Washington state Democrat who flipped pro-Trump district faces tough primary

Key Points:

• Democratic congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing a competitive primary in Washington’s third district, challenged by progressive Brent Hennrich and Republican John Braun, among others, with the top two advancing to the November general election.
• Gluesenkamp Perez flipped the historically Republican seat in 2022 by appealing to moderates and rural voters, outperforming the Democratic presidential nominee by about seven points despite the district’s slight Republican lean.
• Her tenure has caused frustration within her own party due to votes aligning with Republicans on key legislation, leading to public criticism from local Democratic groups and a primary challenge from Hennrich.
• Supporters argue her moderate stance is necessary in a Republican-leaning district and emphasize the strategic importance of retaining the seat to help Democrats regain a House majority.
• The race is closely contested, with recent polls showing a tie between Gluesenkamp Perez and Braun, who has Trump’s endorsement and strong GOP backing, raising concerns among Democrats about potentially losing the seat to a far-right candidate.