Trump-backed Republican Joe Kent lost to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez in the race to represent Washington state’s Third Congressional District, multiple outlets reported Saturday night.
Gluesenkamp Pérez secured at least 50.5% of the popular vote, according to The Seattle Times. At the time of the report, the Democrat had an approximately 4,600 vote lead over Kent with about 96% of the votes counted.
Now, for the first time in 12 years, the district (WA-3) will pass into Democratic hands, Axios reported.
Glusenkamp Pérez will succeed Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who lost her primary to Kent after voting to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Pro-Impeachment Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler Loses To Trump-Backed Primary Challenger)
Axios added that the Associated Press called the election after local election workers spent five days counting mail-in ballots.
BREAKING: Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wins U.S. House seat in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, NBC News projects. https://t.co/dtcoUVVsJx pic.twitter.com/pvPufnDGb2
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 13, 2022
Gluesenkamp Pérez, a political newcomer who owns an automotive repair shop, argued that Kent was too extreme to represent the district, according to Axios.
BREAKING: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has flipped WA-03, the first Democrat to win the U.S. House district in over a decade.
Perez runs an auto repair shop and ran as a voice for working people. She defeated Trump-backed right-wing populist Joe Kent. pic.twitter.com/AXt6zlKkQM
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) November 13, 2022
Kent has called for the current President Biden to be impeached and is strongly opposed to abortion, Axios noted. (RELATED: Green Berets Launch PAC To Put ‘Warrior-Diplomats’ In Congress)
Several of Trump’s handpicked candidates underperformed in the recent midterm election cycle, including Blake Masters, who failed to unseat Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who lost the race for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat to Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.