U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse’s determination to not search reelection in 2026 leaves the 4th Congressional District with an unsure future.
Voters must resolve whether or not they need one other average bridge builder to signify them in Washington, D.C., or a partisan foot soldier who will observe orders from get together management.
Newhouse has had a profitable profession in Washington politics that spans greater than twenty years. He served within the state Home from 2003-09, as head of the state Division of Agriculture below a Democratic governor from 2009-13 and in Congress since 2015. The 4th District runs from the Oregon border to the Canadian border and contains the Tri-Cities.
Now 70 years outdated, nobody ought to begrudge him his retirement. He says he hopes to proceed public service, however we hope he additionally finds extra time to spend with household and buddies. If solely extra politicians, together with current presidents, had the identical grace and knowledge to acknowledge that it’s time to step apart for the subsequent technology of leaders.
A 3rd-generation Yakima Valley farmer, Newhouse has deep roots within the area. He understood its rural character and championed points crucial to his constituents from the continued cleanup on the Hanford website to safety of Snake River dams.
He labored tirelessly to stabilize the labor marketplace for agricultural producers. He partnered with California Democrat Zoe Lofgren on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to assist farmers and supply a framework for migrant farmworkers to have authorized standing. Although it handed the Home twice with broad bipartisan help, it stalled within the Senate after conservative opposition to its immigration provisions.
The defining second of Newhouse’s profession was his determination to vote to question President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on the U.S. Capitol. He was one in all solely 10 Home Republicans to take action. “The mob was infected by the language and misinformation of the president of america,” Newhouse mentioned on the time. “Our nation wanted a pacesetter, and President Trump failed to satisfy his oath of workplace.”
The choice to help impeachment put Newhouse at odds together with his get together’s chief and drew Trump-backed major challenges. The voters of his district, nonetheless, appreciated his independence and willingness to prioritize constitutional order over partisan political loyalty. At present, he’s one in all solely two Republicans left in Congress from the ten who supported impeachment.
But, Newhouse has had missteps. He drew sharp criticism for supporting the One Massive Stunning Invoice Act and different Republican measures that upended social security nets on which lots of his constituents rely. He defended capricious cuts by the Division of Authorities Effectivity.
For all of the criticism, Newhouse struck a cautious steadiness representing Central Washington. He hardly ever sought consideration on social media and podcasts, as a substitute selecting to do the exhausting work to signify his district’s wants. He selected the quiet, usually thankless work of committee hearings and bipartisan compromise.
The 4th District is Washington’s most conservative, however in a 12 months forecast to favor Democrats, an open seat turns into a partisan goal.
Because the 2026 race begins, voters ought to search for candidates who mirror Newhouse’s higher instincts, who perceive that “meals safety is nationwide safety” and that Central Washington’s considerations don’t at all times align with a nationwide get together platform.
The individuals of Central Washington need outcomes. They need water tasks funded, farm labor secured and veterans’ companies protected.
Go away the partisan sniping for another person.
Three candidates had filed marketing campaign paperwork to problem Newhouse earlier than his announcement. With the incumbent stepping apart, we hope that different candidates with integrity, expertise and bipartisan aspirations will give the race one other look. Voters within the 4th deserve nothing much less.
© 2025 Tri-Metropolis Herald (Kennewick, Wash.). Go to www.tri-cityherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
