Amanda McKinney Wins Washington's 4th District, Keeping the Open Seat Republican

Republican Amanda McKinney has won Washington's 4th Congressional District, defeating Democrat John Duresky and keeping the open seat in Republican hands. The Associated Press called the race on Thursday, November 5, 2026, with McKinney on 101,190 votes, about 54.7 percent, to Duresky's 83,356 votes, about 45.3 percent, with about 74 percent of precincts reporting.

McKinney, a Yakima County commissioner endorsed by President Donald Trump, succeeds retiring Representative Dan Newhouse, who did not seek a seventh term. Her win preserves Republican control of a sprawling central Washington district covering eight counties, from the Canadian border to the Oregon border.

Key Points

• The Associated Press called Washington's 4th Congressional District for Republican Amanda McKinney on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
• McKinney won 101,190 votes, about 54.7 percent, to Democrat John Duresky's 83,356 votes, about 45.3 percent, with about 74 percent of precincts reporting.
• McKinney, a Yakima County commissioner endorsed by President Donald Trump, succeeds retiring Representative Dan Newhouse, who did not seek a seventh term.
• The district covers eight counties across central Washington, from the Canadian border to the Oregon border, and stays in Republican hands.
• Decision Desk HQ also called the race for McKinney on Thursday evening, at 7:07 p.m. EST.

What Happened

The race was called on Thursday, two days after Election Day, as the final mail ballots were counted across the district's eight counties. Washington votes entirely by mail, and in a district stretching from the Yakima Valley orchards to the Columbia Basin wheat fields, the count routinely runs past election night.

When the Associated Press made its call, McKinney led by 17,834 votes, a margin of about 9.4 percentage points. Decision Desk HQ reached the same conclusion on Thursday evening, calling the race at 7:07 p.m. EST. With about 74 percent of precincts reporting, the remaining ballots were not expected to change the outcome.

Background and Context

Washington's 4th District is one of the most Republican-leaning districts in the Pacific Northwest and has been in Republican hands for decades. The largely rural district is anchored by the Yakima Valley and the Tri-Cities, and its economy runs on agriculture, from apples, hops and wine grapes to wheat grown across the Columbia Basin.

Newhouse, a farmer from Sunnyside, held the seat for six terms after first winning it in 2014. He was one of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, a vote that made him a target in his own party. He survived a Trump-backed primary challenge in 2022, but his decision not to seek a seventh term opened the seat for the first time since 2014.

McKinney came into the race with deep roots in local government. As a Yakima County commissioner she represented the heart of the district's farm economy, and her campaign leaned on that record and on President Trump's endorsement. Duresky, a retired Air Force major, spent 24 years in cyberspace operations before entering politics, and argued the district needed a representative focused on national security and working families.

Amanda McKinney and Washington's 4th District

McKinney's win keeps the district's long Republican streak intact, but the margin tells its own story. At 54.7 percent to 45.3 percent, the result was comfortable but not a landslide, and it came in a midterm cycle in which Democrats made gains in House races across the country. For Republicans, holding an open seat they were expected to win was a necessary result, and it mattered because open seats are where parties most often lose ground.

The Trump endorsement was central to her campaign. In a district where the president remains popular, his backing helped her in the Republican primary and gave her a clear identity in the general election. It also tied her to the president's agenda on agriculture, trade and the rural economy, issues that matter directly to the farmers and growers who dominate the district. For Duresky, the result still showed a Democrat can compete here: his 45.3 percent was a solid showing in a seat that has not elected a Democrat in decades.

Reactions

The Associated Press call on Thursday was quickly followed by Decision Desk HQ, which called the race for McKinney at 7:07 p.m. EST, confirming the result from a second independent election-calling operation. The two calls, coming within hours of each other, settled a race that had been too close to call on election night.

No concession from Duresky had been reported at the time of the Associated Press call. The focus in the district now turns to the transition, with McKinney preparing to take her seat when the 120th Congress convenes in January 2027.

Why It Matters

The result matters because open seats are the most vulnerable in any election, and Washington's 4th was the kind of seat a party can lose when an incumbent retires. Republicans held it, so the district's long run under Republican representation continues without interruption, and the party avoided a loss in a seat it could not afford to give up.

It also says something about central Washington. Voters chose a Yakima County commissioner with deep local ties over a retired Air Force officer with a national security background, a choice that reflects the district's priorities: local knowledge of the farm economy, and a representative who understands the irrigation, trade and labour issues shaping life in the Yakima Valley and the Columbia Basin.

What Happens Next

McKinney will take her seat in the 120th Congress when it convenes in January 2027, joining the House as a freshman from one of the largest districts in the country by land area. Her first months will be spent building a congressional office, hiring staff, and setting up district offices across the eight counties she now represents.

Her early priorities are likely to reflect the district she comes from: agriculture, water and irrigation, trade policy for the region's fruit and wheat growers, and the Hanford nuclear site in the Tri-Cities. Duresky returns to civilian life after his first run for Congress, and his 45.3 percent share will be studied by both parties as they plan for 2028.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Washington's 4th Congressional District?
Republican Amanda McKinney won the seat, defeating Democrat John Duresky by about 17,834 votes, 101,190 to 83,356.

What was the vote margin?
McKinney won about 54.7 percent of the vote to Duresky's 45.3 percent, with about 74 percent of precincts reporting when the Associated Press called the race.

Who is Amanda McKinney?
McKinney is a Yakima County commissioner who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. She succeeds retiring Representative Dan Newhouse, who did not seek a seventh term.

Who is John Duresky?
Duresky is a retired Air Force major who spent 24 years in cyberspace operations before running for Congress as a Democrat.

When was the race called?
The Associated Press called the race on Thursday, November 5, 2026, two days after Election Day. Decision Desk HQ also called it for McKinney on Thursday evening, at 7:07 p.m. EST.

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