Payback? Rep. Dan Newhouse Faces Significant Primary Opposition

Every two years each member of the House of Representatives has to run for re-election. Many political observers say that's too often.  Representatives barely settle in before they have to fundraise and spend the time and energy needed just to maintain their office.

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Who Wants To Serve The 4th District

For now, it is what it is, and here we are in the filing period once again and so far, six Republican candidates and one Democrat are lined up to run against 4th District Incumbent Republican Dan Newhouse

Doug White is the lone Democrat while Corey Gibson of Selah, Benancio Garcia III of Sunnyside, Jacek Kobiesa of Pasco, Jerrod Sessler of Prosser. Loren Culp of Moses Lake and Brad Klippert of Kennewick have all filed as Republicans.

A Long Dry Spell For Democrats

Its been 30 years since a Democrat has represented the district (Jay Inslee - a single two-year term) and only three Democrats total has been elected since the 4th District was established in March of 1915.

Normally Newhouse would be considered a slam dunk to hold on to the seat he first won 8 years ago but Representative Newhouse was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump and he voted with 34 other republicans to form the January 6 Commission.

Will This Election Punish The Incumbent

Those actions did not sit well with the Republican establishment in central Washington and led to Yakima County precinct committee officers calling for Newhouse to resign from Congress.  It also opened the door for all those Republican primary challengers.  In Washington, the top two vote-getters regardless of party move on to the general election.

Newhouse has stepped up his communication to the media in recent months to make sure district voters know what he's working on and the most recent release has me asking if his recent activity is a Feel-Good Deal or a Real-Good Deal?

Necessity Or Nuance

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and others are introducing the Congress Observing Police Service (COPS) Resolution. This resolution would require each sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives to participate in a ride-along with law enforcement in their respective district once per session of Congress.  Rep. Dan Newhouse:

Witnessing the day-to-day demands our law enforcement officers face has given me a much clearer understanding of the public safety issues plaguing our communities, as well as the obstacles our officers face, making me a better lawmaker. Every Member of Congress should have this same experience...The COPS resolution will help bridge the divide between lawmakers and our law enforcement officers, instilling respect for the role our men and women in blue play in protecting our communities, and helping our lawmakers be better advocates for our law enforcement community.

So now you tell me.  Do we need a resolution requiring electeds to do ride-alongs with their District law enforcers?  It's common sense and they should be doing it anyway.  So is signing on to the COPS resolution a needed act of Congressional leadership or a thin layer of obvious virtual signaling.  Let's hear from you.