Failed WA governor candidate Loren Culp to challenge Newhouse. Tri-Cities rally Friday

A second candidate from outside Eastern Washington’s 4th Congressional District is aiming to oust Rep. Dan Newhouse next year.

Loren Culp, a former GOP gubernatorial candidate, filed with the Federal Elections Commission to challenge the four-term Republican congressman.

The central Washington district runs from Benton County in the south to Okanogan County in the north, and includes Douglas, Grant, Yakima, Franklin and Adams counties.

Culp, a former Republic, Wash., police officer, said his campaign is still based in the Ferry County city, east of the Fourth District’s boundary.

Federal laws do not require congressional candidates to live in the district they are running for, according to the Washington Secretary of State’s office. They only need to live in the same state.

Culp hasn’t made an official announcement on his campaign, but has scheduled a tour through the region, including a stop on Clover Island at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 23, for the Ignite the Right Freedom Rally.

In a video Facebook page, he said is going to make a “very big announcement” live on stage during the rally.

A former President Donald Trump supporter, Culp lost badly to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and spent months claiming the November election was rigged. Facing a threat of legal sanctions for “meritless claims” in court, he dropped his lawsuit against the Secretary of State.

Two other Republicans already have announced plans to run again Newhouse.

State Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, confirmed to the Herald in January his intent to file for the position.

And more recently, Jerrod Sessler, a businessman and former NASCAR driver, announced his candidacy. His last listed address is outside the 4th District in Burien, south of Seattle, but has an office in Prosser.

Impeachment vote

Newhouse was one of a handful of Republicans to vote to impeach Trump following the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

It’s a decision he said required a great deal of soul searching and he felt it was right for him no matter the president’s party affiliation.

But the decision resulted in a lot of backlash from Republicans throughout the region. The chairs of the Republican parties of Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Grant, Adams and Douglas counties all demanded he resign his position.

Now, he’s attracting political challengers from within his own party but he did last year, as well.

Newhouse drew five challengers in 2020, including two Republicans, a Democrat, an Independent and a Libertarian. He defeated Democrat Doug McKinley in November.

This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 5:36 PM.