. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/31/washington-us-house-race-election-politics/