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Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., a six-term incumbent and one of 10 House Republicans to vote for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, has lost her primary race to challenger Joe Kent.
Herrera Beutler, who represents the conservative-leaning Third Congressional District in Washington state, released a statement on Tuesday, one week after the state’s election took place, conceding the race to Kent.
“Though my campaign came up short this time, I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together for the place where I was raised and still call home,” the congresswoman wrote in an emailed statement, according to the Associated Press.
Herrera Beutler voted to impeach President Trump in 2021 over Jan. 6.
Kent, a retired Green Beret who received the endorsement of President Trump, surged ahead of Herrera Beutler, along with three other Republicans, after a late dump of ballots on Monday and Tuesday.
Kent led his main opponent by 869 votes as of Tuesday (22.7 percent to 22.3 percent). Results from Thurston County have yet to be posted, but Kent is not expected to lose his lead.
Democrat Marie Perez came in first place overall with 31.1 percent as of Tuesday. In Washington state’s primary system, the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
Kent and Perez will advance to the general election in November. Cook Political Report, a non-partisan political analysis group, rates the race as “solid Republican.”
Herrera Beutler is the most recent House Republican to lose reelection after voting to impeach President Trump. Reps. Tom Rice, R-S.C., and Peter Meijer, R-Mich., lost their reelection bids, and four pro-impeachment Republicans have not sought reelection.
Only two pro-impeachment Republicans, Reps. David Valadao, R-Calif., and Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., narrowly survived their primary campaigns. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has yet to face her primary opponent, Harriet Hageman.
