SEATTLE — Six-term U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler conceded her loss to Donald Trump-endorsed challenger Joe Kent on Tuesday after new vote totals confirmed she would place third in the primary.
“Ever since I was first elected to this seat I have done my very best to serve my home region and our country. Though my campaign came up short this time, I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together for the place where I was raised and still call home,” Herrera Beutler said in a statement.
Herrera Beutler did not mention Kent in her statement, but made an apparent reference to her vote to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Referring to “unexpected and difficult” moments, Herrera Beutler said, “I’m proud that I always told the truth, stuck to my principles, and did what I knew to be best for our country.”
Kent will face Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in November. She placed first in the primary with about 31% of the vote.
Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, led Kent on election night, but by Friday her lead had shrunk to 257 votes. That vanished Monday as Kent took a 960-vote lead on the strength of new counts in Clark, Cowlitz and Thurston counties.
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