Jerrod Sessler, left, is running for a seat that U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, right, has held since 2015. (Photos courtesy of campaigns)
Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse, who represents central Washington, is holding onto his narrow lead over fellow Republican Jerrod Sessler.
With new results in a handful of the district’s counties, Newhouse had 50.5% of the vote, and Sessler had 47.9%, around 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Those numbers are roughly in line with the margins on Tuesday night.
Newhouse has a lead in Okanogan, Douglas, Franklin, Benton, Klickitat and Yakima counties. Sessler is leading in Grant and Adams.
More ballots will be counted in the coming days.
Newhouse, of Sunnyside, is seeking a sixth term in the district that stretches from the Canadian border to the Oregon state line and includes the Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Reservation and the Tri-Cities. He was first elected in 2014.
Sessler is a Navy veteran and businessman who has the backing of President-elect Donald Trump. During the campaign, he highlighted Newhouse’s vote to impeach Trump nearly four years ago.
In 2022, Newhouse was the only Republican who voted for impeachment to overcome a Trump-backed challenger in a primary and went on to easily beat a Democrat in the general election.