In Washington state's closely watched 3rd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Marie Grusenkamp Perez is expected to win re-election.
The Associated Press reported Saturday that Grusenkamp Perez defeated Republican challenger Joe Kent for the second time in two terms in the House.
Grusenkamp Perez, elected to represent Oregon's 3rd Congressional District in the southwestern part of the state adjacent to Portland, is the weakest Democrat in the House, having won the 2022 race by less than two points. He was widely seen as one of the members.
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Grusenkamp Perez, who is running in a district with a strong presence of Republican voters, specifically declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
Washington's 3rd District was one of the most closely watched races in the nation. (Getty Images)
The Republican-leaning district, characterized by suburban Portland and vast farmland, narrowly won for President Trump in 2020 and has become a key target for Republicans this year.
Grusenkamp Peres sought to present himself as an independent-minded moderate. Her actions during her tenure range from co-sponsoring a bill protecting medical abortion to voting in favor of a resolution condemning Harris' role in the U.S.-Mexico border process. She was also ranked by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy as having one of the most bipartisan voting records in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Congresswoman Marie Grusenkamp Perez stands at the Capitol in Washington, DC. (Javin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Kent, a former Green Beret, criticized his opponent during the campaign for supporting a variety of policy items, citing inflation and illegal immigration as his top concerns.
Republican House candidate Joe Kent is running for Congress for the second time in 2024. (Getty Images)
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Two years ago, Grusenkamp Perez came out of nowhere to win the seat against Trump-backed Kent in a district that hadn't been held by Democrats in more than a decade. She took over the seat held by a moderate Republican who lost the primary, in part because he voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
