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Michael Baumgartner

Image for Michael Baumgartner to face Democrat Carmela Conroy in 5th Congressional District 2024 rematch

Michael Baumgartner to face Democrat Carmela Conroy in 5th Congressional District 2024 rematch

Spokane Spokesman-Review · August 5, 2026

Two years ago, Democrat Carmela Conroy was defeated by Michael Baumgartner for a seat in Congress . On Tuesday, she won enough support for a rematch.

The former diplomat and deputy prosecutor clinched second place quickly after polls closed Tuesday night – outpacing third-place finisher Nate Powell, an independent, by 6.5 percentage points in unofficial tallies.

Baumgartner, the sole Republican in the 5th Congressional District race, led the pack with 48%, with all 12 counties in the Eastern Washington district reporting Tuesday night. He was followed by Conroy with 20.8%. The only other candidate to poll above 5% was Independent Powell, who initially received 14.4%.

At his campaign headquarters in downtown Spokane, Baumgartner said he was “thrilled” with the result.

“Given that it is the same opponent that I beat by 20% last year, I think we’re gonna be in a strong position in the general election,” he said.

Conroy’s election watch party celebrated when the initial results came in sho…