Dan Newhouse

Dan Newhouse
Born	Daniel Milton Newhouse 10 7, 1955
Birthplace	Sunnyside, Washington, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, farmer
Known for	U.S. Representative for Washington's 4th congressional district; voting to impeach Donald Trump in 2021
Education	Washington State University (BS)
Children	2
Website	[[newhouse.house.gov newhouse.house.gov] Official site]

Daniel Milton Newhouse (born July 10, 1955) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Washington's 4th congressional district since January 2015. The district encompasses much of the central third of Washington state, including Yakima and the Tri-Cities. A member of the Republican Party, Newhouse came to national prominence in January 2021 as one of only ten House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump following the January 6 Capitol attack. Despite that vote, which drew fierce intraparty opposition, he survived both his 2022 and 2024 primary challenges — one of only two impeachment-voting Republicans, along with David Valadao of California, to do so. Before entering Congress, Newhouse served in the Washington House of Representatives representing the 15th district and as director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. In December 2025, Newhouse announced that he would not seek reelection in 2026, choosing to exit Congress on his own terms after more than a decade of service.

Early Life

Daniel Milton Newhouse was born on July 10, 1955, in Sunnyside, Washington, a small city in the Yakima Valley known for its agricultural economy. He grew up in a family with deep roots in both agriculture and public service. His father, Irv Newhouse, was a longtime Washington state senator who represented the Yakima Valley region for decades, providing the younger Newhouse with early exposure to the legislative process and the concerns of central Washington's farming communities.

The Newhouse family operated a farm in the Sunnyside area, and Dan Newhouse grew up working the land alongside his family. Agriculture was not merely the family livelihood but a defining element of his identity and worldview. The Yakima Valley, with its irrigated orchards, vineyards, and hop fields, is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States, and Newhouse's upbringing in this environment shaped the policy priorities he would later pursue in public office.

Newhouse continued to operate the family hop farm throughout his career in politics, maintaining his connection to the agricultural sector even while serving in elected office. His dual identity as a farmer and a legislator became a central feature of his political persona, distinguishing him from career politicians and lending credibility to his advocacy on issues such as water rights, irrigation infrastructure, and agricultural trade policy.

Education

Newhouse attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Washington State University, a land-grant institution with a strong emphasis on agriculture and the sciences, was a natural fit for Newhouse given his family's farming background. His education there provided him with foundational knowledge in agricultural science and business that would inform both his farming operations and his subsequent career in public policy.

Career

Washington House of Representatives

Newhouse began his career in elected office when he won a seat in the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 15th legislative district. He succeeded Barbara Lisk and took office on January 13, 2003. The 15th district encompassed parts of the Yakima Valley, an area where agriculture dominated the local economy and where issues such as water allocation, irrigation, and farm labor were perennial concerns.

During his tenure in the state legislature, Newhouse focused on agricultural policy, water resources, and the economic needs of rural central Washington. He served in the Washington House until February 17, 2009, when he resigned to accept an appointment to lead the state's agriculture department. His successor in the state House was David Taylor.

Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture

On February 13, 2009, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, appointed Newhouse — a Republican — to serve as director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The bipartisan appointment reflected Newhouse's reputation as a pragmatic figure with extensive agricultural expertise. He succeeded Valoria Loveland in the position.

As director, Newhouse oversaw the state agency responsible for regulating and promoting Washington's agricultural industry, which is one of the largest and most diverse in the United States. Washington state is a leading producer of apples, hops, cherries, wine grapes, and numerous other crops, and the department plays a critical role in ensuring food safety, supporting exports, and managing pest and disease threats.

Newhouse served as agriculture director until March 11, 2013, when he stepped down. He was succeeded by Don Hover. His tenure at the department gave him administrative experience and deepened his expertise in the agricultural policy issues that would become central to his congressional platform.

2014 Congressional Campaign

Following the retirement announcement of longtime U.S. Representative Doc Hastings, who had represented Washington's 4th congressional district since 1995, Newhouse declared his candidacy for the open seat. The 4th district, covering a vast swath of central Washington including Yakima, the Tri-Cities (Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco), and surrounding agricultural areas, was considered a safely Republican seat.

Under Washington state's blanket primary system (also known as the "top-two" primary), all candidates regardless of party appear on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. The 2014 primary featured a crowded field of Republican candidates, with the principal contest emerging between Newhouse and Clint Didier, a former NFL tight end and Tea Party-aligned candidate.

The race drew national attention as a proxy battle between the establishment and Tea Party wings of the Republican Party. Didier positioned himself as the more conservative, anti-establishment candidate, while Newhouse ran as a pragmatic, experienced alternative with deep roots in the district's agricultural community. The two Republicans advanced through the primary to face each other in an all-Republican general election — an unusual outcome made possible by the state's blanket primary system.

In the November 2014 general election, Newhouse defeated Didier to claim the seat. The result was seen as a rebuke of the Tea Party movement in the district and an affirmation of Newhouse's more moderate, agriculture-focused approach to Republican governance.

U.S. House of Representatives

Newhouse took office on January 3, 2015, succeeding Doc Hastings as the representative for Washington's 4th congressional district. He quickly established himself as a member focused on the concerns of his largely rural, agriculture-dependent district.

Committee Assignments and Caucus Memberships

In Congress, Newhouse became a member of several caucuses reflecting his policy priorities and ideological positioning. He joined the Republican Main Street Partnership, a caucus of center-right Republicans, as well as the Republican Study Committee, the Congressional Western Caucus, and the U.S.-Japan Caucus. His membership in both the Main Street Partnership and the Republican Study Committee reflected his positioning as a conservative who maintained pragmatic instincts, particularly on issues affecting his district's agricultural economy and its reliance on international trade and immigrant labor.

Reelection Campaigns

Newhouse won reelection in subsequent cycles, maintaining strong support in the heavily Republican district. In the 2016 general election, he secured another term representing the 4th district. He was again reelected in 2018.

Second Impeachment of Donald Trump

Newhouse's most nationally prominent moment in Congress came on January 13, 2021, when he was one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The vote placed Newhouse among a small group of Republicans who broke with their party leadership and the majority of their caucus, drawing both praise from those who viewed the vote as an act of conscience and fierce criticism from Trump supporters and other Republican activists in his district.

The impeachment vote had significant political consequences for all ten Republicans who cast it. Several chose to retire rather than face primary challenges, and others were defeated by Trump-endorsed challengers. Newhouse, however, chose to seek reelection in 2022. Benefiting from Washington state's blanket primary system and a crowded primary field that split the pro-Trump vote among multiple candidates, Newhouse advanced to the general election with approximately 25.5% of the total primary vote, despite garnering only about one-third of the votes cast by Republican voters. He went on to win the general election, becoming one of only two impeachment-voting Republicans — along with David Valadao of California — to survive both the primary and general election in 2022. He repeated this feat in 2024, again winning reelection despite continued opposition from elements of the Republican base who viewed his impeachment vote as a betrayal.

Legislative Priorities and Recent Actions

Throughout his tenure, Newhouse focused on issues of particular importance to Washington's 4th district, including agricultural policy, water and irrigation infrastructure, trade policy, and energy issues related to the Hanford Site, a former nuclear production complex in the Tri-Cities area that remains a major employer and environmental remediation challenge.

In the 119th Congress, Newhouse continued to demonstrate an independent streak on certain issues. He voted to eliminate tariffs on Canada, reflecting the importance of cross-border trade to Washington state's agricultural exporters. He also voted to advance a government funding package. Newhouse voted for final passage of H.R. 1 upon its passage in the House.

On immigration, an issue of particular salience in his agricultural district where many farms rely on seasonal and immigrant labor, Newhouse expressed concern about the direction of federal immigration enforcement in 2025. Following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, Newhouse stated publicly that "a lot of questions need to be answered" and that the immigration crackdown had "gotten out of hand." The remarks distinguished him from many of his Republican colleagues who offered more unqualified support for aggressive enforcement measures.

Newhouse continued to engage with his constituents through regular communication efforts, including hosting telephone town hall sessions to hear from residents of Washington's 4th congressional district.

Retirement Announcement

On December 17, 2025, Newhouse announced that he would not seek reelection in 2026, bringing to an end a congressional career that spanned more than a decade. The announcement was characterized by observers as Newhouse choosing to exit on his own terms, rather than being forced out by a primary defeat. His departure marked the end of an era in which the 4th district was represented by pragmatic, agriculture-focused Republicans; the open seat was expected to draw a competitive field of candidates in 2026.

Personal Life

Newhouse has been a lifelong resident of the Sunnyside, Washington, area, where he has operated the family hop farm. His connection to the agricultural community of the Yakima Valley has been a defining feature of both his personal and professional life.

Newhouse's first wife, Carol Newhouse, died in Seattle. He later married Joan Galvin in a small ceremony. Newhouse has two children.

His father, Irv Newhouse, served as a Washington state senator, establishing a family tradition of public service in the Yakima Valley region. The elder Newhouse's long career in the state legislature provided a model for Dan Newhouse's own entry into politics and his focus on the issues affecting central Washington's agricultural communities.

Legacy

Dan Newhouse's congressional career is notable for several reasons within the context of contemporary American politics. His vote to impeach Donald Trump in January 2021, and his subsequent survival of primary challenges in both 2022 and 2024, placed him in a distinctive category. Of the ten House Republicans who voted for impeachment, most either retired or were defeated in subsequent primaries. Newhouse and David Valadao of California were the only two to win renomination and reelection in both cycles, a fact attributable in part to the structural advantages of Washington state's blanket primary system, which allowed Newhouse to advance even without majority support among Republican primary voters.

His career also illustrates the tensions within the Republican Party between its traditional pro-business, agriculture-oriented wing and the populist, Trump-aligned movement that gained dominance after 2016. Newhouse's positions — supporting trade with Canada, expressing concern about aggressive immigration enforcement in an agricultural district dependent on immigrant labor, and voting for impeachment — placed him at odds with significant portions of his party's base while aligning him with the interests of the farming communities he represented.

As a farmer-legislator who served at the state, executive, and federal levels of Washington government, Newhouse represented a model of public service rooted in specific knowledge of the agricultural sector. His tenure as director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture under a Democratic governor demonstrated a capacity for bipartisan cooperation that became increasingly rare in American politics during his time in office.

His decision to retire in 2026 rather than face another contentious primary reflected a broader pattern among Republican moderates and impeachment voters who found their positions within the party increasingly untenable in the post-Trump era.