OPB’s First Look: The race for Washington’s 3rd

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Good morning, Northwest.

The race to represent Southwest Washington in Congress is slated to be one of the most competitive in the nation.

OPB’s Erik Neumann previews the race between U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and state Senate Minority Leader John Braun ahead of the Washington primary Aug. 4.

In other news, thunderstorms could create dangerous wildfire conditions in Central Oregon this week.

Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Washington’s 3rd District could be among the most competitive House seats this fall

The race for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is expected to be one of the most competitive in the nation this fall, thanks to a wave of redistricting across the U.S. that has left few seats in play for either political party.

Washington state holds a “top-two primary,” which means that the top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November, regardless of party.

Yet as voters head into the Aug. 4 primary, experts predict a fiercely partisan general election, with incumbent Democrat Marie Glusenkamp Perez fighting to hold her seat against a state senator, Minority Leader John Braun, who’s been endorsed by President Donald Trump in a deeply purple district.

Whoever emerges victorious will quickly find themselves at the heart of one of the fiercest and most closely watched congressional races — one of just 18 seats without a likely outcome in November out of the entire 435-member House of Representatives, according to the Cook Political Report. (Erik Neumann)

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3 things to know

• Wildfires are burning across much of Central Oregon, bringing evacuation orders and smoky air to some communities. Weather officials are warning that conditions could get worse in the coming days. (April Ehrlich)
• Rural Oregon’s healthcare system is getting a nearly $100 million injection from the federal government as providers, clinics and hospitals weather congressional cuts to Medicaid. (Antonio Sierra)
• Attorneys made closing arguments yesterday during a trial in which a former employee has alleged sex discrimination against Nike. The jury will begin deliberations today and could return a verdict at any time. (Kyra Buckley)

Northwest headlines

• Audit paints troubling picture of Washington’s overcrowded youth prison system (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)
• Judge says Paramount and Warner Bros. must halt merger for at least 2 weeks, following lawsuit by Oregon, 11 other states (Wyatte Grantham-Philips, AP)
• ‘Not about improving elections’: Oregon secretary of state slams new Trump election threats (Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• Oregon wildfire season begins in earnest
• First-in-the-nation program in Washington state now providing long-term care benefits
• UW study shows ‘roadless rule’ helps protect drinking water for 25 million people in US
• Citizen-scientists photograph 50 years of melting glaciers

One more look

Pride parade carves a colorful path through downtown Portland

People turned out in droves for Portland’s annual Pride parade over the weekend.

OPB photographer Saj Sundaram documented the event in pictures, from balloons and bubble machines to dancers and drag queens.

Here’s how the parade looked this weekend. (Saj Sundaram)

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Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.