Back in July, after the primary, I queried (here), “Can he break through the 45% barrier?”
I didn’t know, but a couple of clues suggested no. He’d have no coattails, because Trump drags down GOP candidates in this state. Trump got 36.83% against Hillary Clinton in 2016, 38.77% against Biden in 2020, and 38.97% against Harris in 2024, dragged down by his 22.3% showing in King County, which includes Seattle.
Also, the Seattle Times endorsed his opponent, Bob Ferguson, after Reichert angered their editorial board by being two-faced about whether he’d vote for Trump, telling them one thing and a private GOP group the opposite.
Back in July I wrote that, based on name recognition and plausibility as a former congressman, Reichert should get around 45%-46%; but hampered by Trump, the Times rejection, and abortion issue, he’d struggle to reach 44%. Fourteen days after the election, he’s barely there at 44.23%.
All in all, it’s not a great showing, and a disappointing end to Reichert’s political career, considering that Loren Culp, a political novice and gadfly, got 43.12% in 2020. Reichert is only 2.23% above the 42% rough baseline of the Republican vote in Washington statewide contests. By that I mean a cocker spaniel could get 42% by wearing a red collar.
Reichert had a bit of tailwind, although not from Trump, as several GOP candidates broke through the 44% barrier in this election. One even surpassed 47%; that was Jaime Herrera-Beutler at 47.11%, an almost magical achievement for a Republican running for a statewide office in Washington.
But Herrera-Beutler had a couple of advantages. She’d been in Congress, so was known throughout the state, and had voted for impeaching Trump for the Jan. 6 insurrection, which made her more acceptable to Washington’s liberal-leaning voters. Also, she didn’t have to run against an incumbent.
There’s a lesson here for Washington Republicans: Don’t tie yourselves to Trump. Accept abortion rights; they’re in our state constitution. Don’t lie to editorial boards. And carve your own path, instead of yoking yourself to the national GOP whose agendas are toxic in this state.