NBC News projects that Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez won a second term in a Republican-leaning district in Washington state, defeating Republican Joe Kent in a rematch.
Gluesenkamp Pérez, a centrist Blue Dog Democrat who defeated Kent by just 2,629 votes in 2022, was considered one of the House of Representatives’ most vulnerable incumbents. She has occasionally broken with her party and faced criticism from progressives for siding with Republicans on a bill to repeal President Joe Biden’s efforts to ease student loan debt.
Gluesenkamp Pérez, owner of an auto repair shop in Portland, Oregon, touted her bona fides and pragmatic politics in her campaign, portraying Kent as an extremist who did not appreciate the realities of legislation.
During a televised debate in October, Gluesenkamp Pérez said she supported strict immigration laws, such as requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while processing, but argued that Kent’s support for restricting immigration was an attempt to “establish a white majority recover” in the country.
Kent, a retired Green Beret backed by newly elected President Donald Trump, may have lost in 2022 because of his ties to extremism, including speaking at a 2021 rally in support of people accused of nonviolent crimes in the attack on the Jan. 6 Capitol and campaign payments to a consultant who was a member of the Proud Boys. Kent has said he is “not a white nationalist.”
Local issues also played a role. Gluesenkamp Pérez boasted that she had helped secure $1.5 billion for a new bridge over the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. Kent opposed the project because it would extend a light rail line from Portland.
This is a development story. Check back for updates.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
