Eastern Washington is not normally a place you'd expect a competitive House race, but in this political climate, problems for Republicans are popping up in surprising places. House GOP Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the only female member of the House GOP leadership elite since 2012, has been a high-profile supporter of the party's legislative agenda. But as that agenda's popularity has faded, so has her political security back home.
Washington's 5th CD is centered on Spokane and has historically leaned Republican. It gave President Trump a 52 percent to 39 percent edge in 2016. At the same time, it reelected McMorris Rodgers by about 19 points over under-funded Democrat Joe Pakootas. In 2012, it voted for GOP nominee Mitt Romney 54 percent to 44 percent.
Yet the depth of support for McMorris Rodgers after 13 years in office is a bit of a question mark. Washington has a top-two system of elections, meaning the top two primary vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election. In 2016, McMorris Rodgers garnered a very weak 42 percent in the August
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