Gluesenkamp Perez maintains lead as more Washington 3rd District results trickle in

With new ballot totals, Gluesenkamp Perez held her lead of around 3.5 percentage points. The race remained undecided with more results expected late Thursday.

Even without being finalized, Gluesenkamp Perez’s success is evidence of the moderate Democrat’s strong connection to local communities. That helped her hold onto a seat in a previously conservative district; one where most counties supported President-elect Donald Trump this year.

During an election night party in Vancouver on Tuesday, Gluesenkamp Perez emphasized her campaign’s focus on day-to-day issues that affect the lives of residents of Southwest Washington.

“It is possible to take a different path. Step away from the national talking points and the hyper-partisanship, and run a campaign based on respect for working people and the issues that directly impact us here at home,” Gluesenkamp Perez told supporters.

“Focusing on the issues at home is how we break the extremism and the gridlock and start to fix what is broken in our country,” she said.

In an effort to distance herself from potentially polarizing issues, Gluesenkamp Perez did not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris or other Democrats in Southwest Washington during her campaign, which “hurt a little bit” according to Deken Letinich, a candidate who ran for Washington’s 18th Legislative District.

“But on the same hand, I understand it,” Letinich told OPB. “I think it was a shrewd campaign choice.”

While control of the U.S. House of Representatives remained uncertain as of Wednesday evening, Washington’s 3rd District is a key race for Democrats who lost control of both the presidency and Senate during Tuesday’s election. The Gluesenkamp Perez campaign spent around $10 million on the race, while Kent’s campaign spent roughly $2 million.

Kent declined an interview request at the Clark County Republicans election party on Tuesday night, saying he wanted to wait until the ballots had been counted.

Clark County Republican Chair Matthew Bumala was optimistic Tuesday night about Kent’s chances, given the fact that he lost by just a few thousand votes in the same race in 2022.

“We’re not counting our chickens before they hatch, but he’s actually in a better spot now than he was last time, and [then] he only lost by 2,600,” Bumala said.

In a contrast to the Democrat’s focus on local issues, Kent leaned heavily on national priorities of the Republican party including securing the southern border, reducing inflation, and achieving energy independence. In the weeks leading up to the election, Kent — a former Green Beret who lives in the town of Yacolt — received support from a number of prominent Republicans hoping to help flip the district back to GOP control.