Liam Conner
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Former GOP Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley officially launched her campaign Monday to unseat Central Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.
“For nearly 20 years, I have worked to change government from the outside, and now it is clear that the best way to continue my work and deliver change for Washington families is inside Congress,” Smiley said. said in a video posted on X. “Then I’m running.”
In 2022, Smiley unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Senator Patty Murray for her seat. Before the general elections, researches suggested the race could be close, but Smiley lost by about 15 points.
There are only two House Republicans left in Congress who voted to impeach the former president: Newhouse and California Rep. David Valadao. The other eight were defeated in the primaries or decided not to run for re-election.
Newhouse was able to keep his seat in 2022 due to the state’s large primary field and the state’s only top-two nonpartisan primary system. In Washington, voters can vote for any candidate in the primary, and the two with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party preference.
“With our dams under threat, a crisis at our border, and workers unable to pay for gas and food, this is no time for downtown Washington to give up its influence in Congress or hand over the keys to the federal budget to someone who couldn’t manage the his own campaign finances,” Newhouse’s campaign said in a statement about Smiley’s candidacy.
According to federal election data, Smiley raised nearly $21 million and spent nearly $19 million during her 2022 Senate campaign. She also has a debt of $462,000 from 2022, which she is still paying off.
Smiley’s entry into the race comes several months before the Aug. 6 primary and nearly a month after former President Donald Trump endorsed former NASCAR driver Jerrod Sessler.
“Jerrod Sessler is a fantastic candidate and will be a GREAT Congressman from the 4th Congressional District of Washington State,” Trump said. wrote on Truth Socialadding, “He’s running against a weak, pathetic RINO named Newhouse, who voted, for no reason, to impeach me.”
Although Sessler has Trump’s support, his fundraising has been anemic and he lacks the money that would likely be needed to unseat an incumbent. According to federal documents, in the first three months of 2024, Sessler’s campaign yielded less $11,000while Newhouse increased $244,000. Even as a political newcomer, Smiley has proven to be a strong fundraiser in her 2022 Senate campaign.
She has also been a staunch supporter of Trump and criticized Newhouse for his impeachment vote.
“This is not a vote that represents the voters of the Fourth District,” Smiley told National Review.
