After 20 years, Eastern WA Republican says she won’t run for re-election to Congress

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., will not run for another term in the House after serving as the representative for Washington’s 5th Congressional District since 2004, she announced Thursday.

The 5th Congressional District includes much of Franklin County and stretches from the Oregon stateline to the Canadian border in Eastern Washington.

McMorris Rodgers, 54, currently serves as the chair of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.

She has used position to continue her decades-long advocacy for retaining the four lower Snake River dams from Ice Harbor near Pasco to Lower Granite near Lewiston, Idaho.

“It has been the honor and privilege of my life to represent the people of Eastern Washington in Congress,” she said her announcement.

But “after much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided the time has come to serve them in new ways,” she said.

She did not elaborate on what she plans to do when her current term ends in early January 2025.

The Energy and Commerce Committee will spend her final year in Congress “honoring the committee’s rich history,” she said.

She was the 200th woman elected to serve in the House and the first to give birth three times while in office.

In her announcement she thanked her family for their support and praised the people of Eastern Washington, calling them part of “the strength and soul of America.”

“Together, may we always be guided by God’s abundant grace and wisdom to keep the promise of America alive,” she said. “The best is yet to come.”

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., said as her friend he wishes her the “very best in wherever the next chapter takes her.”

“Cathy has been a conservative champion for Washington state and this country,” he said. “Her constituents in Eastern Washington, and Congress as an institution, are better off because of her dedicated service.”

The Washington State Democratic Party said voters should breathe a sigh of relief that she will leave Congress, after lifetime scores of 5% from League of Conservation Voters, 12% from AFL-CIO and 3% from Planned Parenthood.

“At every turn, Cathy has turned her back on the needs of working people, reproductive rights, and refused to protect clean air, clean water and a sustainable climate,” said Shasti Conrad, Washington state Democratic chair.

McMorris Rodgers grew up in Kettle Falls, Wash., where her family had a orchard and fruit stand. She worked in the family business for 13 years.

She was the legislative assistant to state Rep. Bob Morton and was appointed to finish his term in in 1994 and would serve as a 7th Legislative District representative until her election to Congress.

This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 1:18 PM with the headline "After 20 years, Eastern WA Republican says she won’t run for re-election to Congress."