Koster to concede; criticizes lack of GOP aid

ARLINGTON — Republican John Koster told supporters Thursday he will concede defeat in his race for Congress and holds leaders of his party partly to blame for the setback.

Koster told backers in an email he will phone Democrat Suzan DelBene Friday to congratulate her on winning their contest for the open seat in the 1st Congressional District seat.

“With more than 50 percent of the votes counted so far, we have not conceded yet, but remain substantially behind,” he wrote. “At this point, it would take at least a minor miracle in the final vote tallies for us to come from behind to win.”

DelBene was beating Koster by a margin of 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent following the latest tally of votes Thursday. She’s led by roughly the same margin since election night and The Associated Press declared her the winner Tuesday.

DelBene also is winning the special election to complete the unfinished term of Democrat Jay Inslee which runs through the end of the year. She is expected to be sworn in next week.

Koster, who has now lost all three of his races for Congress, cited a lack of money as a cause of the defeat. And he blamed state and national Republican leaders for not stepping up with resources to help combat the money spent by DelBene and Democratic Party groups.

“As you know, we stood together and absorbed my opponent’s punishing multi-million dollar attack ads; and in the end, we were outspent more than 5 to 1, yet our ‘people-powered’ grassroots efforts allowed us to stay on our feet and go toe to toe, and to contend for the win right up to the final moments of the campaign,” he wrote.

“Sadly, and for reasons untold, neither the National Republican Congressional Committee nor the Washington State Republican Party stepped up to provide us with anything more than token support,” he wrote. “To be frank, we were on our own, yet thanks to people such as you, we nearly overcame the odds.”

DelBene raised $4.2 million for the entire campaign of which $2.8 million was her own money. She spent $2.3 million of it in the primary and the remainder in October.

In addition, the House Majority PAC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee combined to spend more than $1.5 million attacking Koster. And, in the final days of the campaign, Koster himself earned a lot of unwanted media attention for the way he explained his opposition to abortion in cases of incest and rape.

Koster, a Snohomish County councilman, raised just over $1 million for his entire campaign, not enough to match his opponent’s presence on television.

DelBene, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, expressed no regrets Tuesday about putting in own money.

“I think it was important for me to do my part,” said the former Microsoft executive. “This was about the voters making a decision about which direction they wanted to head.”

Koster expressed grave concern about the future of the nation in his letter. He said he was disappointed with the re-election of President Barack Obama and the passage of ballot measures legalizing marijuana and gay marriage in the state.

“It seems obvious to me that we have swung wildly in the wrong political direction and that we are now at a point where our society WILL suffer the consequences inherent with bad law and liberal representation,” he wrote.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Link to results

http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/CongressionalDistrict1.html

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Traffic idles while waiting for the lights to change along 33rd Avenue West on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood seeks solutions to Costco traffic boondoggle

Let’s take a look at the troublesome intersection of 33rd Avenue W and 30th Place W, as Lynnwood weighs options for better traffic flow.

A memorial with small gifts surrounded a utility pole with a photograph of Ariel Garcia at the corner of Alpine Drive and Vesper Drive ion Wednesday, April 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Death of Everett boy, 4, spurs questions over lack of Amber Alert

Local police and court authorities were reluctant to address some key questions, when asked by a Daily Herald reporter this week.

The new Amazon fulfillment center under construction along 172nd Street NE in Arlington, just south of Arlington Municipal Airport. (Chuck Taylor / The Herald) 20210708
Frito-Lay leases massive building at Marysville business park

The company will move next door to Tesla and occupy a 300,0000-square-foot building at the Marysville business park.

The oldest known meteor shower, Lyrid, will be falling across the skies in mid- to late April 2024. (Photo courtesy of Pixabay)
Clouds to dampen Lyrid meteor shower views in Western Washington

Forecasters expect a storm will obstruct peak viewing Sunday. Locals’ best chance at viewing could be on the coast. Or east.

Everett police officers on the scene of a single-vehicle collision on Evergreen Way and Olivia Park Road Wednesday, July 5, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Photo provided by Everett Police Department)
Everett man gets 3 years for driving high on fentanyl, killing passenger

In July, Hunter Gidney crashed into a traffic pole on Evergreen Way. A passenger, Drew Hallam, died at the scene.

FILE - Then-Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., speaks on Nov. 6, 2018, at a Republican party election night gathering in Issaquah, Wash. Reichert filed campaign paperwork with the state Public Disclosure Commission on Friday, June 30, 2023, to run as a Republican candidate. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
6 storylines to watch with Washington GOP convention this weekend

Purist or pragmatist? That may be the biggest question as Republicans decide who to endorse in the upcoming elections.

Keyshawn Whitehorse moves with the bull Tijuana Two-Step to stay on during PBR Everett at Angel of the Winds Arena on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
PBR bull riders kick up dirt in Everett Stampede headliner

Angel of the Winds Arena played host to the first night of the PBR’s two-day competition in Everett, part of a new weeklong event.

Simreet Dhaliwal speaks after winning during the 2024 Snohomish County Emerging Leaders Awards Presentation on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Simreet Dhaliwal wins The Herald’s 2024 Emerging Leaders Award

Dhaliwal, an economic development and tourism specialist, was one of 12 finalists for the award celebrating young leaders in Snohomish County.

In this Jan. 12, 2018 photo, Ben Garrison, of Puyallup, Wash., wears his Kel-Tec RDB gun, and several magazines of ammunition, during a gun rights rally at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
With gun reform law in limbo, Edmonds rep is ‘confident’ it will prevail

Despite a two-hour legal period last week, the high-capacity ammunition magazine ban remains in place.

Everett Fire Department and Everett Police on scene of a multiple vehicle collision with injuries in the 1400 block of 41st Street. (Photo provided by Everett Fire Department)
1 in critical condition after crash with box truck, semi in Everett

Police closed 41st Street between Rucker and Colby avenues on Wednesday afternoon, right before rush hour.

The Arlington Public Schools Administration Building is pictured on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Arlington, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
$2.5M deficit in Arlington schools could mean dozens of cut positions

The state funding model and inflation have led to Arlington’s money problems, school finance director Gina Zeutenhorst said Tuesday.

Lily Gladstone poses at the premiere of the Hulu miniseries "Under the Bridge" at the DGA Theatre, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mountlake Terrace’s Lily Gladstone plays cop in Hulu’s ‘Under the Bridge’

The true-crime drama started streaming Wednesday. It’s Gladstone’s first part since her star turn in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.