Democrats retain Washington’s 3rd U.S. House district

First-term Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., kept her seat in an election contest against Republican Joe Kent, the Associated Press reported. Gluesenkamp Perez thanked her supporters in a statement on Friday for granting her a second term in Congress. She said she would continue trying to rise above partisan divides for the good of her constituents.

Who is Perez? Perez’s campaign website describes her as one of the most bipartisan members of the House, saying she routinely crosses the aisle to craft legislation. The website also describes her as a fifth-generation Washingtonian, the mother of a toddler, and small business owner. She beat Joe Kent by less than a percentage point to earn her seat in 2022, according to her campaign website. Her site also lists pro-abortion policies as one of her top priorities.

Who is Kent? He served for two decades in the armed forces before working for the CIA and as a White House foreign policy advisor in President-elect Donald Trump’s prior administration, according to his website. He is currently married to his second wife—his first wife, also a veteran, died fighting militants from the Islamic State group in Syria. He has two sons. He focused his campaign on what he described as common-sense Republican values and opposing extreme Democratic party agendas.