Newhouse or McKinley for Congress? The Tri-City Herald has this recommendation | Editorial
The 4th Congressional District race is a repeat for Rep. Dan Newhouse and challenger Doug McKinley, who faced off for the same position in the 2016 primary election.
In fact, Newhouse, a Sunnyside farmer who also led our state’s Department of Agriculture and served in the Legislature, is used to running against the same candidate. He faced fellow Republican Clint Didier in 2014 and 2016, besting the well-known conservative both times.
And now McKinley, a Democrat and long-time attorney from the Tri-Cities, is ready for another round, running on a platform with a goal of boosting up the everyday worker “to get a bigger piece of the economic pie that they create,” according to his website.
Newhouse told the Herald Editorial Board that he is one of just a handful of farmers currently serving in the U.S. Congress, and that experience benefits his largely agriculture-based district, which spans a swath through the middle of the state from Canada to the Oregon border, including Yakima and the Tri-Cities.
McKinley sees just the opposite, calling it a conflict of interest for Newhouse to own a “multimillion-dollar farm” and serve on ag committees and vote on legislation that could potentially benefit his business.
McKinley told the Editorial Board that his bid to raise wages would never fly with Newhouse and others whose businesses depend on low-cost labor.
In addition to advocating for economic justice, McKinley wants to lower the costs of rent, health care and education. Raising wages and lowering those costs will help solve a host of problems from drug use to domestic violence, he said.
Despite being from a conservative district and voting in line with President Donald Trump more than 90% of the time in his three terms in Congress, Newhouse has proven to be more of a moderate.
His ag background has given him first-hand experience with immigration issues, and he helped write bipartisan immigration reform, allowing for helping undocumented farm workers achieve legal status.
The bill has stalled, but Newhouse has proven he can work across the aisle. He is also proud of his vote on the Dream and Promise Act in the House last year. The bill was approved 237-187, and Newhouse was one of only seven Republicans who voted to support the legislation.
And when the Trump administration suggests cutting funding for cleanup projects at the Hanford nuclear site, Newhouse has fought back. He’s also opposed every attempt by the president to privatize the Bonneville Power Administration’s transmission system, which would eventually result in higher electrical rates for our region.
In the immediate future, Newhouse says the focus needs to be getting the economy back on track in the era of COVID-19. The ag industry is a top priority, as is preserving dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers.
McKinley called himself a “big, bleeding-heart liberal” in an interview with the Spokesman-Review and admits that makes him an underdog in a conservative district.
McKinley’s website promises he’ll map out just how he can achieve his goals for a “country with a huge middle class” as the election gets closer, but with a just a few weeks to go, that path has not been made clear.
In theory, his ideas about a better society with more economic equality sound good. But his vision lacks any real meat to achieve that.
He doesn’t speak much about agriculture, which is the heart of the district’s economy, and he sidestepped issuing an opinion on one very important topic: the dams.
We can’t recommend a candidate who doesn’t embrace the critical link between the Snake River dams and our region’s economy.
Newhouse, on the other hand, has fought to protect them time and again. The Congressman gets our vote to continue to serve the constituents of the 4th Congressional District.
The Tri-City Herald recommends Republican Dan Newhouse for U.S. Congress, 4th District.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREBehind Our Election Recommendations
Who decides the recommendations?
Members of The Tri-City Herald editorial board is comprised of experienced opinion journalists and community members, and is separate from The Herald’s newsroom. Conversations are on the record.
What does the recommendation process entail?
Whenever possible, The Herald editorial board meets with opposing candidates at the same time. The questions are largely focused on a candidate’s qualifications and goals. The editorial board then discusses the candidates in each race and decides who to recommend. Board members seek to reach a consensus on our recommendations, but not every decision is unanimous.
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making recommendations, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with us or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues, their understanding of public policy and their ability to work with the current board . We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats.
Why are the editorials unsigned?
Our election recommendations reflect the collective views of The Herald’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. For the 2022 election, the board includes: Cecilia Rexus, Herald editorial writer; Laurie Williams, Herald executive editor; Jack Briggs, retired Herald publisher; Ken Robertson, retired Herald executive director; Matt Taylor, retired Herald editorial writer; Mike Paoli and Martin Valadez, community representatives.
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 2:32 PM.