Five Republicans Aim to Unseat Washington Democrat in August Top-Two Primary

Democrat Rep. Kim Schrier faces many competitors in her bid for reelection to represent her district in Washington in U.S. Congress. If a TV ad she aired recently is any indication, she is under pressure.

“She claims to be standing up to the Biden administration,” said Caleb Heimlich, chairman of the Washington State Republican Party.

Reagan Dunn, Jesse Jensen, Matt Larkin, and Scott Stephenson are among Schrier’s Republican challengers.

“There are nuanced differences in their backgrounds,” Heimlich said. “They all have their own strengths in their differences and any of the candidates could win the primary.”

The Aug. 2 top-two primary ballot will also list Democrat Keith Arnold of Auburn, Patrick Dillon of Issaquah from the Concordia Party and Independent Ryan Burkett also of Issaquah. They did not respond to requests for comment.

“Anytime you’ve got a competitive primary, it is a challenge,” Heimlich told The Epoch Times. “I’m sure a Republican candidate will at least be in the top two but mathematically it would be very tough for them to finish in first place because Kim Schrier is the incumbent.”

Congressional District 8, which includes Chelan, Kittitas, Wenatchee, and parts of King and Pierce counties, is one of the seats Republicans are eyeing in a quest to regain a majority in the U.S. House.

“Historically, it’s always been a Republican district until we narrowly lost it in 2018,” said Dunn who has been a member of the King County Council since 2005.

Dunn, who lost his bid for Attorney General against Bob Ferguson in 2012, has unusual name recognition in that his mother, Jennifer Dunn, held the Congressional seat for six terms in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“The TV stations here always come to me for comments so I’m on TV almost every night,” he said. “It puts me