West
Pacific Northwest could decide which party controls the House
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Washington and Oregon voters find themselves in an unusual position in the deeply blue states: they could play a pivotal role in determining Republican control of the House, placing these traditionally predictable states under the spotlight.
As usual, voter turnout will be the deciding factor. But it’s low Democratic enthusiasm, partially driven by the unpopularity of Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, and backlash against Democratic support of Israel could potentially swing two seats to Republicans and help the party hold onto a third in these competitive districts.
Another upset in OR-5?
Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s reelection campaign in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District is one of the most closely watched races this cycle, thanks to the district’s unique political landscape.
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In 2022, Chavez-DeRemer won the seat by just two points over her far-left challenger, flipping it from blue to red, thanks to her appeal to rural voters in places like Marion and Linn counties, even as she lost in more liberal areas like Clackamas and Multnomah counties. The district remains a toss-up, with more than 40% of voters identifying as independents or unaffiliated.
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is in a close congressional race with Democrat Janelle Bynum, a state representative. FILE: Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican from Oregon, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chavez-DeRemer has focused on local issues like crime, inflation and homelessness, positioning herself as a pragmatic, bipartisan voice. But the challenge this time is steeper. Democrat Janelle Bynum, a state representative, has significant name recognition and support from key Democratic leaders who see this seat as critical for their path to regaining control of the House.
Plus, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has spent big on attack ads to brand Chavez-DeRemer as a partisan, MAGA extremist. They’re even funding activists from San Francisco to doorbell for Bynum.
Bynum has historically performed well among independents when running for the state legislature. Chavez-DeRemer’s strong fundraising advantage might allow her to out-communicate Bynum, but she’s navigating a district that is trending more purple, and perhaps even blue, as the national political climate continues to polarize voters.
But the district is shifting demographically. As younger, more liberal voters move into Clackamas County, it is becoming harder for Republicans to maintain their foothold in a district that includes part of far-left Portland.
Is the second time a charm for Joe Kent?
Republican Joe Kent is again challenging Democrat incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, a rematch that is shaping up to be one of the most competitive House races of 2024. The district, which includes Vancouver, Battle Ground, and Kelso, has a history of supporting Republicans, but Gluesenkamp Perez flipped the seat in 2022, defeating Kent by less than 1% of the vote.
Kent, a former Green Beret, Gold Star husband and Trump-endorsed candidate, was hindered by Republican infighting during that race after defeating moderate incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler in the primary, and, at the time, former President Donald Trump was a drag on Republicans statewide.
This time around, Kent has refined his campaign strategy, focusing less on controversial issues like election integrity and abortion, and more on economic concerns, the fentanyl crisis, immigration, and local infrastructure needs like replacing the aging I-5 bridge. He has also learned from previous mistakes, emphasizing early voting and outreach to a broader voter base.
Rep.-elect Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., reacts after drawing her number in the House new member room lottery in the Cannon House Office Building on Friday, December 2, 2022. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Gluesenkamp Perez, for her part, is running as a moderate, presenting herself as willing to buck her party for the good of the district. She has taken high-profile votes against President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan and supported more bipartisan issues like infrastructure and agricultural policies that benefit rural communities.
But Kent argues that the incumbent is far more aligned with the Biden administration than her voting record suggests. He points to her support for transgender females to share locker rooms and sports leagues with biological girls and to her vote against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
In turn, Glusenkamp Perez claims Kent is an extremist who will support a nationwide abortion ban (a position Kent says he doesn’t hold). Both candidates are locked in a dead heat according to recent polls, with voters split nearly evenly.
Is an upset coming in WA-08?
There’s always a surprise House result or two: Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos in 2022, Florida Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar in 2020, and New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Could the next sleeper race be in Washington?
On paper, Democrat Rep. Kim Schrier is a safe bet for reelection in Washington’s 8th Congressional District, but beneath the surface, the race against Republican Carmen Goers may be heating up.
Schrier, a pediatrician, is running for her fourth term in a district that spans parts of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties and extends into more rural areas like Ellensburg and Wenatchee. The very large district’s political makeup has become more diverse, with urban and suburban voters balancing out the more conservative rural areas.
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Goers, a commercial banker, positioned herself as a fresh face for the district. Her campaign is focusing on crime and inflation, two issues she says hit everyone in the district hard. She also criticized Schrier’s voting record, painting her as a Seattle-style progressive who supports a natural gas energy ban and opposes efforts to check citizenship status of voters.
Janelle Bynum is a Democrat running for Congress in Oregon against Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer. (Janelle Bynum for Congress)
In return, Schrier has all but ignored Goers and hasn’t run a very active re-election campaign, raising millions less than she did in 2022.
Schrier is acting like she has this in the bag. But working against her are four voter-backed initiatives, backlash against Democrat support for Israel and apathy around Harris.
Washington voters put four issues on the November ballot, all repealing major Democratic legislative wins. They would end the capital gains tax, Climate Commitment Act (which added roughly $0.50 per gallon of gas), a government-run long-term care insurance mandate, and the first steps to banning natural gas in the state. These are expected to drive up voter participation.
Bynum has historically performed well among independents when running for the state legislature. Chavez-DeRemer’s strong fundraising advantage might allow her to out-communicate Bynum, but she’s navigating a district that is trending more purple, and perhaps even blue, as the national political climate continues to polarize voters.
Schrier, a supporter of Israel, also faced a primary challenge by Imraan Siddiqi, president of the Washington Chapter of the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR). Though he picked up just a little over 3% of the vote, Scrier barely made it to 50%. The district has both a large Muslim population and politically active younger voters, thanks to Central Washington University. Both groups may snub Schrier (or Harris) because of anger over support for Israel.
In the primary, Goers outperformed in five of the district’s six counties and came close to 40% in King County, that magic number Republicans generally need to overcome the Democrats voter advantage. It won’t be easy by any stretch, but apathy towards Harris, and more enthusiasm in the rural areas for Trump, could give Goers the boost she needs to flip the district against an opponent who is barely running a re-election campaign.
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Nevada
Northern Nevada gardens and backyards: Controlling insects with systemic insecticides – Carson Now
Last week I wrote about soft versus armored scale insects. Soft scales exude honeydew, are protected by ants and can be controlled by systemic insecticides, some of which have the active ingredient imidacloprid. Armored scales do not emit honeydew and are not managed by an imidacloprid insecticide.
Imidacloprid is a systemic neonicotinoid insecticide that is designed to kill piercing/sucking insects via damage to their nervous system. Systemic means it is applied on the leaves, stems or as a soil drench and spreads internally throughout the plant. When an insect feeds on any part of the plant such as the pollen, nectar, flowers, fruit, leaves, or other plant tissues, it ingests the toxic chemical and dies.
Systemic insecticides can kill not only pests such as soft scales, but also their natural enemies and non-target/beneficial insects such as bees and other pollinators, including butterflies, moths and their larvae. They also can “adversely affect reproduction, growth, insect immune systems, learning, flying, or other attributes even at concentrations too low to cause death outright.” Native bees, who often nest in the ground, can be more susceptible than honeybees, particularly to soil drench applications.
Systemic insecticides kill over time at a steady concentration, which can cause a longer toxic exposure. Although it is often suggested to apply in the evening when insects aren’t out, or after flowering season, harmful exposures can still occur. These chemicals can last for months or years in soil. They sometimes leach into groundwater but fortunately are usually only slightly toxic to fish. One application may provide season long control.
Chemical insecticides are always a last resort. The risks versus benefits must be carefully evaluated. A healthy thriving plant is one of the best defenses against scale or other insect damage. Good watering, the appropriate amount of fertilizer and maintenance keep a plant resistant to attacks. Predators, including lady beetles, bugs and lacewings, play an important part in pest management.
Plant a diversity of flowering plants to attract and feed natural enemies. Sometimes when you see scales on a plant, they may have already been parasitized by parasitic wasps. If a large number are parasitized, there are eggs in or on each scale eating away at them. Sometimes scales are no longer alive and do not require a pesticide treatment. Check before applying insecticides. Using tape traps to monitor crawlers will help you accurately time the use of horticulture oils, Neem oil or insecticidal soap. Dormant oil treatment on deciduous woody plants will help kill overwintering scale pests and reduce future populations.
JoAnne Skelly is an Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Emerita, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at skellyj@unr.edu.
Related
New Mexico is not adding population the way some Sun Belt states are. The state’s overall population dipped slightly between 2020 and 2024, though the picture is more complicated than a simple out-migration story. International immigration adds a meaningful slice of inbound traffic, and three population centers along the I-25 corridor capture most of the people moving in. Career growth in defense, semiconductors, and the federal scientific complex matters, but for retirees in particular, affordability and the high-altitude climate carry more weight. The three cities below catch most of the inbound traffic.
Inbound moves to New Mexico concentrate in the major population centers along I-25. Career growth in unique technological and scientific sectors draws newcomers along with affordability factors compared with other US regions, often the major draw for retirees. Neighboring Texas, Colorado, and Arizona supply the majority of new arrivals. Consumer Affairs data shows about 21.3 percent of inbound movers are retirees while 30 percent cite job opportunities. The state’s natural scenic backdrop and access to outdoor recreation also factor in.
Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho sits in Sandoval County immediately northwest of Albuquerque, with a population near 112,500 and an 8.1 percent growth rate between 2020 and 2024 (the strongest in New Mexico by raw numbers). Arizona supplies a meaningful share of the new arrivals. Unemployment runs close to the national average around 4.5 percent. Intel Corporation is the principal local employer, with the company’s Fab 11X semiconductor facility based in town and a $3.5 billion expansion underway.
The town’s growth runs on proximity to Albuquerque and Santa Fe combined with direct access to the high desert. Mainstays like Turtle Mountain Brewing Company anchor a working local business scene. The Willow Creek Trail and the wider Jemez Mountain Trail handle outdoor recreation 30 minutes north.
Santa Fe
Santa Fe probably needs no introduction. The state capital and its surrounding areas have drawn artistic communities for more than a century, with the more recent decades adding celebrity buyers and Hollywood film and television production through the New Mexico Film Office. Santa Fe also holds the title of the oldest state capital in the United States, established by Spanish colonists in 1610.
The town runs a population around 90,550 with the second-highest housing costs in the state after Los Alamos. The national median home listing price is around $394,000, while Santa Fe’s median runs roughly $764,000. Santa Fe County reports list Los Angeles, Dallas, and Seattle among the primary sources of new residents, which paints a clearer picture of who Santa Fe typically attracts. The city’s population climbed by about 10,000 between 2020 and 2024, with another 1,000 added through 2025.
Las Cruces
Las Cruces runs a population near 117,000 with an annual growth rate of about 1.83 percent. The city remains largely underappreciated by those looking to relocate, but a steady stream of individuals and families do make the move, largely for federal and military employment opportunities at the White Sands Test Facility and the White Sands Missile Range to the east. The local economy has also seen sporadic increases in construction and healthcare hiring.
Affordability is the headline pull. Las Cruces sits 8 to 11 percent below the national cost-of-living average. According to apartments.com, housing runs 16.6 percent less expensive than the national average. The region also pulls more than 300 sunny days per year, and direct access to hiking in the Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks National Monument is one of the more underrated outdoor draws in the Southwest. New Mexico State University adds the cultural and athletic anchor at the centre of the city.
The High-Desert Corridor
The bigger pattern: newcomers to the Land of Enchantment gravitate to the populous corridor running south to north between Los Lunas, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, with some pushing farther north to Taos or Angel Fire. The primary draw is not the countryside but the employment opportunities, security, and amenities a major city can offer. Unless a specific job is the driver, most people are attracted to New Mexico for natural beauty, climate, lower cost of living, and cultural mainstays. In-state relocators tend to seek better career opportunities or specific access to a particular town and its offerings.
Oregon
Oregon’s 1,500-Acre Dog Park Paradise Just Outside Portland Offers Off-Leash Terrain, Trails, And River – Islands
For many dogs, a perfect day involves playing catch in a giant field, sniffing around a dense forest, and topping it all off with a swim. Just outside of Portland, Oregon, which Forbes calls one of the best cities in the U.S. for dogs, lies the Sandy River Delta, where dogs can have their perfect day. The park offers close to 1,500 acres of pure, off-leash dog bliss where the Sandy River meets the mighty Columbia. This land was once a part of the Watlala Nation and was visited by Lewis and Clark, whose team camped on the shores of the Columbia here.
Almost the entirety of the park is off-leash. The park has five trails where dogs can be off-leash, beaches, rivers, and fields that are all open to sniffing, running free, and playing catch. You’re able to hike the trails with your dog roaming along at their own pace. The trails allowing dogs off-leash range from 0.25 to 2 miles long and showcase different ecological zones in the delta. The forests are full of interesting smells for your pup, and the meadows are wide and open — perfect spots to play with other dogs that are also having their best day ever.
The Sandy River Delta is located in Troutdale, Oregon’s “Gateway to the Columbia River Gorge.” Standing in the middle of the park, looking at the views of the gorge, you’d never know that downtown Portland is 17 miles to the west.
There’s so much for you and your dog to do at the Sandy River Delta Park
The areas a dog must remain on-leash are: the parking lot, bathrooms, picnic areas, and within 100 feet of one of the park’s main treks, the Confluence Trail. If you take a route that crosses the Confluence Trail, your dog is allowed to be off-leash, as long as they don’t disturb hikers. A fenced section on the park’s eastern edge is closed to people and pets to give wildlife some peace and quiet. Other than those specified areas, your dog has plenty of acreage to explore. Just make sure your dog doesn’t dig, and please pack out their waste!
Humans have something to look forward to here, as well. The Confluence Trail runs 1.25 miles along ADA-compliant gravel leading to a bird blind designed by architect and sculptor Maya Lin. The elliptical bird blind is made of wooden slats inscribed with the name and current conservation status of the 134 different species Lewis and Clark encountered. Lin is a renowned artist whose work appears at places like Storm King Art Center, one of the largest outdoor sculpture parks in the U.S.
How to get to the Sandy River Delta Park and what’s nearby
One practical note: bring a towel for your pup. The park offers a lot of water for your dog to swim in, and the shore gets pretty muddy. The cool water is a refreshing treat for your dog in the middle of summer. You can hike to the Sandy River and a side channel of the Columbia easily. Don’t worry — the nearby forest provides free sticks to toss into the water for your dog to fetch. To get to the Sandy River Delta from wherever you are in Portland, take I-84 East. The parking lot will get full on the weekends, so get there early or go late. If the parking is full, you can park down the street at a free lot across from the river and enter through a trail.
After all this running around and sniffing, you deserve a treat, too. Portland is one of the top five foodie cities in the U.S., and that love of good food doesn’t stop at the city borders. A mile down the street from the park is the Sugarpine Drive-In, a restored gas station casually serving gourmet food and ice cream sundaes. The New York Times said the Cherries Jubilee Sundae was one of the best dishes in 2024. On the way home, stop at McMenamins’ Edgefield location — a former farm that is now home to a pet-friendly hotel, multiple bars and restaurants, a spa, a brewery, distillery, winery, golf course, and an outdoor concert venue that consistently brings in nationally touring acts.
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