# Washington's 3rd congressional district

Washington's 3rd congressional district encompasses the southernmost portion of Western Washington. It includes the counties of Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania; as well as a small portion of southern Thurston county.
The district is represented by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
The district was one of 13 congressional districts that voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election while simultaneously electing a Democrat in the 2024 House of Representatives elections.

## History

Established after the 1900 census, the 3rd district was represented by Democrats for most of the latter half of the 20th century, until Jolene Unsoeld was defeated by Republican Linda Smith as part of the Republican Revolution of 1994. Smith retired after two terms and was succeeded by Democrat Brian Baird. Baird announced he wouldn't run for re-election in 2010, with Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler winning the seat, during the general election, against Democratic state representative Denny Heck, who was subsequently elected in Washington's 10th congressional district. Herrera Beutler retained her seat over Democrat Jon T. Haugen in 2012. In 2014, she beat Democratic nominee Bob Dingethal.
In presidential elections, the 3rd district is rather competitive. It is the only part of Western Washington to not swing heavily to the Democrats during the 1990s, and it is one of the few districts in the area that cannot be considered safe for either party. It is home to Lewis County, far and away the most conservative county in western Washington. Additionally, most of the district is located in the Portland, Oregon, market; voting patterns there are somewhat different from those in the areas closer to Seattle. George W. Bush narrowly carried the district in 2000 with 48% of the vote and again in 2004 with 50%. The district swung Democratic in 2008, giving Barack Obama 52% of the vote and 46% to John McCain. However, redistricting (see below) extended the district further east and made it slightly more Republican than its predecessor; had the current boundaries been in effect for the 2008 election, Obama would have only defeated McCain by 50.9 percent to 47.1 percent. In 2012, it gave Mitt Romney 49.6% to Obama's 47.9%. In the 2016 presidential election, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the district 49.9% to Hillary Clinton's 42.5%. Trump won every county entirely within the district except Clark County, which he lost by only 316 votes out of over two hundred thousand, including carrying three counties (Pacific, Wahkiakum and Cowlitz) that voted for Walter Mondale in 1984. In 2020, Trump won the district 50.6% to Joe Biden's 46.9%, however, the incumbent Republican Congresswoman, Jaime Herrera Beutler, over-performed the incumbent President, winning the district by a margin of 13%.

### 2010 redistricting

The Washington State Redistricting Commission is charged with adjusting congressional and legislative district boundaries after each decennial census. Given Washington State's growth over the prior decade, Washington gained an additional congressional district for the 113th congress. The third district needed to lose 106,894 people in the redistricting process in order to meet the new ideal population of 672,454. On September 13, 2011, the four voting commissioners on the Redistricting Commission submitted draft proposals for the congressional map. All four draft proposals left the entirety of Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, and Clark Counties, and all or most of Skamania county in the 3rd district. In addition, each proposal added population from one or more of Pacific, Thurston, Pierce, or Klickitat counties.
The final approved map for the 3rd district included the entirety of Klickitat, Skamania, Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific, and Lewis counties, with the extreme southern part of Thurston County south of highway 12, Washington State Route 507, and the Vail Cut Off Road.

### 2020 redistricting

Following the 2020 census, the 3rd district was slightly changed during redistricting, losing Klickitat county to the 4th district and gaining an additional small sliver of Thurston county from the 10th district. The new 3rd district was marginally more favorable for Republicans, voting for Trump in 2020 by a margin of 4.2%, as opposed to the old district's 3.7%. Despite this, Democratic challenger Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez bested Republican nominee Joe Kent by 2,629 votes in 2022. It was one of five districts that would have voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while being won or held by a Democrat in 2022.
Trump won the district in 2024 by a slightly reduced margin of 3.28%, while Gluesenkamp Perez defeated Kent in a rematch by 3.88%, running 7 points ahead of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | Obama 51% - 47% |
| 2010 | Senate | Rossi 55% - 45% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 51% - 49% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 50% - 42% |
| 2016 | Senate | Vance 51% - 49% |
| 2016 | Governor | Bryant 55% - 45% |
| 2016 | Lt. Governor | McClendon 56% - 44% |
| 2016 | Secretary of State | Wyman 63% - 37% |
| 2016 | Auditor | Miloscia 55% - 45% |
| 2016 | Attorney General | Ferguson 59% - 41% |
| 2018 | Senate | Hutchison 51% - 49% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 51% - 46% |
| 2020 | Governor | Culp 54% - 46% |
| 2020 | Secretary of State | Wyman 61% - 39% |
| 2020 | Treasurer | Davidson 56% - 44% |
| 2020 | Auditor | Leyba 53% - 47% |
| 2020 | Attorney General | Larkin 54% - 46% |
| 2022 | Senate | Smiley 54% - 46% |
| 2022 | Secretary of State (Spec.) | Anderson 53% - 42% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 50% - 47% |
| 2024 | Senate | Garcia 50% - 49% |
| 2024 | Governor | Reichert 54% - 46% |
| 2024 | Lt. Governor | Matthews 54% - 46% |
| 2024 | Secretary of State | Whitaker 51% - 49% |
| 2024 | Treasurer | Hanek 52% - 47% |
| 2024 | Auditor | Hawkins 52% - 48% |
| 2024 | Attorney General | Serrano 54% - 46% |

## Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
Clark County (27)
    All 27 communities
Cowlitz County (10)
    All 10 communities
Lewis County (13)
    All 13 communities
Pacific County (11)
    All 11 communities
Skamania County (3)
    All 3 communities
Thurston County (5)
    Bucoda, Grand Mound, Rainier, Rochester, Tenino
Wahkiakum County (10)
    All 10 communities

## List of members representing the district

| Member | Party | Term | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location |
| District established March 4, 1909 ||||||
| Miles Poindexter (Spokane) | Republican | March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1911 | 61st | Elected in 1908. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
| William La Follette (Pullman) | Republican | March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1915 | 62nd 63rd | Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Redistricted to the 4th district. |
| Albert Johnson (Hoquiam) | Republican | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1933 | 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd | Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost re-election. |
| Martin F. Smith (Hoquiam) | Democratic | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943 | 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th | Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Lost re-election. |
| Fred B. Norman (Raymond) | Republican | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 | 78th | Elected in 1942. Lost re-election. |
| Charles R. Savage (Shelton) | Democratic | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | 79th | Elected in 1944. Lost re-election. |
| Fred B. Norman (Raymond) | Republican | January 3, 1947 – April 18, 1947 | 80th | Elected in 1946. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | April 18, 1947 – July 7, 1947 | 80th | |
| Russell V. Mack (Hoquiam) | Republican | July 7, 1947 – March 28, 1960 | 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th | Elected to finish Norman's term. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | March 28, 1960 – November 8, 1960 | 86th | |
| Julia Butler Hansen (Chatlamet) | Democratic | November 8, 1960 – December 31, 1974 | 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd | Elected to finish Mack's term. Also elected to the next term. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Retired and resigned early. |
| Vacant | Vacant | December 31, 1974 – January 3, 1975 | 93rd | |
| Don Bonker (Vancouver) | Democratic | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1989 | 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th | Elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Retired. |
| Jolene Unsoeld (Olympia) | Democratic | January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1995 | 101st 102nd 103rd | Elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Lost re-election. |
| Linda Smith (Vancouver) | Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999 | 104th 105th | Elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Retired to run for U.S. senator. | |
| Brian Baird (Vancouver) | Democratic | January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2011 | 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th | Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired. | |
| Brian Baird (Vancouver) | Democratic | January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2011 | 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th | Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired. | 2003–2013 |
| Jaime Herrera Beutler (Battle Ground) | Republican | January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023 | 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th | Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Defeated in primary. | 2003–2013 |
| Jaime Herrera Beutler (Battle Ground) | Republican | January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023 | 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th | Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Defeated in primary. | 2013–2023 |
| Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washougal) | Democratic | January 3, 2023 – present | 118th 119th | Elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. | 2023–present |

## Recent election results
### 2010

2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jaime Herrera Beutler | 152,799 | 53.0% |
| | Democratic | Denny Heck | 135,654 | 47.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 288,453 | 100.0% |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### 2012

2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jaime Herrera Beutler (Incumbent) | 177,446 | 60.4% |
| | Democratic | Jon T. Haugen | 116,438 | 39.6% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 293,884 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jaime Herrera Beutler (Incumbent) | 124,796 | 61.5% |
| | Democratic | Bob Dingethal | 78,018 | 38.5% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 202,814 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jaime Herrera Beutler (Incumbent) | 193,457 | 61.8% |
| | Democratic | Jim Moeller | 119,820 | 38.2% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 313,277 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2018

2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jaime Herrera Beutler (Incumbent) | 161,819 | 52.7% |
| | Democratic | Carolyn Long | 145,407 | 47.3% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 307,226 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2020

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jaime Herrera Beutler (Incumbent) | 235,579 | 56.4% |
| | Democratic | Carolyn Long | 181,347 | 43.4% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 977 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 417,903 | 100.0% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2022

2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez | 160,323 | 50.1 |
| | Republican | Joe Kent | 157,690 | 49.3 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,760 | 0.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 319,759 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 2024

2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Washington: 3rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez | 215,177 | 51.7 |
| | Republican | Joe Kent | 199,054 | 47.9 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,673 | 0.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 415,904 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |