SPOKANE, Wash. – Candidates in the race for Washington’s 5th district congressional seat are offering diverging messaging on immigration as the issue polarizes the Republican and Democratic parties.
Spokane City Councilmember and Republican 5th district congressional candidate Jonathan Bingle visited the US-Mexico border this week.
Bingle met with members of law enforcement and argued that though Washington shares a border with Canada, the Mexico border is also relevant to the Evergreen State.
“I am committed to protecting our Washington residents and all Americans through strong and sensible border policies that put an end to the never-ending overtime political football game,” Bingle said.
He argued that immigration is primarily an enforcement issue rather than a policy issue.
“My understanding from speaking with the individuals involved is that many of the policies that are in place are there, and we just need our president and the administration to enforce the laws that are on the books,” Bingle said.
Spokane County Treasurer and fellow Republican candidate Michael Baumgartner argued that Bingle’s trip was a political stunt, but echoed his messaging on immigration enforcement.
“There’s much more that can be done right at home in the City of Spokane where Councilman Bingle currently serves, to stop the scourge of drug use and homelessness in our own community,” Baumgartner said.
Baumgartner asserted that immigration is the most important problem currently facing the nation.
“There is no more pressing issue than the crisis on our southern border. It impacts our fight against homelessness, drug abuse, crime — and our agriculture and foreign policy. We need to enforce current immigration law and focus on policies that deter rather than encourage illegal immigration,” Baumgartner said.
Ann Marie Danimus, an Democratic organizer and small business owner running for the 5th district seat, also criticized the Bingle visit as unsubstantive.
“It’s performative at best,” Danimus said.
Danimus touted her experience previously owning a business in Mexico and argued that a policy response to immigration issues should be informed by the expertise of border patrol.
She argued that a full border wall is an ineffective response to illegal crossings, and that law enforcement ought to be involved in determining where structures should be erected.
“I leave it to the good and experienced people of border patrol to tell us where they need those areas,” Danimus said.
Democratic candidate Carmela Conroy emphasized the humanitarian component of the border crisis, and argued that the bipartisan border bill which was turned down by the Senate GOP in early February should be passed immediately.
“Our broken immigration system is both a humanitarian and national security crisis. It is imperative that Congress passes the bipartisan immigration bill, sponsored by Senator Lankford. We can’t afford to wait seven months for congressional extremists to get serious and stop playing games to score political points,” Conroy said.
President Joe Biden (D) addressed immigration during his State of the Union address Thursday night, and argued that Republicans are not taking the issue seriously following the Senate GOP’s rejection of the bipartisan border bill.
Former president Donald Trump (R) has made his position on immigration a central part of his 2024 campaign.
“They are poisoning our country. They are poisoning the blood of our country,” Trump said during a campaign event in late 2023.
According to a January Pew Research Center poll, 57 percent of Americans believe that addressing immigration should be a top priority for President Biden and the national Congress in 2024.
As candidates prepare for November, immigration will continue to be a messaging priority up and down the ballot.
