The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Washington’s 5th Congressional District race to its list of “competitive” contests. Democrat Carmela Conroy is seeking to unseat Republican Michael Baumgartner, who represents the Spokane-based district and is running for a second term. Democrats hope this will improve their chances of regaining control of the House of Representatives.
The announcement was a notable step because the district has traditionally favored Republicans: Donald Trump has consistently won there, and voters have regularly sent Republican representatives to Congress. However, Republicans are facing challenges nationwide amid the opposition party’s typical advantage in midterm elections, Trump’s declining approval ratings, dissatisfaction with the prolonged war with Iran and the high cost of living. In the primary, Baumgartner received 47% of the vote, while Conroy received about 19%; Republicans emphasize that Baumgartner ultimately won by a wide margin.
Both sides are already using the attention from the national parties in the campaign. Baumgartner said he represents the values of Eastern Washington, not politicians from the capital, and accused Conroy of aligning with the Democrats’ left wing. Trump endorsed the incumbent congressman, calling him an outstanding person, and criticized Conroy, a former diplomat. The Democrat, in turn, said Trump’s intervention proves Republican vulnerability and accused Baumgartner of cutting health care and increasing costs.
Based on: National Democrats target Eastern WA House race as ‘in play’