Herrera Beutler Weighing Gov Run, Donors Say

Plus: 2024 hopefuls converge Friday on a Texas GOP donor retreat.

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Former Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Happy Wednesday! Congrats to Democratic state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, who on Tuesday won a special-election victory in Virginia’s deep-blue 4th Congressional District over Republican Leon Benjamin. McClellan will become the first black woman to represent Virginia in Congress. 

Up to Speed

  • One day after a public visit to Kyiv, President Joe Biden pledged ongoing U.S. military support for Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia in a speech in Warsaw, Poland. “Autocrats only understand one word: No, no, no. No, you will not take my country. No, you will not take my freedom. No, you will not take my future,” Biden said. “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia.” Several hours later, former President Donald Trump released a video statement claiming that “World War III has never been closer than it is right now.” “We need to clean house of all of the warmongers and America-last globalists in the deep state, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the national security industrial complex,” Trump said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also scoffed at Biden’s Europe trip this week: “He’s very concerned about those borders halfway around the world,” he said in a Monday appearance on Fox & Friends. “He’s not done anything to secure our own border here at home.”
  • Pretty much everybody is still operating under the assumption that Biden is running for reelection, but Politico has some good reporting this morning on how his internally delayed announcement—once reportedly planned for February, now expected in April—“has resulted in an awkward deep freeze across the party” in which “some potential presidential aspirants and scores of major donors are strategizing and even developing a Plan B while trying to remain respectful and publicly supportive of the 80-year-old president.”
  • The 2024 presidential race just got its third GOP contender, its second Indian-American candidate, and its first political newcomer. Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech founder who since 2020 has remade himself online and in frequent Fox News appearances as an “anti-woke” activist, announced a run for president Tuesday with an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight and a slick launch video in which he denounced “new secular religions like COVID-ism, climate-ism, and gender ideology.”
  • The Democratic field may soon get its first outside challenger too: Self-help guru Marianne Williamson has teased a second consecutive presidential bid with the promise of an “important announcement” in early March. Williamson was never a major contender in 2020, dropping out before even the Iowa caucuses, but had several memorable debate performances, including one in which promised to “harness love for political purposes” to combat Trump. “I will meet you on that field,” she said, “and sir, love will win.”
  • Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana announced Wednesday he will run for reelection. His seat is a top target for Republicans this cycle in a state Donald Trump won by more than 16 points in 2020.

Jaime Herrera Beutler Mulls a 2024 Gubernatorial Bid, Donors Say

In September, investment manager and Washington state political fundraiser David Nierenberg received a telephone call from an old friend, Armando Herrera. He was calling on behalf of his daughter Jaime Herrera Beutler, the six-term congresswoman representing Washington’s 3rd District.

Troubled by her jungle primary defeat to GOP challenger Joe Kent and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez several weeks prior, Herrera Beutler’s father wanted to know whether his daughter should take another run at elected office—and shoot higher. 

“​​He asked me what I thought about the prospect of Jaime running for governor,” Nierenberg told The Dispatch in an interview. 

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  1. Avatar photo
    Rajeev

    Jaime Herrera Beutler barely lost to Kent in the Republican primary. Washington is likely too far a Democratic lean to elect her governor. And she was a very effective congressional representative so hopefully she runs for something she has a better chance to win at than governor. It would be a different story if Jay Inslee couldn't run again but he's a tough guy to beat. He won in 2020 by 14 points in a state that might be going more blue lean in 2024.

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    Sgrantsm

    Isn't it odd that the Austin GOP donor conference doesn't include Trump as an existing 2024 contender?

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    Sgrantsm

    I object to your use of the term "jungle primary" in your story about Jaime Herrera Beutler.

    "The application of this term to describe any electoral system presents two problems. First, the term has negative connotations. In this context, the adjectival use of jungle suggests disorderliness and chaos. Its use infers a negative judgment against the electoral system. Second, the term lacks descriptive force. It does little to explain the substance or function of the system it is used to describe" (https://ballotpedia.org/Jungle_primary#Other_terminology).

    You're the Dispatch. You're supposed to be fact-based; yes, from a conservative perspective but that doesn't mean using a pejorative term that shows bias.

    Is this the term her father used? If so, it should be in quotes which would make it clear you don't subscribe to conservative opinion about blanket, open or top two primaries.

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  4. Philip.R.M.Hunt

    Herrera Beutler as governor of WA is possible, but only if the populist right comes to its senses and realizes that a hard right populist cannot win. So far, the populist right is in denial that they and their agenda are very unpopular with 2/3s of the country and think they have only lost due to cheating. Until they get out of their fantasyland, it will be more "get in losers, we're going losing" as one Dispatch article said.

    I live in WA 3rd and voted for Herrera Beutler (voted Perez in the general after Herrera Beutler lost the primary). I would probably vote for her as governor if she runs on the same sort of moderate conservative platform she has before and does not go too far right to win the primary. I don't really have any big problem with Inslee and voted for him in the past, but I buy into Jonah Goldenberg's sentiment that it is good that one party doesn't become completely entrenched. Also, she may be able to curb some of the excesses of Democrats in pursuing social justice, which Inslee has been reluctant to do (understatement). I don't want a DeSantis that goes too far reactionary, and I don't think the goal of improving social justice should be abandoned, but I think some of the solutions and methods pursued by the left activists needs to be questioned and rethought. A lot of it actually seems counterproductive to me.

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    1. Billy Zammit

      We populists don't care at all about winning elections and we see moderate Republicans as a greater enemy than the Democrats. If Herrera wins the nomination, I'm confident that Trump will call on his supporters to vote D to keep her out of office and and I'm confident that his voters will answer the call, just like they did with that NeverTrumper in Colorado.

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      1. Philip.R.M.Hunt

        Don't care about winning elections? So what is the point? Populists see moderate Republicans as a greater enemy? Good to know. The populist right may be able to ensure the defeat the moderate / establishment Republican candidates, but what about moderate Republican voters? Are they going to bullied into voting for the populist right candidates? That is what my populist right relatives thought. However, maybe the moderate republican voters are aware that the populist right consider them the greater enemy. Maybe the feeling is mutual. Maybe moderate republican voters think that moderate Dems are the lessor evil over populist right. Here in WA-3, a R+8 district, enough moderate Republican voters crossed over for the Democrat Marie Perez to beat Joe Kent.

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      2sequoia

      As a former resident of eastern Washington, I’ve always admired Herrera Beuler. I’ve always liked Inslee as well, but the state does need some competition from center-right conservatives instead of the right wing ideologues most commonly found in the eastern part of the state.

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        BWG

        I live in the Tri-Cities, and definitely am NOT a fan of Inslee, who seems to keep sliding more and more leftward. I'm proud that Newhouse and Herrera Beutler voted for impeachment, though a bit dismayed by how quiet Newhouse (my rep) has been about it since. But then he probably would have lost the primary if he hadn't.
        I'd vote for Jamie in a heartbeat, but I think she has no chance against Inslee, and probably no chance against any Democrat, unless it's someone really radical like Jayapal.

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          Seth B

          I'm a center-left guy in solidly left Olympia, and even I have really come to dislike Inslee. I was one of those who in 2020 voted for Biden but not Inslee. There was no way in hell I'd vote for Culp, that utter buffoon, but Inslee vs. JHB? Yeah, I'd vote for Beutler. She might have a chance yet - especially if she were to modulate her position on abortion a bit, as suggested in the article.

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          Clifford Luebben

          hello fellow Tri-citian. I concur that I do not like Inslee. Is he seriously considering a 4th term? What has he done to deserve that? I feel like even from a leftist perspective he has been “just ok” at best.

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    Dusty

    I like Vivek Ramaswamy and think he's an incredibly smart guy who is doing a lot of good, but this seems like a prime example of someone who has a lot to gain by running for president with zero intention of actually winning.

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      Patrick

      In 2016, Donald Trump was the exact opposite of everything before your comma, and perfectly accurate to everything after your comma.

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        Dusty

        Perhaps. I'm not sure how much Trump actually had to gain though. The guy was already a billionaire celebrity in retirement age.

        Vivek is a youthful guy just launching a public profile who also happens to have recently launched what is by all accounts a successful and growing, but still relatively small, asset management firm. I mean, the guy is also quite wealthy compared to everyone else, but he has *a lot* to gain from greater name recognition in terms of finances, fame, power, opportunities, etc.

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          Mudskipper

          I know nothing about Vivek, but the quote about "new secular religions like COVID-ism, climate-ism, and gender ideology" completely turns me off on him. Sounds like a classic bog-standard Republican culture warrior to me.

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            Sgrantsm

            Well put, Muddy.

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            Dusty

            He’s a bit more than that, but he’s also right in his stance and observation in that case. But, back to my original point, I don’t think his main intention in running is to win your vote anyways.

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    Dave Conant - MO

    Great rundown, thanks. A 'Like' button would be handy and save time.

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  7. Mike in Mad City

    All the best to Jaime Herrera-Beutler. If I still lived there, I'd support her, whatever the current odds. She would be a breath of fresh air in state politics, across party lines.

    I'm just old enough to remember John Spellman (and his very colorful one-term Democratic predecessor). There have been some competitive statewide elections over the past 43 years, including one epic recount process in 2004, but there have been some real non-contests too, especially when the state GOP has soiled itself, like it did 3 years ago. Herrera-Beutler is right to be wary of the current makeup of the state party, and realistic about her chances in the general election, should she make it past the funny farm stage.

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      Dan Baldwin

      She'd take the state by a thin margin should she make it through the primary. Enough moderates are fed up that they'd be willing to vote for her. She's no Dino Rossi nor (forgive me as I laugh) Culp.

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      1. Mike in Mad City

        Dan, I hope you're right; it would warm my heart to see such a day for my old home state. Is a 4th term for Inslee all the Democrats have right now, or is anyone else talking about running?

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          Dan Baldwin

          Absolutely no one else. No one has the stature to run against him on the Democrat side. Which is why I think Herrara-Beutler would win, if she could make it through the Republican primary.

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  8. Bubba

    Chamberlain Declares "Peace for Our Time". On September 30, 1938

    Trump's old enough to remember that, right?

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    PJ

    John Tester has my full support, and if Montana chooses Rosendale over him I have thoughts and prayers for everyone.

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      2sequoia

      I think that if Matt Rosendale is his competition Tester wins. Rosendale is too extreme for most of Montana and he’s just gotten worse.

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        PJ

        I hope so, and it seems reasonable. The problem is I have seen Montana go really stupid lately. Seriously, Stinky Zinke again Montana?

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          2sequoia

          I know, it’s difficult to understand or defend. While phone banking for Monica Tranel, I talked to numerous people who agreed that Zinke was corrupt as hell but who couldn’t vote for a Democrat. I suggested that they just leave that race blank. I don’t know what has happened to Montana, other than the state doesn’t have a strong Democratic Party. But I still think that Maryland Matt is a bridge too far for most people, particularly after his antics during the vote for the speaker. I’ve heard him interviewed a few times; he clearly has his eye on the speaker’s job. 🤮

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  10. Avatar photo
    Kevin Johnson

    “I’ve been a terrible liar!” Trump Santos slogan.

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      Chris L

      "Terrible liar" could mean that they have a terrible habit of lying constantly, or they are really bad at lying convincingly. Then again, I guess both apply here.

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