Michael Cortney
Carolyn Long addresses a crowd of her supporters at The Thirsty Sasquatch.
U.S. House candidate Carolyn Long has received an endorsement from a former competitor in her race for the 3rd Congressional District of Washington. Republican Michael Cortney has thrown his support behind Jaime Herrera Beutler’s Democratic challenger.
Cortney’s endorsement was featured in a release from Long’s campaign Sept. 13, where he called into question Herrera Beutler’s association with GOP lawmakers in Congress.
“Jaime Herrera Beutler may portray herself as a moderate, but on the issues that matter most to the future of our district she aligns herself with extremist Republican leaders like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell,” Cortney said. “As a moderate Republican, I’m supporting Carolyn Long for Congress in Washington’s 3rd District because she has demonstrated to me that she understands the threat that climate change poses to our communities and will work across the aisle to create a brighter future for our children.”
Long said that she had gotten to know Cortney through the primary election process, adding she was grateful to have support from “someone so genuinely concerned about the well-being of our community.”
“I look forward to having Michael as an ally in our work to restore civil debate and mutual respect to our political discourse,” Long said.
Cortney was able to get about 3.4 percent of the August primary vote according to official statistics. Across the district Herrera Beutler came out on top with about 42.1 percent of the vote, and Long took second place with close to 35.3 percent.
Looking at votes based on party affiliations, Republican candidates took 50.9 percent of the vote. Cortney’s support could flip the balance to Democrats if his voters listen to his endorsement for the November general.
Long fared better in Clark County than the 3rd Congressional District as a whole, coming in first place with 39.5 percent to Herrera Beutler’s 38.9.
Cortney’s endorsement wasn’t the only development for Long’s campaign last week as it released its first TV ad. Long also received endorsements from End Citizens United and the Sierra Club.
Long and Herrera Beutler are set to debate at 12 p.m., September 18 at The Oak Tree Restaurant, 1020 Atlantic Ave., Woodland.
