Washington's 5th congressional district encompasses the
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the H ...
counties of
Ferry
A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
,
Stevens,
Pend Oreille,
Lincoln,
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...
,
Whitman,
Walla Walla,
Columbia,
Garfield
''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis (cartoonist), Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976 (later changed to ''Garfield'' in 1977), then in nationwide Print syndication, syndication from 1978, it chro ...
, and
Asotin, along with parts of
Adams and
Franklin. It is centered on
Spokane
Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...
, the state's second largest city.
Since
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
, the 5th district has been represented in the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
by
Michael Baumgartner, a
Republican. The seat was held by former
Democratic Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
Tom Foley between 1965 and 1995 before he lost reelection to reelection to
George Nethercutt
George Rector Nethercutt Jr. (October 7, 1944 – June 14, 2024) was an American lawyer, author, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he rose to national attention upon his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, wh ...
in
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
.
In presidential elections, the 5th district was once fairly competitive, but in recent years has generally been a safe bet for the Republicans.
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
only narrowly won the district in
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
with 52% of the vote.
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
won the district with 56% in
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, while
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
won this district all three times he ran, with 53% in both
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, and 54% in
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
.
The first election in the 5th district was in 1914, won by Democrat
Clarence Dill
Clarence Cleveland Dill (September 21, 1884January 14, 1978) was an American politician from the state of Washington. A Democrat, he was elected to two terms each in both houses of Congress.
Early years
Dill was born in Fredericktown, Ohi ...
. Following the
1910 census
The 1910 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau on April 15, 1910, determined the resident population of the United States to be 92,228,496, an increase of 21 percent over the 76,212,168 persons enumerated during the 1900 census. ...
, Washington gained two seats in the U.S. House, from three to five, but did not reapportion for the 1912 election. The two new seats were elected as statewide
at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
, with each voter casting ballots for three congressional seats, their district and two at-large. After that election, the state was reapportioned to five districts for the 1914 election. The state's
6th district was added after the
1930 census and first contested in the
1932 election.
Recent election results from statewide races
Composition
For the
118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the
2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST53/CD118_WA05.pdf
/ref>
Adams County (4)
: Hatton
Hatton may refer to:
Places England
* Hatton, Cheshire West and Chester, a former civil parish
* Hatton, Derbyshire, a village and civil parish
* Hatton, Lincolnshire, a village and civil parish
* Hatton, London, in the London Borough of Houn ...
, Lind
Lind is a surname of both Swedish and Estonian origin. In Swedish, it is the word for the linden tree. In Estonian, it is the word for bird.
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 36.1% of all known bearers of the surname ''Lind'' were resid ...
, Ritzville, Washtucna
Asotin County (5)
: All 4 communities
Columbia County (2)
: Dayton
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
, Starbuck
Ferry County (12)
: All 12 communities
Franklin County (7)
: Basin City, Connell, Kahlotus, Mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...
Garfield County (2)
: Pataha, Pomeroy
Lincoln County (8)
: All 8 communities
Pend Oreille County (5)
: All 5 communities
Spokane County (20)
: All 20 communities
Stevens County (11)
: All 11 communities
Walla Walla County (10)
: All 10 communities
Whitman County (17)
: All 17 communities
List of members representing the district
Recent election results
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Historical district boundaries
See also
*
* United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2012
* United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2014
* United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2016
* United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2018
* United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2020
* United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2022
References
*
*
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
External links
Washington State Redistricting Commission
''Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...
'', January 13, 2012
{{coord, 48, N, 118, W, format=dms, display=title, type:adm1st_region:US-WA
05