Washington’s Congressional District 4 race heats up

Washington state voters face a choice: Re-elect incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of the few House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump, or support one of his two conservative challengers, Tiffany Smiley and Jerrod Sessler, both of whom have been endorsed by Trump.

We asked 10 questions of the three candidates, these are their responses: 

1. Why are you running for office?

Newhouse: 

“I’m a farmer who loves his home. I was born and raised in Central Washington, my family lives here, my business is here, and everything I do is because I want to fight for the people who live here. Throughout my life and career, I have seen firsthand the negative impacts federal decisions and one-size-fits-all regulations can have on rural areas — in fact, that’s what compelled me to run for office in the first place! Unfortunately, we continue to be plagued by burdensome regulations and red tape put in place by unelected bureaucrats who’ve never even heard of a Grange meeting. I’m pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-getting the government out of our way. I want to secure our border, back our law enforcement officers, and get drugs out of our neighborhoods. I want to cut our federal budget to lower our national debt and keep the American Dream alive for our future generations. I want to support our veterans and honor the sacrifices they have made to keep our nation free. I’m a conservative, and I’m running to represent my home and the people who live there in Congress.”

Smiley:

“I heard from friends and neighbors who were concerned that Dan Newhouse was rarely in the district and didn’t seem to prioritize the concerns of our community. They were also worried about Dan Newhouse’s ability to work with President Trump. Dan put our district in a vulnerable position when he voted to impeach President Trump and he voted for amnesty to allow millions of illegal immigrants to stay in our country. That’s when our family got invested in this race; from the Columbia River to our dams, this district deserves someone who can fight with them and work with President Trump.”

Sessler: 

“1.2M members of the military gave it all for freedom and liberty in America. Many of them were 18, 19, & 20 years old. They never had the chance to live their dreams as most of us have. I will not sit idle while everything that I’ve enjoyed was made possible, in part, by their sacrifice.”

2. What are your top three priorities, if elected?

Newhouse: 

“My priorities are to pass legislation that defends the Lower Snake River dams, ensuring they are not breached. We need to pass the Farm Modernization Act which will address the labor crisis the agriculture industry faces by creating a pathway for legal labor. Stopping the Chinese Communist Party is also a top priority, we should not allow members of the CCP to buy agricultural land or land near national security sites. I will continue the work started with my Central Washington Fentanyl Task Force and on the Select Committee’s Fentanyl Working Group that I lead to ensure we are finding new ways to detect and stop the flow of this dangerous drug across the border and into our communities. I will also fight to lower our federal spending to reduce inflation which is impacting so many Americans from making ends meet and secure our southern border.”

Smiley: 

“I’ve been all over the district, and it’s clear that the number one issue is the invasion at our open southern border. There are drugs and human trafficking coming right up through the heart of the Fourth Congressional District and the I-5 corridor. We need to build the wall, reinstate President Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, and close our border.

We also need to get our economy back on track. Washington families are living paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford to put food on the table and gas in their cars. We need to cut the red tape and put President Trump in the White House to stop ‘Bidenomics’ and turn our country around.

Finally, we need to protect our dams. We have NEVER been closer to having our dams breached and it’s happening now after a decade of Dan Newhouse in office. Protecting our dams is critical for our district, our farmers, and our economy, and when I’m elected to Congress, I will do everything possible to protect our dams.”

Sessler: 

“Return to the rule of the constitution, defend the constitution.

Make life affordable, safe & American again.

Hold guilty accountable that have contributed to the tyranny & human rights infringements through unconstitutional mandates.”

3.What qualifications and experience do you have that make you the best candidate for this position?

Newhouse:

“Elected Experience: Chairman of Congressional Western Caucus, 2021 – Present. Central Washington’s Representative in Congress 2015 – Present. Washington, State House of Representatives 2003-2009.

Other Professional Experience: Washington State Department of Agriculture Director, 2009-2013. Operates an 850-acre farm near Sunnyside where he grows hops, tree fruit, grapes, and alfalfa.”

Smiley:

“It was almost 20 years ago that I arrived at Walter Reed Army Hospital and experienced government dysfunction firsthand. The D.C bureaucracy tried to push us around, but I fought back and won. Since then, I’ve been fighting and winning from the outside.

Now, Scotty and I almost don’t recognize the country we are in, and we want to make sure we’re leaving our boys a country worth losing their eyesight for. Now, the time has come for me to step up and continue the fight for our country from the inside – in the United States Congress.

I have a proven track record of working with President Trump, and I’m honored to have his support in my race for Congress. When President Trump and I are elected in November, I will work with him and his administration to secure our southern border, lower inflation, and roll back Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ failed economic policies. I am ready to get to work and help President Trump save America.” 

Sessler: 

“55 years old, 28 years married, raised 3 kids, homeschooled for 20+ years, honored veteran, double engineer, business owner & entrepreneur 30 years, developer, been to DC ~40 times attempting to influence positive change for Washington State and the country.”

4. Are there any specific projects or initiatives you plan to support that are unique to the 4th Congressional District, if elected/reelected?

Newhouse:

“Supporting and upholding the federal government’s commitment to clean the Hanford site and protecting the Lower Snake River dams which provide clean energy, irrigation, and transportation for barges, amongst many other benefits.”

Smiley:

“Again, I want to be clear that I will fight for our dams. Recently, the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) listed alternatives for studying irrigation replacement, including building the East High Canal to convey service water to the Lower Snake River irrigation projects. In essence, the USBR is working to coerce Eastern Washington political leaders to support breaching and sacrificing the four Lower Snake River Dams. 

While the USBR is threatening our very way of life in the Fourth Congressional District, our current Congressman Dan Newhouse is nowhere to be found on this critical issue. His inability to recognize the severity of these careless ideas from USBR or speak out against them underscores the critical importance of sending a fighter to Congress who will protect the Lower Snake River Dams and fight for Eastern Washington.”

Sessler: 

“8-point plan to protect power generating dams located in WA state.

Innovative comms and solutions team for providing assistance to people in Central Washington as representative.

Expansion of hydro powered dams and nuclear energy generation while holding green-new-deal projects to stand on their own fiscally.

Finish & expand the Columbia Basin Project

Make farming profitable again and not just for the large farmers but for the small farmers as well.”

5. How do you plan to support the agricultural sector, which is a significant piece of the economy in the district? What do you propose to support local farmers and rural communities?

Newhouse: 

“As a farmer, I understand the unique challenges the agricultural sector faces—I’m living them out every single day. One of the biggest issues the agriculture community is facing right now is the lack of a reliable, legal supply of labor, which is especially dire in areas like ours that produce labor intensive specialty crops. I introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which has now successfully passed the House of Representatives twice, to ensure that we continue to have a reliable and legal labor force for agriculture for decades to come. I’ve also been working to increase agriculture export programs like the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development Program (FMDP), to help American farmers maintain an edge in the increasingly competitive global marketplace.”

Smiley:

“We need to bring back logging that will help prevent the massive forest fires that are ravaging Washington state and sending carbon dioxide into the air at record rates. 

Local forest management and sustainable logging practices know that pursuing ESA exemption for logging will preserve the habitat long-term rather than watch our local economy continue to fail as forest fires decimate the land. It’s a lose-lose situation and Washington families are the ones who get hurt the most.” 

Sessler:

6. How would you address issues like water rights, crop subsidies and trade policies that affect the agricultural community?

Newhouse: 

“Start a conversation with any farmer, and water is going to come up. Especially in the arid West, we can’t do anything without water! I’ve been working in Congress to find both short- and long-term solutions to combat the impacts of catastrophic drought while also working to increase water storage capacity and modernizing water delivery systems. I’ve also been working with the Agriculture Committee on the Farm Bill to ensure it has important provisions to keep our agriculture community afloat. A key component of this are trade policies and export promotion programs to help our farmers continue to compete on a global stage. Having reliable crop insurance for farmers is crucial, especially years when yields and markets may be volatile. Having a strong safety net ensures that we have a strong Agriculture industry.”

Smiley:

“I don’t like to get into hypothetical situations, so I think it is best to talk about my approach to these types of issues. All policies that I support have to have two things: it must be the right thing for the country and it must help my friends and neighbors here in the Fourth Congressional District. So if a trade policy is right for the country but doesn’t help or even hurts my friends and neighbors who elected me to represent them, then I won’t support it. Ultimately, if something is not good for the country, it isn’t good for this district either.”

Sessler:

“We do not have a shortage of water. We have too many regulations. Many of those are state driven but a lot are also Federal. I already have relationships that will help to organize the momentum we need to get the Columbia Basin Project done and to expand it, giving farm families that have been waiting for decades the water they need and allowing the water aquifers to replenish naturally.

I’ve designed a dynamic tariff system that I will present and push to pass to ensure our farmers can compete internationally.”

7. What is your position on climate change, and what specific action would you take to address it?

Newhouse: 

“As a farmer, there’s no doubt our climate changes year by year. Summers are hotter and drier, meaning our water needs go up and the risks of wildfires increase. We’re seeing less snowpack too. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth God gave us, and I believe that it is those who are closest to the land who do the best job at that. No one is incentivized to have clean air, clean earth, and clean water more than our farmers and ranchers. And the best way to achieve that is by getting the government out of their way. We’ve seen the failures of a bloated, bureaucratic federal government firsthand: millions of acres of forests going up in flames annually due to decades of little to no forest management, the agriculture industry unfairly punished and left with uncertainty due to unclear and ever-changing federal regulations, vital infrastructure projects stalled for years, conservation and species management needs unmet, and American industries stifled by a Green New Deal agenda. As Chairman of the Western Caucus, I lead over 100 Members of Congress in working to encourage responsible resource development and energy independence, unlock our public lands and meet the multiple-use mandate, protect our communities from wildfires by advancing active management of our forests, support the water infrastructure that makes our way of life possible across the West, and empower our Nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agriculture industry to continue to grow the food that feeds the world.”

Smiley:

“I’m a farm girl who grew up in a heavy agriculture district so I believe in protecting our land. I also believe in managing our forests and letting locals who know their forest manage it best. ” 

“We need to bring back logging, which will help prevent forest fires that are sending carbon dioxide into the air and hurting our communities. I look forward to unleashing American energy independence, which will lower the cost of gas and services for hardworking families in the Fourth Congressional District. Also, we have the infrastructure and the ability to unleash nuclear energy, which is safe, effective, and environmentally friendly, so that’s the pathway forward and that’s how we best protect our environment or land in this country, along with its people.”

Sessler:

“Plainly and boldly explain to people why it is a marketing scheme to fleece people of their money and their peace.”

“Stand against any system or manner of green-new-deal hogwash & brainwash.”

8. What are your views on the current education system, and what changes would you advocate for?

Newhouse:

“Parents are the primary stakeholders in the lives of their children, not the government. Our education system should work with parents, not do whatever the government thinks it is best. That’s why I introduced and helped pass the Parents Bill of Rights Act. This legislation would put practices in place that facilitate meaningful dialog between a family and their child’s school and lead to more parental input throughout the learning process. It amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to ensure that federally-funded schools provide parents with the transparency they deserve. This will provide families with more options to collaborate with school districts, have more access to information regarding their children’s education, and ultimately provide a better curriculum and learning experience for our next generation.”

Smiley:

“I’m a mom of three young boys and I am worried about my children’s education and their future. We need to make sure that we’re focused on reading, writing, and arithmetic, and that we are hiring and retaining really good teachers.” 

“At the federal level, I look forward to working with my colleagues on a system where the money follows the child and their education, with no strings attached. To put it simply: I don’t believe your zip code should determine your destiny. In America, parents should be able to choose where they send their children to school for an education.”

Sessler:

“Abolish the Dept. of Education & give full authority to local school boards who are already elected by local parents.”

9. What are your thoughts on the political polarization that has been raised during both the Trump and Biden presidencies? How do you plan to work across the aisle to pass legislation and address the needs of your constituents?

Newhouse:

“When you’re elected to public office you don’t just serve the folks that elected you, you serve the entire district. We need policies that work for all Americans, not partisan policies that are designed to cause division. In Congress we have a very slim majority, which means that more often than not we have to reach across the aisle to ensure that we get legislation passed that works for American families. I worked in the Washington State Legislature, where we were always in the Minority. That meant that anything I wanted to get done, had to be bipartisan. That experience has helped me work with colleagues in Congress who I would otherwise disagree with and actually pass legislation for the benefits of th district. One such example is the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services Act (Rural MOMS Act) which I was able to get included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act in 2022. The bill aims to improve healthcare access and outcomes for new and expecting mothers in rural communities across the United States by addressing rural maternal mortality and morbidity rates and expanding access to healthcare services for pregnant women and new mothers in remote areas.”

Smiley:

“I have a proven track record of working with anyone who wants to deliver results. After Scotty’s accident, I worked with both Democrats and Republicans to help our veterans and their caregivers. In Congress, I will work with anyone who wants to secure our border, turn our economy around, and protect Washington families.”

Sessler:

“Trump simply exposed what the true weirdos (anti-Americans) are doing to dismantle American freedom & liberty. The response to the cockroaches that he exposed was chaotic. We need more of that so they are easier to find and step on.”

“I’ll work with anyone that supports the constitution but if they are openly dismantling it then I will be their worst fear.”

10. How will you ensure transparency and accountability in your office and decision-making processes?

Newhouse:

“I am accountable to the people who elected me to serve them. Every single vote I take is listed on my website, and I encourage my constituents to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns they may have over any piece of legislation that has, or may, come before me. My office receives thousands of phone calls and emails—every single one of them is answered. Not every caller or writer agrees with my positions, and many of them don’t, but only by being transparent and listening to the voices of every single one of my constituents can I do the best job at representing them.”

Smiley:

“I will always show up and listen to my constituents through town halls and events across the Fourth Congressional District. I will also support term limits and reform the ability of Members of Congress to use insider information to make financial decisions that benefit themselves. “

Sessler:

“I’ve already got a core team of highly skilled and qualified folks that want to see Central WA winning again and that want to see America healthy again. Communications in a way that is easily digestible is at the top of our list. We will produce a weekly short video explaining the threats, votes, actions, options, and other experiences that we face. This will be done transparently and we will expose the corruption in the DC swamp.”