Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse has survived his impeachment vote for now, moving on to face Democrat Doug White this fall as Trump-backed challenger Lauren Culp placed third. Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, was in second place as of election night in the 3rd District race in Southwest Washington. But Kent, her Trump-endorsed Republican challenger, has surged in late counts, cutting deeply into Herrera Beutler’s lead and threatening to push her into third place. Kent is gaining ground every day, in a trend line that shows him surpassing Herrera Beutler when more votes are counted next week. Herrera Beutler “needs a miracle,” Dave Wasserman, editor and polling expert at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, wrote on Twitter, calling Kent the “strong favorite to knock her out of the top two.” As of Friday night, Herrera Beutler had 22.6 percent of the vote to Kent’s 22.5 percent — a margin of just 257 votes. Kent was down 1,945 on Thursday. An estimated 30,000 ballots remain to be counted in Clark County, the district’s population center, which will resume recounts Monday. Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez remained in first place with about 31 percent of the vote, leaving her headed for a November race against either Kent or Herrera Beutler. If it remains that close, the match will be subject to a mandatory recount. A mechanical recount is required if the difference between the two candidates is less than 2,000 votes and also less than half of 1% percent of the total votes cast for the candidates. A manual recount is required if the candidates are separated by less than 150 votes and less than a quarter of 1% of the total vote for both candidates. Kent’s momentum came in the late polls despite a deluge of more than $4 million in outside PAC spending aimed at saving Herrera Beutler. Some of that money fueled ads boosting another Republican challenger and Kent opponent, Heidi St. John, who placed fourth in the race. In central Washington’s 4th District, Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, managed to clear the primary despite joining Herrera Beutler and eight other Republicans in voting to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Capitol Hill. USA. Newhouse came in first with about 25.5% of the vote, narrowly ahead of Democrat Doug White’s 25.4%. The Seattle Times requested the race for White and Newhouse. Culp, the former small-town police chief and 2020 gubernatorial candidate, was in third place with 21 percent, as the anti-Newhouse vote among Republicans was split among six challengers. The county assessment boards are set to certify the results on August 16. Statewide results must be certified by the secretary of state by August 19.