Exclusive — Poll: Culp Leads Impeachment-Backer Newhouse in WA

Republican Loren Culp has a decisive lead over Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) in Washington’s Fourth Congressional District race, according to an internal poll obtained by Breitbart News.

The poll, conducted by the Republican-aligned Spry Strategies from December 9 to 11, found Culp ahead of Newhouse by close to seven points, 37.9 percent to 31.1 percent, in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup in next year’s election. 30.9 percent of respondents said they were undecided.

See the full poll results below:

Culp, most known for challenging Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) in the state’s gubernatorial race last year, told Breitbart News in an interview in October that he wanted to continue his political momentum after seeing three-term incumbent Newhouse vote alongside nine other Republican defectors to impeach former President Donald Trump this year over the January 6 Capitol riot.

Culp described Newhouse’s vote as “the last straw” for Fourth District Washingtonians, who had voted 18 points in favor of Trump in 2020, making the district the most pro-Trump in the state.

The poll asked respondents if they approved or disapproved of Newhouse’s impeachment vote. A majority, or 56.6 percent, said they disapproved of Newhouse’s vote, while 39.6 percent said they approved. Another 3.8 percent said they had no opinion.

In Culp’s 2020 gubernatorial race, the Washington Republican handily came in first among Republicans in the primary but ultimately lost to Inslee by 13 points in the general, despite making waves as a Republican candidate earning 1.7 million votes in the deeply blue Evergreen State.

Prior to his run for office, Culp served in the Army and then went on to work as a narcotics officer, K9 handler, and chief of a one-man police department in the city of Republic. During his time as police chief, Culp gained attention for refusing to enforce Initiative 1639, a gun control measure that tightened restrictions primarily on “semiautomatic assault rifles.”

The new poll suggests Culp’s career in law enforcement may resonate with voters as 15.9 percent of respondents identified “crime and public safety” as the most important issue to them. The poll found other top issues included “illegal immigration” at 15.4 percent, “rising inflation” at 15.1 percent, “election security” at 13.2 percent, and “government spending” at 12 percent.

Other Republicans who have launched bids against Newhouse include state Rep. Brad Klippert, who has an extensive law enforcement and military background, and Jerrod Sessler, a former NASCAR driver, Navy veteran, and cancer survivor. A Democrat candidate, Doug White, who is a business owner from a fourth generation Yakima County farming family, is also in the running.

On a full primary ballot, the poll found Culp with a wide lead at 29.5 percent, followed by Newhouse at 16.1 percent, White at 15.2 percent, Klippert at 8.3 percent, and Sessler at two percent. Other candidates received under two percent, and 25.9 percent of respondents said they were undecided.

Spry Strategies surveyed 600 likely primary voters using automated phone calls and online interviews to complete the poll. The poll’s margin of error is +/- four percent.

Write to Ashley Oliver at aoliver@breitbart.com. Follow her on Twitter at @asholiver.