UPDATE: Joe Kent passes Jaime Herrera Beutler in 3rd Congressional District race

After Friday’s report, Kent trails the congresswoman by just 1,668 votes in the race for the second spot in the Nov. 8 general election
File photo

After Monday’s latest report, Kent leads the congresswoman by 960 votes in the race for the second spot in the Nov. 8 general election

In the latest update of the counted ballots released at 6 p.m. Monday, challenger Joe Kent has passed Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler for the second spot on the Nov. 8 general election ballot in the 3rd Congressional District race for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Joe Kent
Joe Kent

The latest results showed Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez with a comfortable lead in the race. Gluesenkamp Perez, the co-owner of a car care business, has received 30.97 percent (64,718) of the votes. 

Kent, a former Green Beret who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has received 22.79 percent (47,623) of the votes. Herrera Beutler, who has served in Congress since 2010, has received 22.33 percent (46,663) of the votes.

On Tuesday when the first returns were released, Herrera Beutler led Kent by 4,707 votes. On Friday, Kent had closed to within 257 votes and the latest report showed him 960 votes ahead of Herrera Beutler.

Jaime Herrera Beutler
Jaime Herrera Beutler

Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey told Clark County Today Friday afternoon that he estimated there were approximately 30,000 ballots left to be counted in Clark County. After Monday’s update, there were believed to be about 10,000 ballots. The 3rd Congressional District also includes the counties of Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Klickitat, as well as a small sliver of southern Thurston County. The total population of the 3rd Congressional District (as of 2019) was 756,675 and approximately two-thirds of those are Clark County residents.

Kimsey said that he expected the remaining Clark County ballots to be counted by Tuesday afternoon.

Kimsey said there are two tests that would automatically trigger a mandatory recount in the race. If there is a differential of less than 2,000 total votes and if the differential is within one half of 1 percent, then there will be a mandatory recount. Currently, Kent leads Herrera Beutler by 0.46 percent.

Herrera Beutler had received a vigorous challenge from Kent and other conservative Republicans who were enraged by her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. There were a total of nine candidates in the 3rd Congressional District race. The top two candidates from the Aug. 2 primary election will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.

The election will be certified on Aug. 16.

For Clark County election results, go to https://clark.wa.gov/elections/results

For statewide results, go to https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20220802/default.htm


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12 Comments

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    MetaWorld2

    Very disappointed in voter turnout! 27% ? WoW. Pathetic. I am too the point where if things go further South than already are, non-voters deserve Everything they get. Sadly as well is we are still counting Votes????? Really? Finished by Tuesday??? Really? That is wrong!

    Reply
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      Don

      I think that just points to inflated voter rolls. All those empty placeholders are there for use when we the people happen to pick someone or vote contrary to what those at the top want. They do not vote when they are not needed.

      Reply
  2. blank
    Vince

    Wonder if Jamie does get the nod (hopefully not) if it will sink in to her thick skull that fully 65% of conservative voters want her gone for her betrayal of then President Trump.

    Reply
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      K.J. HInton

      I want her gone because her tenure has been worthless AND, all those rich, mostly out of state leftists and RINOs wasted a fortune to save her.

      Right, David Neirenberg?

      I’ve never voted for her and never would. I’ve typically taken her advice from when she refused to vote for Trump in 2015: write in someone else instead.

      Reply
    1. blank
      Vince

      Indeed! Now fully 65.6% of conservative voters are saying get out of our seat, you do not represent our beliefs, we are not radical elements, we will be heard.

      Reply
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    Crazy

    It must be election fraud, right? I mean Kent has proclaimed that Trump lost because of election fraud. So, he must have figured out out how to steal votes using the “corrupt” mail-in ballot system to his advantage in this race. Perhaps we should storm some government builds with JHB flags and steal stuff.

    Reply
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    Dpm

    Democrat has a “comfortable lead”? Unless I’m completely missing something the the writer of this article does not understand the local electoral process at all. I had to reread the article because something was not making sense. How could the Republican incumbent since 2010 B defeated by a fellow Republican yet the Democrat in the race has a comfortable lead?? Unless there has been a radical alteration to the district lines, that would be the boldest and most shameful case of gerrymandering ever

    Reply

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