Disclaimer: This article is speculative. Dan Newhouse has not released a reason why he hasn’t endorsed Amanda McKinney.
Washington’s 4th district incumbent Republican representative, Dan Newhouse, has decided not to endorse either Republican Amanda McKinney or Democrat John Duresky in the November general election. What has come as a shock to some voters is not a surprise to those who have kept up with recent dynamics within the Republican Party.
The Old Guard and the New
Dan Newhouse represents a dying breed in the Republican Party. He is a traditional, fiscal, institutional conservative with moderate social views and restrained rhetoric. In fact, Newhouse voted to provide legal status for certain agricultural workers with eventual permanent residency, and to propose a pathway to legal citizenship for over 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
He is also a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia, voted to uphold gay marriage, and even voted to impeach Trump after the January 6 riots.
On the other hand, McKinney is a MAGA populist aligned with Trump’s “America First” policies. She is a staunch proponent of Trump’s immigration policy, protectionist economics, and “America First” ideals. She is strongly against abortion and promises to fight to keep men out of women’s sports.
“Retiring Newhouse”
If their ideological differences were not enough to drive a wedge, McKinney had a stated intention to end what Newhouse represented in the party. At her campaign launch at a Turning Point event in December 2025, she said, “My congressman voted for impeachment, and I knew I needed to find a way to retire him.”
However, she loyally endorsed him when he was the definite Republican choice in 2022 and even endorsed him again in 2024 over the further-right Jerod Sessler due to Sessler being an outsider.
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The question becomes bigger when looked in the context of all 2026 national races. “Will Republican voters stand behind their candidates despite some disagreements—as McKinney did with Newhouse—or will they abstain when candidates do not fully align, as Newhouse chose to do with McKinney?”
The Most Religious Counties in Washington State
Census data shows Washington is one of the least religious states, but it’s not that simple—some folks aren’t religious at all, while others are very religious. It all just depends on which county you’re in.
Gallery Credit: Reesha Cosby