United States Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler is out.
The multi-term incumbent acknowledged this evening that she has been ousted by the Republican voters of Washington State’s 3rd Congressional District for insufficient loyalty to Republican Party boss Donald Trump, who Herrera Beutler nobly defied in January of 2021 when she rightly voted for impeachment.
Herrera Beutler, forty-three, fell behind Trump’s endorsed challenger Joe Kent in yesterday’s count. She slipped even further behind today, with her deficit increasing from eight hundred and thirteen votes to eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Although Kent only improved his advantage by a little, there aren’t outstanding enough ballots left for Herrera Beutler to turn things around.
Clark County, the 3rd’s population center, is down to just 500 ballots awaiting processing, while Cowlitz has 480. Thurston has 7,000 ballots still to process, but most of those are from precincts not in the 3rd. The district’s other counties collectively only have a few dozen ballots left to process.
Herrera Beutler was initially elected to represent the 3rd in the 2010 midterms, after Democratic incumbent Brian Baird declined to seek another term, defeating Denny Heck, who then ran in the new 10th District the following cycle, and won. (Heck served several terms, retired, and is now the state’s Lieutenant Governor.)
Herrera Beutler secured reelection in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020, though not always with the ease of other incumbents in Washington State. She has a history of performing poorly (for an incumbent) in the Top Two round, though never as poorly as this year. Owing to her vote for Trump’s impeachment and other laudable votes for the good of the country, many Republicans turned on her.
The result was the shameful elevation of Joe Kent, a militant extremist who would be a Pacific Northwest version of Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Kent was able to move into second place despite vote-splitting among the larger pro-Trump faction of the 3rd’s right wing electorate and despite the attack ads launched against him knocking him as a Bernie Sanders supporting socialist.
Though it seemed to many that Herrera Beutler had enough runway to pull off a victory on Election Night a week ago, Kent began whittling her lead down right away. By Friday, Herrera Beutler’s lead was tenuous. As of yesterday afternoon, it was gone and Kent was ahead. Today, Kent locked in his advantage.
Herrera Beutler’s concession statement
“Thank you, Southwest Washington, for entrusting me six times with the privilege of representing you in Congress,” said Herrera Beutler. “Ever since I was first elected to this seat, I have done my very best to serve my home region and our country. Though my campaign came up short this time, I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together for the place where I was raised and still call home.”
“Many are things | set out to do: help folks who want to earn a living find good jobs right here, keep our rivers healthy and fishable for years to come, make our health system work better for those who really need care, allow the people here to manage and enjoy their land, and be a voice for those who have slipped between the cracks of government bureaucracy.”

U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera-Beutler tweeted this image of her enroute to vote with baby Isaac
“When I took office, I said we could improve how health care works for Southwest Washington residents. I’m incredibly proud of getting the ACE Kids Act signed into law that helps more low-income kids get life-saving specialty medical care in this country, as well as legislation to tackle the maternal mortality crisis plaguing moms in America.”
“And I’ll always enjoy my conversations in the grocery store with folks who want to chat about the landmark salmon preservation law I fought so hard for.”
“Some were pleasant surprises, like growing my family by three wonderful children and in doing so, providing an example for other women that you can serve your country in elected office while raising a young family, and some were unexpected and difficult. But I’m proud that I always told the truth, stuck to my principles, and did what I knew to be best for our country.”
Marie Perez’s response
“White Nationalist and extremist Joe Kent has now pulled ahead of incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler in the late vote counts, and it appears he will be our opponent in November,” said Democratic hopeful Marie Perez yesterday. Perez is the top vote getter in this round and has the support of the Democratic Party.
“This means that our race in November is going to be a national bellwether for the direction of the country, and for the future of our democracy. This November, the voters of Southwest Washington are going to have to make a choice. Do we want to double down on the hyperpartisan extremism, the falsehoods and conspiracy theories, the attacks on our democracy and our elections, the divisiveness and the dysfunction that is paralyzing the Other Washington and tearing our country apart? Because that is what Joe Kent represents.”
“Or can we come together to demand positive change, to find common ground, and to elect a representative focused on solving problems and building a better future for us all? Because that is what my campaign is about.”
“As a auto repair shop owner, a small business owner, a mom, and a rural resident of our district, I know that a lot of folks around here are frustrated and looking for change. We need solutions to lower the costs of gas and groceries, and we need a fair playing field. We’ve had enough of an economy that caters more to corporations and wealthy elites over working families.”
“We want a real opportunity to attain the American Dream. If I am your representative, my commitment is to work every day to make that happen. I pledge to put the interests of our district ahead of anything else, including my party.”
“Joe Kent is the opposite. He seeks to divide us, and if elected, he will be a danger to our democracy and an embarrassment to our district. He sees conspiracies everywhere. He spreads the lie that the 2020 election was stolen and still attacks Republicans and non-partisan election officials who say there is no evidence Trump won. He was even a co-plaintiff in frivolous election fraud lawsuits here in Washington State. Just earlier today he went on Steve Bannon’s podcast to cast doubts on the legitimacy of this election.”
“Does he still think it is fraudulent now that he’s winning?”
“Furthermore, he has a track record of making extreme statements, and spreading ugly racially charged claims. His unapologetic extremism and divisive approach demonstrate he is unfit for public office.”
“So I say to all voters across the political spectrum, democrats, independents and Republicans, I say the following: please consider joining our campaign. I will welcome your support. I won’t tag you with disparaging labels or write you off because we may not agree 100 percent on every issue, the way Joe Kent will. Instead, I will listen, I will be honest and accessible, and I will deliver real results on the issues we all care about.”
“With your backing we can reject extremism and support the common good. I look forward to earning you support over the next few months.”
Tuesday, August 9th, 2022
President Biden signs CHIPS and Science bill crafted by Washington’s own Maria Cantwell
The COVID-19 pandemic turned out not only to be a global killer, but in economic terms, the proverbial hanging in the morning that focuses the mind.
“It opened everyone’s eyes,” said Senator Maria Cantwell, D‑Washington, pointing to supply chain problems and a critical shortage of semiconductors.
“We didn’t want to be dependent on someone else,” Cantwell added, in an interview soon after President Biden signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, bipartisan legislation crafted and steered by Cantwell in her capacity as chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
The microchip was invented in the United States, yet our country’s share of semiconductor manufacturing capacity has decreased from thirty-seven percent of world production in 1990 to just twelve percent today, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. More than four-fifths of fabrication capacity is in Asia, and the U.S. is massively dependent on Taiwan for our computer chips.
With Chinese jets buzzing Taiwan’s airspace, and rocket “tests” fired into adjacent waters, big security concerns hang over a vital component in manufacturing.
“Very big,” said Cantwell.
During crafting of the CHIPS legislation, Cantwell steered members of the Senate and House to a secure conference room in the United States Capitol, for eye-opening briefings on U.S. foreign dependence and its dangers.
“Action wasn’t an optional thing: We needed to get this done,” said Cantwell.
Even when, after Congress’ Independence Day recess, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell tried to pull the plug on conference negotiations.
Or as Washington colleague Representative Derek Kilmer (D‑WA-6th District) put it: “The reality is that the nations with whom we compete aren’t sitting on the sidelines. They want to eat our lunch.”
The CHIPS and Science Act provides for transformative new investments in research, innovation and American manufacturing by accelerating U.S. production of critical semiconductor chips, strengthening supply chains, making more goods in America and investing in basic research on technologies of the future.
The legislation includes $52.7 billion for U.S. companies producing semiconductors, as well as billions more in tax credits to encourage investment in chip manufacturing. The Biden-Harris administration hopes private sector investment will be “spurred” by the bill.
Idaho-based Micron announced Tuesday it will invest $40 billion in memory chip manufacturing, with help from the CHIPS and Science Act.
The announcement came as President Biden signed CHIPS and Science on the White House lawn. In Cantwell’s words: “More than a dozen companies are expected to make announcements in the next few months about expanding the chip supply chain in the United States.”
The moment justified a bit of political hyperbole.
“Today is a day for builders,” said Biden. “Today America is delivering, delivering, and I honest to God believe that fifty, seventy-five, one hundred years from now, people who will look back on this week, they will now we met this moment.”
Seven weeks ago, it seemed the Biden-Harris Administration was on the ropes — at least in national media coverage. But now, the Beltway press sees the 46th President of the United States on a roll, with the CHIPS legislation, a modest gun safety bill, and approval of Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
The House is slated to approve the $369 billion Senate-passed package of climate and health initiatives later this week, in a Friday, August 12th vote.
Senator Cantwell does the grunt work of governing. She has repeatedly pulled progress out of a balky, divided body. She was able to get a Republican-controlled Senate to permanently authorize and fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Teaming with Senator Lisa Murkowski, R‑Alaska.
She also secured construction of an urgently needed new heavy-duty polar icebreaker with design of another on the way. She even put 311,000 acres of the upper Methow River valley, a watershed unmatched in its water quality, off limits to exploration by Canadian mining companies.
The CHIPS and Science Act posed intricate challenges. Starting with its name. Republicans were all for semiconductor manufacturing but, in Cantwell’s words, “They don’t like science.” A big part of the legislation is funding for basic research and development. It drew opposition from both the right and the left, from Republicans who claimed the federal government will be playing favorites in who get the money, and a familiar reprise from Senator Bernie Sanders, I‑Vermont.
“The question we should be asking is this: Should American taxpayers provide the microchip industry with a blank check at a time when semiconductor companies are making tens of billions of dollars in profits and paying their executive exorbitant compensation packages?” Sanders thundered in a Senate floor speech.
Cantwell put in guardrails to assure the money goes to create jobs in America, and not to pay for stock buybacks. Sanders was CHIPS’ lone opponent in the Democratic caucus. The legislation ultimately passed on a 64–33 vote, drawing significant Republican support and overcoming a filibuster.
“If you don’t play like they (foreign competitors) play, then you are not going to be manufacturing high tech chips, and they are essential for our national defense as well as our economy,” warned Senator Mitt Romney, R‑Utah.
With Cantwell drawing on the University of Washington as model, CHIPS/Science prods universities to patent and market technologies developed by their scientists.
“In this information Age, we have seen people publish their findings, but they don’t patent,” said Cantwell. “Our competitors read the materials and go out and do the development themselves.”
The legislation’s path through the House got tougher after Republicans flew into a fury when Senator Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin agreed on what would become the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation that seemed out of reach as recently as mid-July. Top House Republicans took out their anger at the deal on CHIPS and Science, urging a No vote. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R‑Washington, led opposition on the House floor.
The CHIPS and Science Act passed the House by a 243–187 vote, with twenty-four Republicans breaking with party leadership to support the bill.
Surprisingly, coming from a technology-driven state, none of Washington’s three Republican House members voted Yea.
Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo delivered sunny victory speeches Tuesday morning on a hot White House lawn. But it was Cantwell who kept her cool and made it happen.
# Written by Joel Connelly :: 4:13 PM
Categories: Core Encyclopedia Topics, Legislative Advocacy, Technology
Tags: Data Science
Leave a comment