For a while, Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse says he’s been hearing a little voice in the back of his head telling him it might be time to step aside.

On Wednesday, he announced he’d decided to follow that impulse and would not run for reelection next year in the 4th Congressional District in central Washington.

“I came into Congress thinking that I’d probably spend 10 years. I just came to the conclusion and made the decision,” he said. “It’s not been an overnight decision.”

“I just want to make clear that I’ve got a year to go on my term, and I’m going to work very hard to fulfill my responsibilities and serve my constituents,” he added.

It has been a rough and tumble year for Congress, marked by a record-long government shutdown during which the House never met. And for Newhouse, it’s not been easy navigating the turbulence created when he voted to impeach Donald Trump in 2021.

But the 70-year-old congressman insisted Wednesday that those factors didn’t drive his decision.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “A lot of people may disagree with some of the positions, some of the votes I’ve taken, but most people respect others who stand for something and who vote their conscience and can justify the positions they take. It’s not been a detriment or a negative thing.”

Newhouse, of Sunnyside, has held the seat since 2015. Before that, he served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009. Then, for four years, he was director of the state Department of Agriculture under then-Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat. Newhouse’s family operates an 850-acre farm.

He has balanced his conservative politics with pragmatism, making him accessible to Democratic House members especially on agriculture, farm labor and immigration policies, all critical to his district.

“Dan has always brought a principled commitment to public service. I’m grateful to call him a colleague and friend all these years,” U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, posted on X. DelBene served with Newhouse in the Gregoire administration when she led the state Department of Revenue.

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, a leading voice for House progressives, said Newhouse showed courage in voting to impeach Trump. She said she “greatly appreciated his leadership to provide a roadmap to citizenship for farmworkers” and his assistance in getting Seattle’s  Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP, national recognition.

“He will be missed in Congress, and I wish him and his family the best in retirement,” she said.

Trump-aligned challengers 

In 2021, Newhouse became a target of the MAGA movement when he joined nine other House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He is one of two among that group who is still serving in Congress.

Since then, Trump has fought to get him out of office. Newhouse fended off six Republican challengers in the 2022 primary en route to winning a fifth term in the solidly Republican district. That same year, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, another Washington Republican who voted for impeachment, was unseated after losing in the primary to Joe Kent.

Things got tougher for Newhouse in 2024. He faced two Trump-backed opponents in the primary and squared off with one of them, Jerrod Sessler, in the general election. Trump, in a social media post backing Sessler, called Newhouse a “weak and pathetic” Republican “who voted to, for no reason, Impeach me.” 

Newhouse overcame the attacks and narrowly won reelection. His victory was likely owed to support from Democratic voters.

In 2026, he was facing a rematch with Sessler, and potentially Tiffany Smiley, the other GOP candidate in 2024. Smiley, who lost a run against Patty Murray for her U.S. Senate seat in 2022, is known for her work as a veterans advocate.

Potential for a packed primary

Sessler, of Prosser, a Navy veteran and businessman, confirmed Wednesday he is running next year and said he again enjoys the support of President Trump, along with members of the House Freedom Caucus. The state Republican Party endorsed him in 2024 as well.

Newhouse’s early notice that he’s not running sets the stage for a wide-open primary next August.

Republican state Sen. Matt Boehnke of Kennewick said Wednesday he’s seriously exploring a run. Boehnke is in his first term in the Senate after serving four years in the House and three years on the Kennewick City Council. He is up for reelection in 2026. 

Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney, a Republican, is eyeing the seat. “I’m humbled by the encouragement I’ve received since Rep. Newhouse’s announcement and look forward to sharing news with you all in the coming days,” she said in a statement.

Republican Wesley Meier, of Richland, has registered his campaign with the Federal Election Commission.

At least one Democrat is mounting a bid for the 4th District seat next year: John Duresky, a retired Air Force officer who also worked at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site.

Washington’s 4th Congressional District stretches through the middle of the state from the Canadian border to Oregon. It includes the agriculture-heavy Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Reservation, and the Tri-Cities.

The last Democrat to win a U.S. House seat in the district was former Gov. Jay Inslee. He won in 1992, but lost reelection after one term to Doc Hastings, a Republican, who held the seat until retiring in 2015. 

Newhouse doesn’t have a favorite yet for his successor. 

“I haven’t made any decisions about who I may or may not be supporting in the race,” he told reporters. “Let’s see who expresses interest, who gets in the race, and we’ll just play it from there.”

12/18/25 9:30 a.m.: This story was updated to include further statements from U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse and details on potential candidates for his seat.

This story is republished from the Washington State Standard, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet that provides original reporting, analysis and commentary on Washington state government and politics.