Official who fought COVID closures, vaccines wants Newhouse’s job in Congress
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- Amanda McKinney launches 2026 bid for WA-4, positioning as Trump-aligned Republican.
- She cites border security, energy development, rights defense and rural policy priorities.
- Race follows Newhouse retirement; jungle primary and crowded field set stage for 2026.
A Yakima County commissioner has thrown her hat into the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse.
Amanda McKinney announced Friday her campaign for Washington’s 4th Congressional District, touting herself as an “America First Republican aligned with President Donald J. Trump,” and someone who will “fight for the people of Central Washington.”
“In Congress, I will fight to secure the border, unleash American energy, defend constitutional rights, and stop radical policies that hurt rural communities,” said McKinney, 47, in a statement. “I will stand with President Trump, stand up to D.C. bureaucracy, and always put Central Washington and America first.”
Before she was elected a Yakima County commissioner in 2020, McKinney built a career as a mortgage banker. She’s lived in the Yakima area for about 20 years.
She was raised along the Columbia River, and worked weekends and summers in cherry orchards and on her family’s farm which grew hay, alfalfa, apples and pears. Her father is a retired state trooper.
As commissioner, McKinney says she’s supported law enforcement, the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, emergency communications and efforts to combat violent crime and fentanyl trafficking.
During her tenure, Yakima County began acquiring senior water rights and established a banking system and conducted floodplain restoration. She says she also fought against tax increases.
During the COVID pandemic, she says she backed efforts to reopen businesses early and opposed vaccine mandates. She says she also “uncovered” $6 million in fraudulent COVID aid claims. McKinney has been a recent, ardent supporter of the Let’s Go Washington initiatives to change Washington’s laws on parental school rights and which athletes can participate in girls sports.
Newhouse, 70, this week announced his plans to retire from the U.S. House of Representatives. The Sunnyside Republican and hops farmer said he was ready to pass the torch to a new generation of lawmakers.
He said he has not decided who he may or may not support in the race, but said he expects a crowded field. Newhouse is also not ruling out further public service or elected office.
The congressman’s sixth term expires Jan. 3, 2027.
Next year’s midterm race for Newhouse’s seat will be contentious. Multiple candidates already have declared their intent to run for the open seat, and more will likely jump in after the new year.
Jerrod Sessler, the businessman and former regional race driver, will make his third attempt at the seat. The Prosser Republican came within striking distance of ousting Newhouse in the 2024 general election, thanks to an endorsement from Trump, but lost by 6 percentage points.
Washington holds a jungle primary system, which means the two candidates who receive the most votes in the August primary move on to the November general, regardless of their party affiliation.
John Duresky, a West Richland Democrat and Air Force veteran, is also running. He worked at the Hanford nuclear site for four years before he was pushed into early retirement by Trump’s DOGE cuts.
State Rep. Matt Boehnke, a Republican from Kennewick, said earlier this week he is forming an exploratory committee to consider a campaign.
Washington’s 4th Congressional District stretches from the U.S.-Canada border down to Oregon. It encompasses the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Yakama Indian Reservation, East Wenatchee, Omak and Goldendale.
It’s also the state’s most conservative-leaning district. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won the district over former Vice President Kamala Harris by nearly 21 percentage points.
Candidates must register to run for office during filing week, which starts May 4.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 12:33 PM.
