SEATTLE (AP) — First-term Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez won reelection Saturday in Washington state’s closely watched 3rd Congressional District, surviving a rematch with Republican Joe Kent.
Two years ago, Gluesenkamp Perez, who owns an auto repair shop with her husband, came from nowhere to win the seat, which had not been in Democratic hands for more than a decade. She defeated Trump-backed Kent by fewer than 3,000 votes out of nearly 320,000 cast, making it one of the closest races in the country and setting the stage for a tough election battle this year.
Her predecessor, Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, served six terms but did not survive the 2022 primaries after voting to impeach Trump over the January 6 insurrection. The district narrowly went for Trump in 2020, making it a crucial target for both parties this year.
The race gained extra attention last week when an arson attack struck a ballot box in Vancouver — the district’s largest city — scorching hundreds of ballots. People who cast their ballots in that box were urged to contact the county auditor’s office to receive replacement ballots.
Gluesenkamp Perez has balanced progressive policies with some measures that were popular with Republicans during her term, including securing the U.S.-Mexico border — something she criticizes Biden for failing to do — and introducing a constitutional amendment to force presidents to balance the budget.
She supports abortion access and has blasted Kent, who has previously said he supported a national abortion ban, for changing his position after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Kent now says abortion laws should be left to the states.
Gluesenkamp Perez supports policies to combat climate change, but also speaks openly about gun ownership. A top priority is introducing a “right to repair” law that would help people get equipment repaired without having to pay exorbitant prices to the original manufacturer.
Kent, a former Green Beret who has called for President Joe Biden’s impeachment, cited inflation and illegal immigration as top concerns.
The two disagreed on an important local issue: the replacement of a major bridge over the Columbia River between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Gluesenkamp Perez supports plans to replace the existing bridge; Kent argued that a separate new bridge should be built while preserving the old one.
