Republican Michael Baumgartner won election to a U.S. House seat representing Washington on Wednesday, holding the open seat for his party. The former state senator is serving his second term as Spokane County treasurer. He defeated Democrat Carmela Conroy, who served as a deputy prosecutor in Spokane County. Baumgartner will replace Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who has held the congressional seat since 2005 and announced she would not seek reelection. The district covers the eastern section of the state, running from the Oregon line all the way north to the Canadian border. The Associated Press declared Baumgartner the winner at 4:44 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press