The field of Republican challengers for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District will soon get more crowded.
State Rep. Vicki Kraft, a conservative in east Vancouver who has fought COVID-19 precautions and backed false claims about the results of the 2020 election, told fellow Republicans on Tuesday night she intends to enter the 2022 race.
At a quarterly meeting of the Clark County Republican Party, Kraft reportedly asked to speak ahead of the meeting’s planned agenda at The Heathman Lodge. Kraft then told the crowd that, after praying, she decided to make the congressional run.
“I was surprised by the announcement,” said Clark County Republican Party Chairman Joel Mattila. “It definitely throws a curveball into the whole race.”
Kraft, who is facing the possibility of getting drawn out of her district due to updated maps following the 2020 Census, did not return multiple requests for comment Tuesday evening. The Federal Election Commission does not show Kraft has officially filed to run. The filing deadline in Washington isn’t until May.
Multiple attendees told OPB the crowd was surprised to hear Kraft enter the race, which has already fielded two frontrunning Republican challengers for nearly a year.
“I think there’s a lot of people that know her well and appreciate her,” said David Gellatly, a member of the local party’s executive board. “But you can tell on people’s faces there wasn’t overall enthusiasm because most of the people in the room are already supporting...
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