Washington Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler on Tuesday conceded in her bid for reelection, a primary that was largely defined by Republican ire for her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2021.
CNN previously projected that Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez would claim the first spot on the general election ballot, and Republican Joe Kent, a retired special forces officer who is backed by Trump, will take second place in the race, CNN projected Friday.
Washington state has an open primary system where all candidates run on a single ballot, regardless of affiliation. The top two vote-getters in the primary move on to the general election, regardless of party.
The sizable field for Washington’s 3rd District included Kent, author Heidi St. John and state Rep. Vicki Kraft. All attacked her vote for impeachment, arguing that the vote put her out of step with voters in the district.
A loss for Herrera Beutler would be a win for Trump, who made defeating the 10 House Republicans who joined Democrats to impeach him a central goal of his post-presidency.
Elsewhere in Washington, Trump’s endorsement was not enough to defeat incumbent Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse, who defeated the Trump-backed Republican Loren Culp on his way to a general election match up against Democrat Doug White.
This story has been updated with additional developments Friday.