Letter to the editor: Incumbent is no longer trusted by the conservative base of her own party

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Recently, a letter supporting the reelection of Congresswoman Jamie Herrera-Beutler was published claiming that Joe Kent, as a freshman congressman, would be powerless to effect change. This is nonsense. While it’s true that newcomers are expected to follow the prescriptions and proscriptions of their respective party leaderships, there remain alternatives to the old saying that you must “go along to get along.” As a freshman congressman, Kent could drop a bill into the hopper, join with like-minded conservatives such as the House Freedom Caucus or co-sponsor a measure proposing immigration laws be enforced and the border wall completed without defying the party leadership. The incumbent is no longer trusted by the conservative base of her own party and the suggestion that Kent is not a worthy replacement is obviously in service to her. A man in whom the fires of leadership burns can accomplish more than unimaginative pundits would have you believe.

Thomas Higdon, 

Vancouver