Posted on Sep 10, 2022
Wary of Trump, some Herrera Beutler supporters are aligning with a Democrat
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Mark Jager is facing an important question: Who should he vote for in the Southwest Washington congressional race?
The 64-year-old is among the 49,001 people who voted for U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the Aug. 2 primaries. After the incumbent’s middle-of-the-road campaign failed, Jager and many of the congresswoman’s supporters who spoke to OPB say they are looking at the November ballot like a fork in the road.
“I thought Jaime had a big enough lead,” said Jager, a Vancouver retiree. “I was just shocked at the results. And now here we are.”
One option is Joe Kent, a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump whose central goal was to topple Herrera Beutler as retribution for her impeachment vote. The other choice is a Democrat: auto shop owner Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Jager, who has never voted for a Democrat for federal office and supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020, said he’s now leaning toward Gluesenkamp Perez.
“I’m not against going to the other side, even though I haven’t voted Democratic,” he said. “I think I’ve changed over the years since Trump, where I am open to some change. If I had to choose, I would not go back to what we had during the years of Trump.”
The 64-year-old is among the 49,001 people who voted for U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the Aug. 2 primaries. After the incumbent’s middle-of-the-road campaign failed, Jager and many of the congresswoman’s supporters who spoke to OPB say they are looking at the November ballot like a fork in the road.
“I thought Jaime had a big enough lead,” said Jager, a Vancouver retiree. “I was just shocked at the results. And now here we are.”
One option is Joe Kent, a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump whose central goal was to topple Herrera Beutler as retribution for her impeachment vote. The other choice is a Democrat: auto shop owner Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Jager, who has never voted for a Democrat for federal office and supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020, said he’s now leaning toward Gluesenkamp Perez.
“I’m not against going to the other side, even though I haven’t voted Democratic,” he said. “I think I’ve changed over the years since Trump, where I am open to some change. If I had to choose, I would not go back to what we had during the years of Trump.”
Wary of Trump, some Herrera Beutler supporters are aligning with a Democrat
Posted from opb.orgPosted in these groups: 
Donald TrumpU.S. House of Representatives
Democrats
State of Washington
Republicans
Donald TrumpU.S. House of Representatives Democrats State of Washington Republicans
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."After the last election, Jager conceded, he joined other Republicans in considering whether any widespread fraud occurred to oust Trump.
“At first I thought that, you know, who am I to question that it didn’t? If people are saying it did, the right way to pursue it is through the court system,” Jager said.
Despite proclaiming fraud, Trump’s lawsuits were almost all dismissed, including lawsuits filed in courtrooms presided over by Trump-appointed judges. None proved widespread voter fraud that changed the results of the election.
“Every one of those suits had their day in court,” Jager said. “Game over. Our guy lost. It’s time for a nice, smooth, civil transition. And that we clearly did not see.”
It remains unclear how moderate Republicans and Independents will vote. Jager and Rusch both expected a lot of Republicans will either vote the party line or may continue to view Gluesenkamp Perez as too far left. They both expressed hope that, if elected, she resisted tax increases.
Still, Jager said it’s becoming increasingly clear the vote is as much about political style as substance. He said it’s going to be important for local Republicans to decide if they want to see more of what they saw under Trump, which he described as divisiveness.
“The image that created for the world was truly disgraceful,” Jager said."
..."After the last election, Jager conceded, he joined other Republicans in considering whether any widespread fraud occurred to oust Trump.
“At first I thought that, you know, who am I to question that it didn’t? If people are saying it did, the right way to pursue it is through the court system,” Jager said.
Despite proclaiming fraud, Trump’s lawsuits were almost all dismissed, including lawsuits filed in courtrooms presided over by Trump-appointed judges. None proved widespread voter fraud that changed the results of the election.
“Every one of those suits had their day in court,” Jager said. “Game over. Our guy lost. It’s time for a nice, smooth, civil transition. And that we clearly did not see.”
It remains unclear how moderate Republicans and Independents will vote. Jager and Rusch both expected a lot of Republicans will either vote the party line or may continue to view Gluesenkamp Perez as too far left. They both expressed hope that, if elected, she resisted tax increases.
Still, Jager said it’s becoming increasingly clear the vote is as much about political style as substance. He said it’s going to be important for local Republicans to decide if they want to see more of what they saw under Trump, which he described as divisiveness.
“The image that created for the world was truly disgraceful,” Jager said."
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