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Donald Trump's week just got even worse after a Democrat prevailed against his preferred candidate in Washington's 3rd congressional district.
In a major blow to the former president, Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez defeated Republican candidate Joe Kent early Sunday, flipping a seat that has been held by the GOP for over a decade.
It comes as Trump has been blamed for backing losing candidates that have cost Republicans the chance to make big gains in the House and Senate as many had forecast.
Gluesenkamp Perez's victory is the "biggest upset of the 2022 election," FiveThirtyTwo's Nathaniel Rakich noted on Twitter. The polling website had given the Democrat just a 2 percent chance of winning in its final forecast ahead of Election Day.
Trump endorsed Kent after he embraced the former president's baseless claims about the 2020 election being stolen from him. He edged out incumbent Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler—who was among the lawmakers targeted by Trump for voting to impeach him following the attack on the U.S. Capitol—in the state's top two primary.
"This race was a bellwether for the direction of our country. Joe Kent gave voice to some of the darkest impulses in our politics: white nationalism, xenophobia, and authoritarianism," Gluesenkamp Perez said following the result.
"Southwest Washington looked them straight in the eye and said no — not here, not now, not ever."
This race was a bellwether for the direction of our country. Joe Kent gave voice to some of the darkest impulses in our politics: white nationalism, xenophobia, and authoritarianism.
— Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (@MGPforCongress) November 13, 2022
Southwest Washington looked them straight in the eye and said no — not here, not now, not ever.
Gluesenkamp Perez, a small business owner who lives in a rural part of the district, said she was more in line with voters than Kent, who came under fire for espousing "replacement theory" and repeatedly had to explain his connections to right-wing extremists.
Kent said he would not concede on Saturday night and urged voters to check the status of their mail ballots.
"We're on the streets ballot curing. The fight goes on while the talking heads talk," he said on Twitter.
What the media says is irrelevant, its another narrative designed to stop voters from ballot curing & to force me to concede - not gonna happen.
— Joe Kent for WA-3 (@joekent16jan19) November 13, 2022
We’re on the streets ballot curing. The fight goes on while the talking heads talk.
Power dry & check your ballot ?? https://t.co/qbswzzqNbm
Trump has loomed large over the midterms all year, influencing the candidates the GOP nominated for congressional, gubernatorial and local races.
But a lackluster performance has led to many turning against Trump for boosting candidates who did not appeal to enough voters.
Meanwhile, Trump has lamented that he is not receiving "congratulations or praise" as he seeks to spin the midterm results before he is expected to announce another run for president on Tuesday.
"I had such great success on Endorsements, perhaps success like no one has had before, both for Republican Nominations and the General Election itself, and I continue to get Fake News, RINO, and Radical Left criticism, but seldom congratulations or praise," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday.
"That's the way it is, and that's the way it will always be!"
Among the most high-profile losses for Trump candidates is Dr. Mehmet Oz, who lost to Democrat rival John Fetterman in the Pennsylvania Senate race.
Newsweek has contacted spokespeople for Gluesenkamp Perez, Kent and Trump for comment.
Do you have a tip on a politics story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the midterm elections? Let us know via politics@newsweek.com.
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more