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Central WA Election Results: McKinney Slated to Succeed Rep. Dan Newhouse by Eric Rosane Tri-City Herald, November 3, 2026

She ran while vowing to "secure energy dominance" in
the U.S. and protect the four lower Snake River dams

Amanda McKinney was winning the Tuesday night election to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, who has represented Central Washington for nearly 12 years.

The Yakima Republican had a strong lead on her Democratic opponent, John Duresky of West Richland, with 54% support or about 74,133 ballots cast in her favor. Duresky trailed with 46% support, or 62,569 ballots.

Both are vying to represent Washington's 4th Congressional District, which spans the region from the U.S.-Canada border down to the Columbia River at Oregon. But neither candidate declared an early victory Tuesday night.

If results hold, McKinney will be the first woman elected to the district in 58 years and would continue a legacy of Republican domination in Washington state's most conservative congressional district. She would also be the first Republican backed by President Trump to win the district at a time when his power in Washington, D.C., is waning.

She will also enter office next year with her party in the minority. Democrats won the U.S. House of Representatives early on election night, and were all but guaranteed to take hold of the Senate, dampening Trump's agenda in the final two years of his second term.

"At the end of the day, when you're representing your community, you're there to show up and post up results and bring resources back to your community -- no matter who is in the majority or the minority, and I continue to have that strong commitment," McKinney told the Tri-City Herald on Tuesday night.

McKinney added that she was "thrilled" and "humbled" to have the trust of voters.

"I'm very eager to see the rest of the ballots get counted, but right now it's looking really great," she said.

McKinney is a second-term Yakima County commissioner and business owner whose background is in mortgage banking. She emerged as an early frontrunner after Newhouse announced his plan to leave office, and quickly earned the MAGA president's endorsement.

She ran on her experience with rural water, wild land fire and agriculture issues, vowing to "secure energy dominance" in the U.S. and protect the four lower Snake River dams.

Duresky declined to concede the race, saying he still believes there is a path to victory.

He pointed to the election day ballots that counties still need to tally. He said he was "grateful" to see the election night results, as well as the work his supporters put into this campaign.

"We're very thrilled with how we've done so far... We really proved that the Democrats are a force here and that we are ready to go win this district," he said.

"It's been a privilege doing this. I have enjoyed every minute of this, and I'm grateful for this opportunity," he later added.

Duresky, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served 24 years, previously served at the Hanford nuclear site before he was forced into early retirement by the DOGE cuts.

He ran on reversing the effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and pledged to eliminate Trump's tariffs, restore Medicaid funding and "keep rural hospitals open."

If Duresky's share of the vote holds, this will be the best performance of a Democrat in the 4th Congressional District in 30 years.

More ballots will be tallied in the coming days by election officials in Benton, Franklin, Yakima, Klickitat, Adams, Grant, Douglas and Okanogan counties. Updated results are expected Wednesday afternoon.

Baumgartner leads Conroy in WA-05

U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, was narrowly winning reelection Tuesday night with 50% support, or 96,663 ballots. He is vying for a second term representing Washington's 5th Congressional District.

Spokane Democrat Carmela Conroy was slightly behind with 49%, or 94,806 ballots -- a difference of fewer than 2,000 votes.

This race is largely a rematch between the two candidates, who previously faced off in the 2024 general election. But it's also caught the eyes of Democrats who are seeking to make gains in traditionally safe Republican territory.

Baumgartner is the former Spokane County treasurer and Washington state senator who served as a U.S. State Department officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and later worked as a counternarcotics advisor.

Conroy is the former U.S. Foreign Service officer who also worked as a deputy prosecutor for Spokane County and a corporate attorney for Nissan.

Related Pages: Fact Check: Where McKinney, Duresky Stand on Breaching Snake River Dams by Eric Rosane, Tri-City Herald, 10/16/26