Third Congressional District Republicans ousted Jaime Herrera Beutler because she was too moderate; will Democrats do the same to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez for the same reason?

Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today

Is it possible that history will repeat itself in the 3rd Congressional District?

Ken Vance

Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

former Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler

Brett Hennrich

Four years ago, Southwest Washington Republicans showed their displeasure with Jaime Herrera Beutler by providing enough support to Joe Kent to oust the long-time congresswoman in the 2022 primary election. The more conservative side of the Republican party believed that in her 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives Herrera Beutler had proven herself to be too moderate for their taste.

As you now know, Kent went on to lose to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez not once but twice, in the 2022 and 2024 general elections. The strategy seems to have backfired as Republicans have been without the seat now for two terms, including the recent term in which they enjoy a razor-thin majority.

Fast forward to today, it appears Gluesenkamp Perez is facing the same treatment from her own party that Herrera Beutler faced four years ago.

In Tuesday’s primary election, Gluesenkamp Perez advanced to November to face Republican State Sen. John Braun. The two candidates easily outdistanced a field of nine to earn the right to face off in the general election. The only other candidate to receive a noteworthy number of votes was Democrat Brett Hennrich, who garnered 16 percent of the tally (more than 28,000 votes) while running to the left of the more moderate Gluesenkamp Perez.

In a Wednesday interview with the Washington State Standard, Hennrich said he will not be voting for Gluesenkamp Perez in November.

“Absolutely no way, shape or form will I support her,” Hennrich said. “I want her out of office. Just because you’re not a fascist, doesn’t mean you’re a Democrat.”

Hennrich told the Washington State Standard that he didn’t vote for Gluesenkamp Perez in her prior two elections. He said he could live with Braun winning in November and flipping the district to the Republicans, but Hennrich won’t be voting for him either. He said he’ll be writing in his own candidate in November, but he declined to reveal a name..

He stopped short of saying his voters should do the same.

Handicapping the impact

As of this writing, Braun has a little more than 3,000 more votes than Gluesenkamp Perez in the primary. So, it’s obvious the more than 28,000 Hennrich voters will have a say in who wins in November. Each of the other six candidates failed to receive 2 percent of the votes.

Will those liberal Democrats who supported Hennrich, and possibly felt Gluesenkamp Perez was too moderate, follow their candidate’s lead and vote for an Independent or a write-in candidate? Will they choose not to vote at all? It seems unlikely that many will vote for the Republican, unless of course it is out of spite or some sort of long-term strategy.

I’ve obviously heard from fellow conservatives who would rather have a liberal Democrat in office than a moderate Republican. Some folks like to call those moderates RINOs, as in Republican In Name Only.

I’ve never understood that strategy.

Maybe I’m not using a wide-enough lens to see the 30,000-foot view of things. But, I’ve always felt that an elected official who votes the way I prefer six or seven times out of 10 is better for me than one who votes my way three or four times out of 10. But, that’s just me and the way I think. I know intelligent people who disagree.

I just find it ironic that Herrera Beutler was too moderate for Republicans so they splintered their own party and lost the seat for the past two terms. I always thought the Democrats were more united, and therefore wouldn’t create such a self-inflicted wound. Only time will tell.

Grab your popcorn, we’ve got about three months to watch and see if that happens.