Amanda McKinney and John Duresky faced voters at a recent candidate forum on affordability, agriculture and rural healthcare in Washington’s 4th Congressional District. The seat is open because Dan Newhouse is not running for reelection, putting the race in front of voters across Central Washington.
McKinney, a Yakima County Commissioner, has served in that job for six years. Donald Trump endorsed her early in the race in a Truth Social post and called her a “very successful Business Executive, Civic Leader, and Highly Respected Yakima County Commissioner.”
Central Washington forum issues
The forum brought together the two candidates as voters in a district that covers most of Central Washington, including Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, Yakima, Benton and Klickitat counties, along with parts of Adams and Franklin counties. It was hosted by Northwest Public Broadcasting, AARP Washington, the League of Women Voters of Benton-Franklin counties and the League of Women Voters of Yakima County.
John Duresky, an Air Force veteran who worked at the Hanford Field Office overseeing tank waste cleanup, told the forum, “Affordability is not a buzzword.” He added, “You hear that all the time in rural America, people working two jobs and a side hustle. We have seen grocery prices rise and rise.”
McKinney on energy policy
Duresky said tariffs and trade wars have contributed to the economic situation, and he said Congress should hold trade power instead of the executive branch. He also said the war in Iran is causing rising fuel costs, connecting household prices to broader federal policy choices.
McKinney disagreed that tariffs and the trade war have driven up costs. She said fuel prices were already inflated after the Obama and Biden administrations and pointed to state policies to restrict natural gas and increase carbon-free energy development.
“The reality is that there is prosperity outside of the four corners of Washington state, and we are not experiencing it because of our state policies,” McKinney said. She added, “This has been death by a thousand cuts.”
Farm costs in Washington’s 4th
Farmers in the district raised concerns about diesel prices, the cost of farm workers and entire crops going unpicked. Those concerns tied the forum back to the race’s practical stakes for households and producers who are weighing fuel, labor and food costs at the same time.
The matchup now gives voters a direct choice between two explanations for rising costs in Washington’s 4th Congressional District: Duresky’s focus on tariffs, trade wars and federal power, or McKinney’s case that state regulation and energy policy are doing the damage. Washington voters will decide who replaces Newhouse in a district where the cost debate is already front and center.
