By Don Nelson
Congressman Dan Newhouse stopped over at Sun Mountain Lodge last week for an appearance before the Winthrop and Twisp chambers of commerce membership. The Republican congressman had a prepared talk, he said, but pretty much abandoned that for a more casual session that mostly focused on issues of paramount interest to the Methow Valley: the Headwaters Campaign to forestall mining in the upper valley, the North Cascades Smokejumper Base and the proposed reintroduction of grizzly bears into the North Cascades.
Newhouse had a receptive audience for the first two topics, as he has been of valuable assistance in keeping the Headwaters Campaign momentum going and in supporting the smokejumper base’s continued presence in the Methow Valley. He won plaudits for those stands from a grateful audience.
On the third issue, Newhouse came across — perhaps surprisingly to some — as a bit less anti-grizzly than in the past. He acknowledged that he had a large part in slowing down the federal agency process that is reviewing the reintroduction proposal. But he said that was to ensure that local people had a say and all the facts are in before a decision is made. And he described himself as “ambivalent” about grizzlies, going so far as to say that if people who live here are OK with grizzlies up in the woods, they may likely get grizzlies up in the woods.
Still, Newhouse’s reasoning could also be interpreted as a delaying tactic, in that there has already been a huge amount of public input on the issue (much of it favorable to grizzlies), and the National Park Service recently issued a rather thorough study documenting the big bears’ presence in the North Cascades for thousands of years. There’s that pesky science for you — coming up with strong evidence based on fundamental research.
At the somewhat small gathering at Sun Mountain, the Congressman — a farmer and former head of the state agriculture department — was relaxed and personable, and the conversation was polite. But none of the hot-button issues for many local and regional voters came up for much discussion: health care, the massive tax cut and resulting spike in the national debt, detaining refugee children, the looming tariff-driven trade war and others. His positions on those issues — and his alliance with President Trump on many of them — have brought the Congressman much criticism around these parts.
Strategically, Newhouse can to a certain extent have it both ways when it comes to Trump. He doesn’t have to embrace him wholeheartedly, and there’s no percentage in distancing himself from the president. In last week’s primary election for the 4th District seat he now holds, Newhouse easily outdistanced Democratic challenger Christine Brown, claiming more than 60 percent of the vote (63 percent in Okanogan County). Newhouse will go into the November general election with an incumbent’s momentum in a predominantly “red” district.
Meanwhile fellow Republican representatives in the Washington state delegation are facing meaningful challenges: Cathy McMorris Rogers in the 5th District and Jaime Herrera in the 3rd District. Neither incumbent managed 50 percent of the vote in the primary. The 8th District, which had been held by longtime Congressman Dave Reichert, is an uncertainty following Reichert’s retirement. Declared Democrats in that race cumulatively outdrew Republican candidate Dino Rossi’s 43 percent support. Rossi’s losing streak may hold up.
If there is a powerful enough “blue wave” in districts that have been reliably Republican in recent elections, Newhouse (if he wins) could end up as the only Republican Congressman from Washington state — in fact, the only Republican in the delegation, as the state’s two senators are Democrats. Unlikely, but possible.
The Methow Valley is a tiny, relatively “blue” sliver of the massive 4th District, which includes eight central and southeast Washington counties. More than 118,000 votes were cast in the primary, and the Methow has a little more than 5,000 residents on a crowded day. The Congressman needn’t spend a lot of time here to get re-elected, and has been criticized by many local residents for not holding town hall meetings to directly answer his constituents. To many, he is simply dodging the tough questions and spending his time in friendlier territory.
At the same time, Newhouse has shown a willingness to learn about and work on behalf of local issues that need the support a Congressman can wield. That clout is important, because we need to take advantage of every workable bipartisan effort we can to ensure the best future for the valley. As Newhouse understated, we’re not going to agree on everything (or maybe much of anything). That gives the things we do agree on special significance.
