State Rep. Kraft Announces Applications to Congress

US MP Jaime Herrera Beutler has another Republican challenger to her seat as Washington State representative Vicki Kraft announced her bid for Washington’s third congressional district.

On November 30, Kraft, R-Vancouver announced her candidacy to Clark County Republican Party officials and announced a release announcing her decision to run the next day. She currently serves as State Representative for the 17th Legislative District, which includes parts of Vancouver and central Clark County east of Interstate 205.

Kraft’s campaign announcement campaigned for her recent submission of bills to lawmakers that would curtail the governor’s emergency powers, allow denial of the COVID-19 vaccine or other health-related mandates, and provide scholarships for private and home-schooled students.

“Whether in the fight for parental rights and against controversial requirements at schools such as comprehensive sex education or COVID-19 masks; or fight for individual rights and against the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, I will continue to fight for the people and make sure their voice is heard in Washington, DC, “Kraft said in the press release.

The announcement also stated that it was rated the most conservative based on its voting results at the American Conservative Union Foundation, which hosts the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Kraft had been considering running for Congress for some time before the pandemic, she said. She has the feeling that Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, did not speak out loud enough for the rights of her voters.

Kraft said Herrera Beutler’s response to the January 6 storming of the US Capitol, including a vote to impeach then-President Donald Trump, was “extremely deplorable.”

“For me, this voice was against America and this voice was against the direction in which our country is moving,” said Kraft, who was positive about the work of the Trump administration.

“I think a lot of people are very concerned about the direction of our country,” Kraft told The Reflector days after her announcement.

She said southwest Washington voters deserve a candidate with a track record of standing up for their personal freedoms.

“The ability to live the way you want is what America is about, and that is being challenged at a greater level right now than I think any of us have ever seen in our lifetime,” said Kraft.

Prior to her election in 2016, Kraft worked for the Freedom Foundation as its Southwest Washington Development Director, the press release said. She has also served as an account executive for companies such as Dell, Pillsbury, and Frigidaire, as well as for small businesses.

If elected, Kraft would be no stranger to DC, having previously worked for a nonprofit that worked with government agencies in the city. She said she was not naive about the machinations of politics that she would oppose if elected.

“I have clearly demonstrated that I have not given in to any particular interest or political pressure in the Olympics, and I will not give in to any particular interest or political pressure in Washington, DC,” Kraft said. “People don’t have to wonder who they’ll get as a candidate today or two years from now.”

In addition to Herrera Beutler, Kraft is going into a race with challengers on both sides of the aisle. Republicans Joe Kent and Heidi St. John announced early on that they wanted to oust their own party’s incumbent, while Democrat Brent Hennrich made his claim to flip the district.

Kraft stated that she wasn’t so focused on her challengers as she was on what she would bring to the office based on her own experience.

“I’ll walk on who I am and I’ll be who I am as a civil servant,” said Kraft.

While not revealing too much of her strategy to win the seat, Kraft cited her past races in the legislature where she was competitive in well-funded elections. In 2020, she was beaten three to one by her Democratic challenger Tanisha Harris, claiming a win of less than two percentage points.

Kraft acknowledged that she has one year left in the legislature, which she believes would be an immediate focus as state lawmakers attend a “brief” session in 2022.

“I’m a lawmaker in office, so I’ll take care of people’s affairs,” said Kraft.

If she didn’t run for Congress, Kraft likely wouldn’t be able to stay in her current district seat in the legislature. Cards approved by the state Redistribution Commission and endorsed by the Washington State Supreme Court would be released Nov.

The reallocation reality partly played into Kraft’s decision to move towards a seat in Congress.

“At this point … I feel that my voice and my ability to fight for the people will best serve the people of Washington, DC,” said Kraft.