By Ahmed Namatalla / Associated Press
SEATTLE — A Republican House leadership-backed super PAC has opened an office in Washington’s 8th Congressional District, part of an effort to defend House seats where Democrats expect to make gains at this year’s midterm elections.
The Congressional Leadership Fund said Wednesday it will staff an office in the district soon to have an open seat due to the retirement of Rep. Dave Reichert. The 8th has voted a Republican for the House since its creation following the 1980 Census. It will also add locations in Maine’s 2nd, North Carolina’s 15th, Ohio’s 1st, and Pennsylvania’s 17th, where Democrat Connor Lamb won in a special election this month, flipping the district for the first time in 15 years. That takes its total to 31 offices.
“We have long known Republicans will face a challenging environment this midterm election cycle, and that’s why CLF has been focused on growing our data-driven national field program since February 2017,” Corry Bliss, CLF Executive Director, said in a statement on the fund’s website.
Washington is due to hold its top-two primary in August, sending the top two candidates to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation. Republican Dino Rossi, who has run three unsuccessful campaigns for state-wide office, has been running without opposition from his party against eight Democrats.
In January, the CLF opened an office in Washington’s 5th District.
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