DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash. — Republican Dan Newhouse is expected to continue serving in the U.S. House of Representatives after securing more votes than his Republican opponent, Jerrod Sessler, in the 2024 general election race for Washington's 4th Congressional District.
Newhouse, the incumbent who has served since 2015, had 52% of the vote in District 4 as of Nov. 12. Though ballots are still being counted, there is likely no change to the outcome of the race.
District 4 serves most of central Washington, including Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, Yakima, Benton, and Klickitat counties as well as parts of Adams and Franklin counties.
House members are elected for two-year terms.
Newhouse was one of 10 Republican representatives to vote to impeach Trump following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Supporters of Trump, who had just lost the 2020 election, flooded the Capitol building in an attempt to stop the certification of the election results.
In the 2024 race, Trump endorsed both Republican opponents who were challenging Newhouse in the primaries for a spot on the November ballot.
Days before the August primary, Trump posted on Truth Social that "Newhouse has to go," offering endorsements for Sessler and Tiffany Smiley for the District 4 seat.
Sessler came under fire recently for comments he made in an interview to the Yakima-Herald Republic, indicating that he didn't believe Muslim people should be able to serve in Congress. Following a request for comment, he doubled down on those remarks.
The Washington chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement to the paper in response saying Sessler's "attempts to discredit (American Muslim candidates)" are not only "baseless" but also "an affront to the core values of religious freedom and democracy that define this nation."
The state Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh when asked about Sessler's remarks did not address them directly, instead saying, “I'm encouraged by the growing number of Muslims in Washington who are getting involved in public policy to protect children and families and to defend constitutional rights to property, religious liberty and free speech.”
Results from the general election will be certified by the County Canvassing Board by Nov. 26. The last day for the secretary of state to certify the results is Dec. 5.