Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) will run for re-election to the U.S. House and forgo a bid for the U.S. Senate, sources inside the State Republican Party confirmed Thursday after hearing from Reichert.
Reichert’s decision to seek a fifth term in Congress puts to bed persistent rumors of a possible U.S. Senate bid, and for now leaves State Sen. Michael Baumgartner as the sole Republican in the race against Sen. Maria Cantwell.
In recent weeks, Reichert’s senior staff have hinted to the press that an announcement on the Congressman’s decision was imminent. We are awaiting confirmation from Reichert’s office.
The territory of the Eighth Congressional District changed substantially during the state’s recent redistricting process making it a more solid Republican district, shedding ground in Pierce County while reaching across the Cascades into the typically red counties of Kittitas and Chelan.
In previous interviews with NW Daily Marker, Reichert has said that his seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee is an important asset for Washington State’s representation in the Congress and that the work he has done to expand foreign trade is unfinished, two factors that would weigh heavily on his decision.
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[photo credit: republicanconference]
