Washington House race still too close to call

Washington’s 5th Congressional District race between Republican incumbent Michael Baumgartner and Democrat Carmela Conroy was too close to call on election night, with early counts showing Conroy briefly ahead before Baumgartner held a narrow lead in later tallies. Ballots were still being counted, leaving the outcome uncertain. Conroy’s near-even showing marks a dramatic improvement for Democrats in a district that has been reliably Republican for decades; Baumgartner won the seat by more than 20 points in 2024. The candidates pointed to sharply different patterns in the vote, with Conroy strongest in more Democratic counties and Baumgartner leading in rural areas.