Washington’s 3rd Congressional District covers the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm down to Vancouver. 

It’s also the home of one of the most fiercely contested congressional seats in the entire country.

In 2022, Republican challenger Joe Kent defeated incumbent Representative Jamie Herrera Butler in the Primary, but lost to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in the General election by roughly 2600 votes.

This election, Kent is back for round 2, and looking to flip the district back to the GOP.

He’s once again facing off against Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in this primary election… along with another candidate from the Republican Party, – Leslie Lewellen, a councilmember in Camas, WA.

This week, we’re speaking with candidates in the race, to get a sense of their policy positions and vision for the future. 

GUEST: Joe Kent, Army veteran and Republican candidate for District 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

RELATED LINKS: 
Joe Kent is campaigning differently. Will it make a difference? - Washington State Standard
Poll: Southwest Washington’s 3rd District congressional race in a dead heat - Oregon Public Broadcasting

Washington’s 3rd Congressional District covers the southwest corner of the state, from Long Beach to Mount Adams, and from Yelm down to Vancouver. 
It’s also the home of one of the most fiercely contested congressional seats in the entire country.
In 2022, Republican challenger Joe Kent defeated incumbent Representative Jamie Herrera Butler in the Primary, but lost to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in the General election by roughly 2600 votes.
This election, Kent is back for round 2, and looking to flip the district back to the GOP.
He’s once again facing off against Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in this primary election… along with another candidate from the Republican Party, – Leslie Lewellen, a councilmember in Camas, WA.
This week, we’re speaking with candidates in the race, to get a sense of their policy positions and vision for the future. GUEST: Joe Kent, Army veteran and Republican candidate for District 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
RELATED LINKS: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/06/06/joe-kent-is-campaigning-differently-will-it-make-a-difference/">Joe Kent is campaigning differently. Will it make a difference?</a> - Washington State Standard</li>
<li><a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2024/06/26/poll-southwest-washington-third-district-congressional-race-dead-heat/">Poll: Southwest Washington’s 3rd District congressional race in a dead heat</a> - Oregon Public Broadcasting</li>
</ul>

Soundside

The Race for District 3: Joe Kent

Last night - President Biden sat down with NBC’s Lester Holt, and answered a question on everyone’s mind: will the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump change the election?

His answer: "I don't know. And you don't know either."

He’s right - we don’t know how last weekend’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will change things.

But, at least for now, some corners are calling for unity and dialing back extreme rhetoric.

And public calls for the incumbent president to pass the torch within the Democratic Party have quieted, as attention instead turns to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

This is not the first act of political violence that has occurred in America in recent years. To name a few:

Two people died when supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, to disrupt the certification of the presidential election.

In 2017, a gunman opened fire as Republican members of congress held a baseball practice, injuring congressman Steve Scalise. 

And in 2011, another member of congress, Gabby Giffords, was shot in the head while meeting with constituents in Arizona. Six people at the event were killed.

Congressman Adam Smith represents Washington’s 9th congressional district, which includes areas from Auburn to Bellevue and parts of Seattle. He’s also a close friend of Gabby Giffords.


Congressman Smith sat down with Soundside to discuss the shooting, as well as continued calls for President Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee.

Guest:
Congressman Adam Smith, who represents Washington’s 9th congressional district, which includes areas from Auburn to Bellevue and parts of Seattle.

Related Links:
Transcript: Read the full Biden interview with Lester Holt on NBC News
Adam Smith, renegade? The promise and peril of crossing your party

Last night - President Biden sat down with NBC’s Lester Holt, and answered a question on everyone’s mind: will the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump change the election?
His answer: "I don't know. And you don't know either."
He’s right - we don’t know how last weekend’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will change things.
But, at least for now, some corners are calling for unity and dialing back extreme rhetoric. And public calls for the incumbent president to pass the torch within the Democratic Party have quieted, as attention instead turns to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
This is not the first act of political violence that has occurred in America in recent years. To name a few:
Two people died when supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, to disrupt the certification of the presidential election.
In 2017, a gunman opened fire as Republican members of congress held a baseball practice, injuring congressman Steve Scalise. And in 2011, another member of congress, Gabby Giffords, was shot in the head while meeting with constituents in Arizona. Six people at the event were killed.
Congressman Adam Smith represents Washington’s 9th congressional district, which includes areas from Auburn to Bellevue and parts of Seattle. He’s also a close friend of Gabby Giffords. 
Congressman Smith sat down with Soundside to discuss the shooting, as well as continued calls for President Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee.
Guest:
<ul>
<li>Congressman Adam Smith, who represents Washington’s 9th congressional district, which includes areas from Auburn to Bellevue and parts of Seattle.</li>
</ul>
Related Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/transcript-read-full-biden-interview-lester-holt-nbc-news-rcna162029">Transcript: Read the full Biden interview with Lester Holt on NBC News</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/adam-smith-renegade-the-promise-and-peril-of-crossing-your-party/">Adam Smith, renegade? The promise and peril of crossing your party</a></li>
</ul>

Should Joe go - or no? Congressman Adam Smith weighs in

Marker 01

The FBI is still searching for a motive in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Republican and Democratic leaders have urged Americans to turn down the temperature of rhetoric that demonizes and dehumanizes political opposition 
to try to take the edge off the anger and division that’s come to be standard in public discourse.

But it’s not clear everybody’s listening to that hopeful message.

We had reports that former President Trump had moderated his speech for the GOP convention in Milwaukee this week to focus on a message of unity. But this morning, Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the dismissal of the classified documents case in Florida. 

He decried what he calls a “weaponization of our Justice system.” And he claimed without evidence that the numerous legal cases against him a “conspiracy” coordinated by the “Democrat Justice Department” to hurt “Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME.”

So - are we back where we started? 

Are the events of the past 48 hours going to lead to any change in the tone and tenor of mistrust and polarization that defines our politics in 2024? 

And if so, how might that change be realized? 

Soundside host Libby Denkmann spends the hour exploring these questions with a variety of experts.



Guests:
KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan
Jacob Ware - a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America."
Ronald Feinman - a professor at Florida Atlantic University, and the author of “Assassinations, Threats and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama.”


Monica Guzman - host of the podcast “A Braver Way”, and a senior fellow at “Braver Angels” - a cross-partisan organization dedicated to political depolarization. She’s also the author of the book “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to have fearlessly curious conversations in dangerously divided times.”

The FBI is still searching for a motive in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Republican and Democratic leaders have urged Americans to turn down the temperature of rhetoric that demonizes and dehumanizes political opposition  to try to take the edge off the anger and division that’s come to be standard in public discourse.
But it’s not clear everybody’s listening to that hopeful message.
We had reports that former President Trump had moderated his speech for the GOP convention in Milwaukee this week to focus on a message of unity. But this morning, Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the dismissal of the classified documents case in Florida. He decried what he calls a “weaponization of our Justice system.” And he claimed without evidence that the numerous legal cases against him a “conspiracy” coordinated by the “Democrat Justice Department” to hurt “Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME.”
So - are we back where we started? 
Are the events of the past 48 hours going to lead to any change in the tone and tenor of mistrust and polarization that defines our politics in 2024? And if so, how might that change be realized? 
Soundside host Libby Denkmann spends the hour exploring these questions with a variety of experts.
 
Guests:
<ul>
<li>KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone</li>
<li>Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan</li>
<li>Jacob Ware - a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America."</li>
<li>Ronald Feinman - a professor at Florida Atlantic University, and the author of “Assassinations, Threats and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama.”</li>
<li>
Monica Guzman - host of the podcast “A Braver Way”, and a senior fellow at “Braver Angels” - a cross-partisan organization dedicated to political depolarization. She’s also the author of the book “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to have fearlessly curious conversations in dangerously divided times.”
</li>
</ul>

How do we lower the political temperature in a divided nation?

Voters statewide have big choices coming their way: They’re getting their ballots for the August primary starting next week, and there are a lot of candidates to decide between.

Over the last week, Soundside host Libby Denkmann has been interviewing the top candidates in the race for our state's next Attorney General. 

Now, KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone, and former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna are chiming in on the race so far.

And later, Greenstone will take a deeper look at whether Washington Democratic voters, and donors, are still behind President Biden. 

Guests:
Scott Greenstone, KUOW politics reporter
Rob McKenna, former Washington Attorney General

Related Links: 
How Washington's lawmakers, donors, and delegates could influence the Biden conversation
The race for WA Attorney General: Pete Serrano
The race for WA Attorney General: Manka Dhingra
The race for WA Attorney General: Nick Brown

Voters statewide have big choices coming their way: They’re getting their ballots for the August primary starting next week, and there are a lot of candidates to decide between.
Over the last week, Soundside host Libby Denkmann has been interviewing the top candidates in the race for our state's next Attorney General. 
Now, KUOW politics reporter Scott Greenstone, and former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna are chiming in on the race so far.
And later, Greenstone will take a deeper look at whether Washington Democratic voters, and donors, are still behind President Biden. 
Guests:
<ul>
<li>Scott Greenstone, KUOW politics reporter</li>
<li>Rob McKenna, former Washington Attorney General</li>
</ul>
Related Links: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-washington-s-democrats-donors-and-delegates-are-influencing-the-biden-conversation">How Washington's lawmakers, donors, and delegates could influence the Biden conversation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-race-for-wa-attorney-general-pete-serrano">The race for WA Attorney General: Pete Serrano</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-race-for-wa-attorney-general-manka-dhingra">The race for WA Attorney General: Manka Dhingra</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-race-for-wa-attorney-general-nick-brown">The race for WA Attorney General: Nick Brown</a></li>
</ul>

The Race for District 3: Joe Kent

In 1 playlist(s)

Soundside

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips