Truth tester: Many claims in Eastern Washington's congressional election are misleading
Voters across Washington’s 5th Congressional District have been inundated in recent weeks with mailers and video ads from mostly just two candidates: incumbent Michael Baumgartner and independent challenger Nate Powell – or in most cases, the super PACs supporting Powell.
They aren’t alone. Democratic candidate Bajun Mavalwalla loaned his own campaign $20,000 to try to keep up with the competition’s July spending blitz. Fellow Democrat Carmela Conroy appears to have largely avoided spending big on online ads or mailers, but has run at least one TV spot.
But it has been Powell’s independent backers burning through the most resources to reach voters in the waning days of the election, and the stuffed mailboxes of voters reflect that reality.
Many of the attack ads targeting incumbent Baumgartner effectively duplicate their criticisms on the broader economy, association with President Donald Trump or his vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025.
Some ads simply highlight a person’s…