Cathy McMorris Rodgers wins 10th term in Congress over challenger Natasha Hill

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is headed to her 10th term in Congress.

She had a commanding lead in Tuesday night’s returns in the race to represent Eastern Washington over Democratic challenger Natasha Hill.

The congresswoman earned 59.1% of the votes counted Tuesday night to Hill’s 40.7%. McMorris Rodgers led in every county of the district in Tuesday’s returns.

“It looks like we are on track to win big in this election here in Eastern Washington,” McMorris Rodgers said at a gathering of supporters at the Historic Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane on Tuesday night. “On top of that I am very optimistic the Republicans will take back the House. This is what we’ve all been waiting for.”

McMorris Rodgers had been running a campaign largely targeting Democrats in Washington, D.C., and arguing Eastern Washington voters needed to return her to the Capitol to push back on the agenda of President Joe Biden.

Hill had attacked McMorris Rodgers’ position on abortion, saying it wasn’t in line with Washington voters and arguing new representation was needed for the region.

McMorris Rodgers is in line to chair the House’s Committee on Energy and Commerce, if Republicans take control of the chamber.

“At a time when division cuts so deeply in every corner of our society, it only makes me prouder to represent you and more humbled that you continue to trust me to serve you in the people’s house,” the congresswoman said in a speech to supporters.

At a gathering of Democrats at the Riverside Place event center in downtown Spokane, Hill said she was encouraged by how many people cast their ballot.

“We feel like we’re already winning in terms of the voter turnout,” Hill said. “Republicans here haven’t delivered, and I think it’s time and folks are ready to start seeing what else we can do.”

Hill had said she was inspired to run after serving on a board redrawing district lines for Spokane County commissioners. She conceded the race to McMorris Rodgers, but hinted that Democrats might have momentum at the local level.

“I think there are some people here who are very well situated to step up and run for mayor,” she said. “I’m really excited to support whoever that candidate is.”

McMorris Rodgers held a significant fundraising advantage over Hill. McMorris Rodgers had raised $6 million in support of her campaign, according to disclosures made to the Federal Election Commission. Hill had raised just over $340,000 in support of her candidacy.

Elsewhere in Washington, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse is one of two GOP members of Congress who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump who was on the ballot Tuesday, after four others were defeated in primaries and another four retired. Rep. David Valadao, of California, is facing Democrat Rudy Salas to retain his seat.

Newhouse easily won his race, leading Democratic challenger Doug White with 67.2% of the vote after Tuesday’s returns.

Jaime Herrera Beutler had also voted to impeach Trump, but was ousted in the southwest Washington primary earlier this year. Voters in Congressional District 3 were backing Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a local Democratic business owner, over Joe Kent, the Republican who’d been endorsed by Trump after votes were tallied Tuesday evening. Perez had 52.6% of the vote.

Democrat Kim Schrier, representing Sammamish, Issaquah and Auburn, faced Republican Matt Larkin for a seat Republicans were hoping to retake after Schrier’s first election in 2018. After Tuesday’s votes were counted, Schrier led with 52.7% percent of the vote, to Larkin’s 47%.

“There are lots more ballots to count and we will count them at all, but I will tell them at this moment, we’re feeling pretty darn good,” Schrier told supporters Tuesday night in Bellevue.

James Hanlon, Molly Wisor and Laurel Demkovich contributed to this report.