Republican Michael Baumgartner and Democrat Carmela Conroy are fighting to fill Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ empty position representing Washington’s 5th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. A Republican has held this seat since 1995, but with Rodgers’ retirement, the seat will have no incumbent for the first time in decades.
Washington’s 5th Congressional District covers 16,053 square miles in the easternmost part of the state, spanning from Canada to Oregon and the Idaho border . It includes Lincoln, Spokane, Whitman, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, along with parts of Adams and Franklin counties. Major cities include Spokane, Pullman and Walla Walla, but a large part of this district is agricultural land.
Boundaries of the 5th Congressional District, courtesy of WA State Legislature.
We partnered with Cascade PBS to write candidate profiles for the race earlier this year and have included them below. We’ve also asked the two candidates who made it past the primary an additional set of seven questions, and pulled together a further reading list so that you can be an informed voter!
Michael Baumgartner
For eight years, Republican Michael Baumgartner served as a state senator for Legislative District 6, and is currently working as the Spokane County Treasurer. If elected, Baumgartner promises to "protect the American Dream" by supporting policies that secure our border and "reign in reckless spending" by slashing some government agency budgets and putting stringent regulations on other agencies. His endorsements include a number of the region’s prominent Republicans, including former Spokane Mayor David Condon; Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington; and former Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna.
Editor's Note: These candidate profiles were republished from Cascade PBS' Voter Guide, which was published before the primaries. For the most up-to-date information on Baumgartner's positions, see the Issues section of his website here.
Jump to his responses to our questions here.
Michael Baumgartner campaign website
Michael Baumgartner State Voter Guide
Carmela Conroy
Carmela Conroy is running as a Democrat. She has formerly worked as a diplomat, deputy prosecutor for Spokane County and chair of the Spokane County Democratic party. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and the Washington Education Association have endorsed Conroy. The Spokane County Democrats endorsed both Conroy and fellow Democrat Bernadine Bank, and other Democrats in the region have endorsed multiple candidates for this open seat in the primary. She plans on fighting for “agricultural support, affordable healthcare and economic opportunities for working families” if elected.
Editor's Note: These candidate profiles were republished from Cascade PBS' Voter Guide, which was published before the primaries. For the most up-to-date information on Conroy's positions, see the Issues section of her website here.
Jump to her responses to our questions here
Carmela Conroy campaign website
Carmela Conroy State Voter Guide
Our questions, their responses
We asked both candidates for the open seat the same set of seven questions, touching on key issues we’ve heard from our readers. Their responses are posted verbatim — with light editing for grammar — in the order that they responded to us.
Carmela Conroy
What are you hearing as the priorities of people in this district?
People want to be listened to, and they want their representatives to stop the shenanigans and get to work for them. Affordability is a top issue; the price of childcare, housing, and other necessities continues to rise, while income stays put. Rural folks worry that city folk forget about them, as they can’t find workers; they have to drive further and wait longer for medical care; they’re afraid they’re going to be left out of a deal on the lower Snake River dams. People want predictability and security for community members whose documentation doesn’t match their status while they study or work in agriculture, construction, and health care; they also want the southern border to be more secure. People are shocked that Americans anywhere lost the individual freedoms to access reproductive healthcare, including abortion.
What do you think is at stake in this year’s election for this seat?
Personal freedoms, affordability for the vast majority of us, and electing a congressional representative who believes everyone is accountable under the law and puts country over party. During nearly 30 years of public service, as a deputy prosecutor for Spokane County and as a US Foreign Service Officer overseas and in DC, I didn’t give much thought to the political parties. Tom Foley was my boss as US Ambassador to Japan just two years after he lost his seat representing WA05. He never expressed any bitterness. He demonstrated unflagging respect for U.S. institutions and demanded effective problem solving of everyone who worked for him.
My opponent presents as a good-natured guy, but his views are radical and out of step with our majority working-class district’s needs. If elected, he will vote in line with the radical policies of Project 2025. Making reproductive healthcare a state’s choice issue has already impacted Eastern Washington, with women and girls fleeing to our already overburdened clinics because they cannot receive care in their home state. Deporting 11 million immigrants would devastate our local communities and grind our economy to a halt. Trade could be impacted, with catastrophic effects to our farmers who export across the globe, and tariffs of 20% on consumer goods would cause already inflated prices to soar. My opponent will not fight for workers' rights, for investment in education and physical infrastructure, or for our voting process to remain free and fair, whereas I will work with anyone who wants to solve problems to make life better for Eastern Washingtonians.
The economy looks good on paper, but working people are struggling. How do you interpret that, and how do you plan to approach issues of the economy?
Economic measures of wealth and profits on wealth are very strong; record corporate profits, record returns on equity investments, and core inflation is at a “normal” rate of between 2% and 3%. Meanwhile, the working people and consumers who drive this economy are facing an affordability crisis: housing, childcare, health care, food, gasoline.
We live in a society in which the working class supports both the very poor and the very rich because of taxes. We need equitable taxation so the hyper wealthy contribute fairly to the systems that they have benefited from, and so we can afford to invest in our working class.
Tax breaks such as the Working Families Tax Credit should once again be made available, along with supports such as special interest rates for first-time homebuyers.
We’re spending a lot of time and money on conflicts overseas. What real impact does foreign policy have on the 5th district and how do you plan to balance the needs of voters in your district with foreign relations?
Eastern Washington is a crucial part of global markets, with one example being that our agricultural products feed the globe and drive our economy. I worked for over 20 years as a National Foreign Service Officer overseas, in which I leveraged foreign relations on behalf of Americans. Global stability is in the best interest of our local community, as is having a representative in Congress who understands and will fight for the overseas markets our farmers depend on for their wheat, potatoes, and soy.
What can Congress even do about abortion, and if your party is in power, what would you want a Republican/Democrat controlled Congress to do about abortions?
Since Idaho enacted draconian anti-abortion laws which have caused reproductive healthcare clinics in Idaho to close, women and girls have fled to rural clinics in Eastern Washington, which are already struggling to keep up with community healthcare demands.
A patchwork of state laws surrounding an issue as important as abortion is not the answer, because limiting freedom and individual rights impacts all of us, no matter where you live. I believe career politicians like my opponent have no business getting between a woman and her doctor. In Congress, I will do whatever it takes to stand up to the radical extremists who are trying to limit rights and take away freedom.
What meaningful perspective do you bring to conversations about immigration policy, and what policies would you advocate for?
My first post at the US Department of State was the Vice Consul at the US Consulate General in Auckland, New Zealand, where I led the non-immigrant visa section. Our task in this department was to vet foreign nationals seeking a visa to visit the United States against those with bad intentions to our country, including those who would overstay that visa or individuals with criminal affiliations. The United States needs strong and secure borders to keep our citizens safe. I will work with anyone in Congress who is willing to pass a robust border deal. As we are working on border security, we need to pass immigration reform for the immigrants living and working in our communities. The effects of deporting 11 million immigrants as outlined in Project 2025 would devastate communities and tank our economy. We need immigration reform that provides predictability and stability to those seeking citizenship.
What are up to three endorsements that you want to highlight?
Among others, I have the endorsements of:
- The National Women’s Political Caucus
- The Washington State Labor Council, and;
- National Security Leaders for America.
Michael Baumgartner
What are you hearing as the priorities of people in this district?
What I’ve perhaps heard most about is concerns over inflation and how hard it is to afford anything – from a McDonald’s meal to gas, or a new home or apartment. Meanwhile there are families living in poverty or homelessness, fighting addiction and struggling to find work. We must do all we can to lift these people up and out of desperate circumstances.
I’m also hearing deep concern over the situation at our southern border. It’s a humanitarian crisis both at the border and for our communities struggling with drugs and crime. I visited the border – and saw firsthand that bad people are taking advantage of our humane laws to prey on women, children, and those looking for work. Unvetted immigrants are a national security risk, and fentanyl smuggled over the border is devastating our local communities. Many businesses rely on legal immigration, but the current situation is untenable.
More local priorities are support for agriculture and concerns over the delays in passing a new Farm Bill, the future of our Snake River dams, and protecting the federal programs that help our rural communities with non-taxable federal lands.
What do you think is at stake in this year’s election for this seat?
We have more common ground than some might suppose. My opponent and I both swore an oath to support and defend our Constitution, and I believe we both love America and have great optimism for the future of our country.
I have deep roots in Eastern Washington and a track record of working on bipartisan solutions in our State Legislature. If elected to Congress, I would adopt that same approach to work for all of Eastern Washington - to make sure this stays the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.
The economy looks good on paper, but working people are struggling. How do you interpret that, and how do you plan to approach issues of the economy?
Inflation has stabilized but prices are still well above where they were just a few years ago.
We need to reduce burdensome regulation to fuel economic growth. We should focus on strengthening our supply chains to reduce costs. We should extend tax cuts to boost growth and stabilize the economy.
Government overspending and our spiraling national debt needs to be brought under control. We need to reduce wasteful spending.
Some federal programs can be privatized with strict performance guidelines, while other programs can be canceled completely. Good public-private partnerships can save taxpayers millions and provide better services.
In the Washington State Legislature, we were required to pass balanced budgets. Congress must do the same.
We’re spending a lot of time and money on conflicts overseas. What real impact does foreign policy have on the 5th district and how do you plan to balance the needs of voters in your district with foreign relations?
Foreign policy is important for our national security, but it also impacts every day costs and our local economy. Our wheat is shipped to Japan and other Pacific countries, our refueling tankers at Fairchild Air Force Base keep our planes in the air, while companies like SEL (Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories) have international operations and customers.
Our foreign policy must first serve America’s interests, and we need our allies to step up and share the burden of countering hostile actors.
I’ve seen firsthand in Iraq and Afghanistan the result of Bush-era policies seeking to undermine support for Islamic terrorism by creating Jeffersonian democracies in the Middle East. It was a noble attempt, but it was unrealistic and cost far too many American lives.
Yet, we must stay engaged with the world. The world is a dangerous place and if we were to fully withdraw, our enemies would exploit the situation. Foreign events impact us here at home.
Meanwhile, Washington state is one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation. Our farmers in Eastern Washington produce the best quality wheat in the world and about 90% is shipped overseas.
Foreign policy decisions impact trade relations, and can affect global markets and commodity prices. Geopolitical tensions in oil-producing regions can cause volatility in oil prices, and we see that at the gas pump.
What can Congress even do about abortion, and if your party is in power, what would you want a Republican/Democrat controlled Congress to do about abortions?
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution requires each state to make their own laws on this subject, and different states are adopting varying laws. I support the right of the people and legislatures of each state, rather than Congress, to make their own abortion laws as consistent with the US Constitution.
What meaningful perspective do you bring to conversations about immigration policy, and what policies would you advocate for?
Our open southern border is letting drugs and unvetted migrants enter America. I visited the border in Arizona, and talked to border guards and law enforcement both in Arizona and here at home. We are paying a heavy cost for the failure to secure our border.
Much of the crime, drug abuse and homelessness in Eastern Washington can be traced back to the Mexican cartels that bring drugs over the border and profit from human trafficking and the horrific exploitation of children.
We need a multi-faceted approach that starts with enforcing our existing laws. Economic migrants should be vetted before reaching the American border. Policies like “Remain in Mexico” need to be reinstated. E-verify needs to be fully implemented. The sanctuary city experiment needs to end.
Meanwhile, our refugee and asylum programs are being abused. There are people who deserve and need our help. My wife and I have assisted former Afghan colleagues who worked for the US Government and now face Taliban reprisals, helping with their applications for Special Immigrant Visas. However we need to tighten our asylum processes to reduce fraud.
The bipartisan border bill was a step in the right direction, but we need to do more. Our current border situation is untenable. Every person should be treated with respect and dignity, but failing to enforce our laws is encouraging unlawful entry and ultimately it is resulting in tremendous human suffering.
What are up to three endorsements that you want to highlight?
- Phil Altmeyer
- Washington Farm Bureau
- US Ambassador Ryan Crocker
Further Reading:
- Watch the KSPS PBS Debate here.
- Watch one-on-one interviews with candidates by Nonstop Local KHQ here.
- Read profiles on both candidates from The Inlander here
- Read detailed accounts of Conroy and Baumgartner’s past political records.
- Detailed issue-based coverage on the candidates (plus their primary opponents) from the Spokesman here.
- Read about the candidates faith and values from FAVS news here.
- Watch a debate from the primary here.
Editor's Note: Baumgartner's candidate profile has been edited to reflect changes made on the Cascade PBS website.
