America First candidate Joe Kent has defeated U.S. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the primary for Washington’s Third Congressional District. After the results were made official on Monday night, Herrera Beutler became the third GOP impeachment voter to be defeated at the ballot box, joining U.S. Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) and U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI). An additional four of ten impeachment voters have announced their retirements rather than face primary challenges of their own.
With 92% of the vote counted as of Monday evening, David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report projected that Joe Kent will finish ahead of Herrera Beutler.
In the days immediately following the election, Joe Kent trailed Herrera Beutler. He soon began to surge ahead in Clark County, however, and has now taken a sizable and growing lead. Kent will likely head to the general election to face Marie Perez, whom Kent is favored to defeat in the plus five red district, according to Wasserman.
With Herrera Beutler’s almost certain exit, it is all but certain that only two Republicans who voted to impeach Trump will return in November. In addition to the defeats of Rice and Meijer, U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) and Fred Upton (R-MI) have announced their retirements. Kinzinger fell victim to redistricting and likely would have lost in the general even if he were to fend off a primary challenger. The others opted to bail rather than face defeat at the ballot box.
Liz Cheney (R-WY) is expected to be defeated as well. Cheney currently trails challenger Harriet Hageman by as much as 28 percentage points according to recent polls.
Joe Kent, a veteran who has vowed to secure the Southern border, reign in the national security state, and combatting China, among other things. “I want to go forward and fight because I want to fight, and I know how to fight,” Kent stated. “This is for the future of our nation and the legacy that we will leave for our children. This is what is compelling me to run for office.”
Kent is expected to defeat Herrera Beutler — who has served since 2010 — despite massive $4 million spending from outside PAC spending that backed the incumbent.
