Her victory marks the second big surprise in the district this year. In another reality, six-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, would likely have cruised to victory this week. But Herrera Beutler last year committed apostasy in the eyes of a large chunk of the Republican base by voting to impeach former President Donald Trump for his connection to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
In the August top-two primary, Herrera Beutler finished third in a broad field that included multiple conservative challengers. Republican voters instead elevated Kent, a Trump-endorsed, America First combat veteran and former CIA operative.
Kent, who has been dogged by reports
→ Continue reading at Crosscut
