SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� The Republican mayor of Wenatchee, a small city in central Washington鈥檚 orchard country, didn鈥檛 support Democrat Kim Schrier when she was first elected to Congress in 2018. Since then, though, he鈥檚 been impressed.
Schrier helped Wenatchee score major federal money for a new bridge. When the city was initially left out of additional transportation spending by Democrats in the state Legislature, Schrier stepped in again, helping secure tens of millions more. She also helped land money for body cameras for the police department.
And now as the GOP targets Schrier鈥檚 seat in hopes of retaking the House, Mayor Frank Kuntz has given the incumbent a full-throated endorsement, appearing in a campaign ad for her, and undercutting challenger Matt Larkin鈥檚 efforts to paint her as an extreme liberal.
鈥淭his is a results business, and she delivered the results,鈥� Kuntz said in an interview.
Washington鈥檚 8th Congressional District stretches across the Cascade Mountains, encompassing wealthy Seattle exurbs populated by tech workers and central Washington farmland. It鈥檚 one of two competitive seats in the state, along with southwest Washington鈥檚 3rd District, that will help determine which party controls Congress come January.
Larkin, 41, is a lawyer and former Washington attorney general candidate who works for his family鈥檚 company, Romac Industries, which makes parts for water pipes. He topped several other Republicans, including King County Council Member Reagan Dunn, whose mother once held the seat, for the chance to try to stop Schrier from winning a third term.
Unlike some Republican candidates, Larkin acknowledges President Joe Biden was legitimately elected, though he also notes that many people disagree and are frustrated about it. He says both parties need to do a better job 鈥済iving a voice to these people who feel very disenfranchised.鈥� Former President Donald Trump continues to lie about the election results.
Larkin has hammered Schrier on inflation, gas prices and crime, saying Democrats鈥� policies have aggravated all three. As a conservative business owner, he says, he鈥檚 better suited to handling the economy. Lowering taxes and ensuring energy independence would be priorities.
His campaign slogan, 鈥淢ake crime illegal again,鈥� is a play on Trump鈥檚 and earned him appearances on conservative cable shows. His focus on crime has also won him the support of four of the five elected sheriffs from counties that fall in the 8th District.
鈥淢y family has deep roots here 鈥� we homesteaded here over 165 years ago 鈥� and I鈥檓 passionate about this place,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 started to see it decline and I thought, if I鈥檓 not going to try to fix it, who is? We鈥檝e got a bunch of real problems we鈥檙e trying to address and now inflation is choking people out on top of it all.鈥�
He says that Schrier鈥檚 voting record, perfectly aligned with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi鈥檚, is far out of touch with the district she represents.
鈥淵ou can pretend all you want 鈥� pretend to be a moderate, pretend to be pragmatic,鈥� Larkin said. 鈥淭his is a moderate district, and voters did not elect a San Francisco Democrat to represent them.鈥�
As for Schrier鈥檚 support from the Republican mayor of Wenatchee? 鈥淭he reason he鈥檚 given is, oh, she brought us a bridge 鈥� that鈥檚 his price tag,鈥� Larkin said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 fine, but there is not a long list of bipartisan supporters for her.鈥�
Schrier, a pediatrician, is the only Democrat to hold the seat since the district was created in the early 1980s. She won reelection in 2020 against Army veteran Jesse Jensen, who used a playbook similar to the one Larkin has embraced: painting her as a Seattle-style liberal too extreme for the district.
And, as she did against Jensen, Schrier is stressing the results she鈥檚 achieved in office. Those include the Wenatchee road money, which will help bring the region鈥檚 apples, pears and cherries to market; securing broadband access for 200 homes in rural Entiat; and getting the city of Roslyn, best known as the setting for the TV show 鈥淣orthern Exposure,鈥� support for projects to reduce the risk of wildfire.
鈥淲hat these mayors know is that I am meeting, I am listening, I am hearing what their priorities are, and then I am working my tail off to make sure I deliver,鈥� Schrier said.
Schrier is also emphasizing she鈥檚 the only pro-choice female doctor in Congress. Given the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, eliminating the right to an abortion under federal law, that鈥檚 crucial, she says. Since the ruling, total bans or restrictions on abortion have taken effect in more than a dozen states, and Republicans have introduced federal legislation that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
In Washington, the right to an abortion is enshrined in state law, but any federal ban or restrictions would trump that. Larkin, a Christian conservative, opposes abortion except when the life of the mother is at risk; he makes no exceptions for rape or incest. He declined to say how he might vote on a federal abortion ban if elected, but he said there is no threat to safe and legal abortion in Washington state.
He accused Schrier of exaggerating the issue to drum up enthusiasm among her supporters, while Schrier called his position dangerous.
鈥淰oters should be scared,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here was a time people said, 鈥極h, Roe will never be overturned.鈥� Look what happened! States across the country one by one are taking this decision away from women."
Schrier, with the power of her incumbency, has raised $8 million for her reelection bid. Larkin has raised about $2 million 鈥� $772,000 of it his own money.
Schrier lamented that largely due to partisan gerrymandering, only about 30 of the 435 seats in the House are considered swing districts.
鈥淚f more districts were like this one, that could swing either way, we would have a whole lot more incentive to move to the center and truly represent where most people in this country are,鈥� Schrier said.
Because Washington is a vote-by-mail state, with ballots due to be postmarked by Election Day, it often takes days to learn final results in close races.
Gene Johnson, The Associated Press
