Republican Amanda McKinney wins Washington's open 4th District, a rare GOP hold

Republican Amanda McKinney, a Yakima County commissioner, is projected to win Washington's 4th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ, a firm that tracks and projects election results ¹. She beat Democrat John Duresky, an Air Force veteran ¹.

The district covers a large part of eastern Washington. That side of the state is more rural and leans more Republican than the bluer western half, across the Cascade Mountains ¹.

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A seat that was never in play

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan race rater, had called the contest solidly Republican ¹. The district is the state's most conservative. It depends on agriculture and energy, and more than 40% of its residents are Latino ³. Trump won it handily in 2024 ³.

McKinney will succeed retiring Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican ¹. Newhouse has held the seat since 2015 and announced on Dec. 17 that he would not seek another term ². He was one of the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot ¹.

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President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson both endorsed McKinney ¹. Trump called her "A very successful Business Executive, Civic Leader, and Highly Respected Yakima County Commissioner" ¹. Before politics, McKinney worked as a mortgage banker and small-business owner. She has also campaigned on vaccine mandates, agriculture and opposing the return of grizzly bears to the Cascades ¹.

The receipt on Newhouse

McKinney's win comes with a reversal on the record. In a TV ad, she backed Newhouse, saying, "I trust Dan." ² At a Dec. 21 event in Phoenix hosted by Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, she described her motive differently ².

I knew that I needed to find a way to retire him

Her Republican primary rival Jerrod Sessler, a businessman, accused her of lying about it. "She lied. No soft shoeing it," he said ². McKinney did not respond to the outlet's request for comment at the time ².

The Democrat's case

Duresky, a retired Air Force officer who also worked at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site, was the sole Democrat in the race ²³.

What happens next

McKinney is the representative-elect and will take Newhouse's seat when the new Congress is seated ¹. The Hill's report did not give final vote totals ¹.

The result shows where Republicans could still count on deep-red rural turf. Newhouse's departure also removes one of just two Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 and were still serving in the House ¹³. That matters because McKinney said Newhouse's impeachment vote was why she ran ³.

The Record

1. Dec 17, 2025Rep. Dan Newhouse announced he would not seek another term in Washington's 4th District ².
2. Dec 21, 2025McKinney told a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, "I knew that I needed to find a way to retire him," about Newhouse ².
3. Nov 6, 2026Decision Desk HQ projected McKinney the winner over Democrat John Duresky ¹.

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<h2>Republican Amanda McKinney wins Washington&#39;s open 4th District, a rare GOP hold</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/republican-amanda-mckinney-wins-washington-s-open-4th-district-a-rare-gop-hold">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 5, 2026.</em></p> <p>Republican Amanda McKinney, a Yakima County commissioner, is projected to win Washington&#39;s 4th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ, a firm that tracks and projects election results . She beat Democrat John Duresky, an Air Force veteran .</p> <p>The district covers a large part of eastern Washington. That side of the state is more rural and leans more Republican than the bluer western half, across the Cascade Mountains .</p> <h2>A seat that was never in play</h2> <p>The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan race rater, had called the contest solidly Republican . The district is the state&#39;s most conservative. It depends on agriculture and energy, and more than 40% of its residents are Latino . Trump won it handily in 2024 .</p> <p>McKinney will succeed retiring Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican . Newhouse has held the seat since 2015 and announced on Dec. 17 that he would not seek another term . He was one of the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot .</p> <p>President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson both endorsed McKinney . Trump called her &quot;A very successful Business Executive, Civic Leader, and Highly Respected Yakima County Commissioner&quot; . Before politics, McKinney worked as a mortgage banker and small-business owner. She has also campaigned on vaccine mandates, agriculture and opposing the return of grizzly bears to the Cascades .</p> <h2>The receipt on Newhouse</h2> <p>McKinney&#39;s win comes with a reversal on the record. In a TV ad, she backed Newhouse, saying, &quot;I trust Dan.&quot; At a Dec. 21 event in Phoenix hosted by Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, she described her motive differently .</p> <blockquote><p>I knew that I needed to find a way to retire him</p><p>&mdash; Amanda McKinney, Yakima County commissioner and Republican winner in Washington&#39;s 4th District</p></blockquote> <p>Her Republican primary rival Jerrod Sessler, a businessman, accused her of lying about it. &quot;She lied. No soft shoeing it,&quot; he said . McKinney did not respond to the outlet&#39;s request for comment at the time .</p> <h2>The Democrat&#39;s case</h2> <p>Duresky, a retired Air Force officer who also worked at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site, was the sole Democrat in the race .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>McKinney is the representative-elect and will take Newhouse&#39;s seat when the new Congress is seated . The Hill&#39;s report did not give final vote totals .</p> <p>The result shows where Republicans could still count on deep-red rural turf. Newhouse&#39;s departure also removes one of just two Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 and were still serving in the House . That matters because McKinney said Newhouse&#39;s impeachment vote was why she ran .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/republican-amanda-mckinney-wins-washington-s-open-4th-district-a-rare-gop-hold">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/republican-amanda-mckinney-wins-washington-s-open-4th-district-a-rare-gop-hold.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “GOP's McKinney wins election for Newhouse's open Washington seat” (2026-11-06). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6134794-republican-amanda-mcki
2. Spokane Public Radio, “As barbs fly and Trump wades in, a central WA congressional race heats up” (2026-01-08). spokanepublicradio.org/regional-news/2026-01-08/as-barbs-fly
3. NPR Illinois, “For Republicans planning a post-Trump future, one race in Washington is worth watching” (2026-08-03). nprillinois.org/2026-08-03/for-republicans-planning-post-tru

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