Conroy concedes Washington 5th District race to Baumgartner

SPOKANE, Wash. — Democratic candidate Carmela Conroy conceded Washington’s 5th Congressional District race Tuesday after election results released Monday evening showed Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner leading the race for a second term.

In a statement Tuesday, Conroy said she contacted Baumgartner to congratulate him on his election.

“I have contacted Representative Baumgartner and congratulated him on his election. I told him I hope he’ll fight for every family in Eastern Washington during his next term in Congress,” Conroy said.

Conroy said voters across Eastern Washington expressed concerns about the rising costs of groceries, fuel and health care, along with the future of rural hospitals and public education.

“Voters across the district told me they need their Representative to address the high cost of groceries, fuel, and healthcare; keep rural hospitals from going under; and stop the attacks on public education,” Conroy said. “The majority of voters in Spokane and Whitman counties signaled they were not well-represented by the incumbent.”

Conroy thanked her campaign team for narrowing the Republican incumbent’s margin of victory to single digits in percentage points, which she said was the first time in more than 30 years.

According to figures provided from the Washington Secretary of State’s Office, Baumgartner received 51.7% of the vote in 2026, or 157,299 votes, compared with Conroy’s 47.9%, or 142,959 votes. Write-in candidates received 0.4%, or 1,077 votes.

In 2024, Baumgartner received 60.5% of the vote, or 240,619 votes, compared with Conroy’s 39.2%, or 156,074 votes. Write-in candidates received 0.1%, or 593 votes.

Based on those percentages, Baumgartner’s margin over Conroy narrowed from 21.3 percentage points in 2024 to 3.8 percentage points in 2026.

Conroy also credited local grassroots donors for helping her campaign compete despite what she described as Baumgartner’s significant financial advantage.