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Michael Baumgartner (Washington)

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Michael Baumgartner
Republican Party
Candidate, U.S. House Washington District 5
U.S. House Washington District 5
Tenure
2025 - Present
Term ends
2027
Years in position
1
Predecessor: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)
Prior offices:
Spokane County Treasurer
Years in office: 2019 - 2025
Successor: Mike Volz (R)
Washington State Senate District 6
Years in office: 2011 - 2019
Compensation
Base salary
$174,000
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Next election
August 4, 2026
Education
Bachelor's
Washington State University, 1999
Graduate
Harvard University, 2002
Personal
Profession
Economic consultant
Contact
Official website
Official Facebook
Official X
Official Instagram
Official YouTube
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Campaign X
Campaign Instagram
Campaign YouTube
Personal Facebook
Personal Instagram
Personal YouTube
Personal LinkedIn

Michael Baumgartner (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Washington's 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Baumgartner (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Washington's 5th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the primary scheduled on August 4, 2026.[source]

Biography

Michael Baumgartner was born in Pullman, Washington, in 1975.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Washington State University in 1999 and a Master's of Public Administration in international development from Harvard University in 2002. His career experience includes working as an economic affairs officer with the U.S. State Department in Iraq and as a part-time economic adviser to the United States military.[2] He previously served in the Washington Senate from 2011 to 2019 and as Spokane County Treasurer from 2019 to 2025.[1]

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2025-2026

Baumgartner was assigned to the following committees:[Source]

Elections

2026

See also: Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2026

Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 4 top-two primary)

General election

The primary will occur on August 4, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House Washington District 5

The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House Washington District 5 on August 4, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Michael Baumgartner
Michael Baumgartner (R)
Image of Carmela Conroy
Carmela Conroy (D)
Image of Aaron Croft
Aaron Croft (Independent)
Image of Ann Marie Danimus
Ann Marie Danimus (Independent)
Image of Kevin Fagan
Kevin Fagan (D)
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Anthony Jensen (R)
Image of Bajun Mavalwalla
Bajun Mavalwalla (D) Candidate Connection
Image of Nate Powell
Nate Powell (No party preference)
Image of Anthony Whisenhunt
Anthony Whisenhunt (D)
Image of David Womack
David Womack (D) Candidate Connection

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Baumgartner received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

2024

See also: Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2024

Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 top-two primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Washington District 5

Michael Baumgartner defeated Carmela Conroy in the general election for U.S. House Washington District 5 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michael Baumgartner
Michael Baumgartner (R)
 
60.6
 
240,619
Image of Carmela Conroy
Carmela Conroy (D) Candidate Connection
 
39.3
 
156,074
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
593

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 397,286
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House Washington District 5

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House Washington District 5 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michael Baumgartner
Michael Baumgartner (R)
 
27.5
 
55,859
✔
Image of Carmela Conroy
Carmela Conroy (D) Candidate Connection
 
18.3
 
37,227
Image of Jacquelin Maycumber
Jacquelin Maycumber (R)
 
13.6
 
27,717
Image of Bernadine Bank
Bernadine Bank (D) Candidate Connection
 
11.9
 
24,111
Image of Brian Dansel
Brian Dansel (R) Candidate Connection
 
10.8
 
21,983
Image of Ann Marie Danimus
Ann Marie Danimus (D)
 
5.6
 
11,306
Image of Jonathan Bingle
Jonathan Bingle (R) Candidate Connection
 
3.7
 
7,510
Image of Rene' Holaday
Rene' Holaday (R) Candidate Connection
 
3.0
 
6,180
Image of Rick Flynn
Rick Flynn (R) Candidate Connection
 
2.4
 
4,822
Image of Matthew Welde
Matthew Welde (D) Candidate Connection
 
2.1
 
4,183
Image of Bobbi Bennett-Wolcott
Bobbi Bennett-Wolcott (D) Candidate Connection
 
1.1
 
2,336
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
175

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 203,409
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Baumgartner received the following endorsements.

  • Former Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna (R)

Pledges

Baumgartner signed the following pledges.

  • U.S. Term Limits

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Spokane County, Washington (2022)

General election

General election for Spokane County Treasurer

Incumbent Michael Baumgartner won election in the general election for Spokane County Treasurer on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Michael Baumgartner
Michael Baumgartner (R)
 
95.9
 
152,682
 Other/Write-in votes
 
4.1
 
6,463

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 159,145
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Michael Baumgartner advanced from the primary for Spokane County Treasurer.

2018

See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2018

Michael Baumgartner did not file to run for re-election.

2014

See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for 25 districts in the Washington State Senate took place in 2014. A blanket primary election took place on August 5, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 17, 2014. Incumbent Michael Baumgartner (R) and Rich Cowan (D) were unopposed in the primary. Baumgartner defeated Cowan in the general election.[3][4][5]

Washington State Senate, District 6 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Baumgartner Incumbent 57.5% 28,309
     Democratic Rich Cowan 42.5% 20,949
Total Votes 49,258

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Washington, 2012

Baumgartner ran for the United States Senate in 2012 as a Republican. He faced incumbent Maria Cantwell (D), Timmy Wilson (D), Chuck Jackson (R), Art Coday (R), Mike the Mover (R), Glen Stockwell (R), and Will Baker (I) in the August 7 primary.[6] The top two vote-getters were Cantwell and Baumgartner, who advanced to the general election ballot.[7] He and Maria Cantwell advanced past the blanket primary to the general election on November 6, 2012.[8] Cantwell defeated Baumgartner in the general election.[9]

U.S. Senate, Washington, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMaria Cantwell Incumbent 60.5% 1,855,493
     Republican Michael Baumgartner 39.5% 1,213,924
Total Votes 3,069,417
Source: Washington Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

2010

See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2010

Michael Baumgartner defeated incumbent Chris Marr (D) in the November 2, 2010, general election for the Washington State Senate District 6. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary on August 17, 2010.

Washington State Senate, District 6 General Election (2010)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Baumgartner (R) 33,929 53.71%
Chris Marr (D) 29,237 46.29%
Washington State Senate, District 6 Primary (2010)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Baumgartner (R) 21,263 53.30%
Green check mark transparent.png Chris Marr (D) 18,630 46.70%

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Michael Baumgartner has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Michael Baumgartner asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Michael Baumgartner, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 26,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Michael Baumgartner to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing michael@votebaumgartner.com.

Twitter
Email

2024

Michael Baumgartner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Baumgartner’s campaign website stated the following:

“

Michael Baumgartner is a former Washington State Senator and diplomat, now serving as the Treasurer of Spokane County overseeing a nearly $1.9 billion fixed-income investment fund.

Michael spent eight years as the State Senator for the 6th Legislative District. There he played a lead role in the bipartisan effort creating a new WSU medical school in Spokane and in securing funding to finally finish the North-South Freeway. Michael led the successful push for a historic reduction in the cost of college tuition. His “Drain the Swamp” legislation eliminated five government agencies to reduce bureaucratic waste.

Michael received numerous honors, including the "Champion of Freedom Award" from the Washington Policy Center and the "Legislator of the Year" award from the Inland Empire Society of American Foresters. He is active in the GOP, having served as MC for the State Republican Gala dinner and auctioneer for the Spokane County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. In 2012, Michael was the Republican candidate for US Senate in Washington.

Michael grew up surrounded by the Palouse wheatfields in Colton and then Pullman. He is the son of two lifelong educators: Michael’s mother is beloved Pullman kindergarten teacher “Mrs. B,” and his father was Emeritus Professor of Forestry at Washington State University.

Michael majored in economics at WSU (Go Cougs!) and after spending a year volunteering with the Jesuits in Africa, he earned a Masters in Public Administration (MPA, International Development) from Harvard University, where he was a Teaching Fellow in Economics.

After working in private business in the Middle East, Michael was a U.S. State Department Officer at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, from 2007 to 2008. He went on to serve as a counternarcotics advisor to a US Government-funded program in Afghanistan, where he worked alongside his future wife, Eleanor.

Eleanor and Michael now live in Spokane with their five young children and are very involved in youth sports, scouts and Sunday School. Their family loves camping and hiking all over Eastern Washington, from the Kettle Crest trail and Curlew Lake to Steptoe Butte and biking the John Wayne trail.

“I’ve travelled to more than 80 countries and there is no place like Eastern Washington. It’s the best place to live in the world, and the best place to raise a family. We need to keep it that way.” [10]

”
—Michael Baumgartner’s campaign website (2024)[11]

2022

Michael Baumgartner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2012

Baumgartner's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[12]:

  • Developing diverse domestic energy sources
  • Balancing the budget
  • Creating jobs through decreasing hindrances to businesses

Baumgartner said he was a "pragmatic conservative."[13]

2010

Baumgartner's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[12]

  • Reduce Wasteful Government Spending
Excerpt: "I believe my background in economics will help, but more important is to have common sense and courage to stand up to the special interests and insist that wasteful spending end."
  • Stop Tax and Fee Increases
Excerpt: "We don’t need more taxes; we need to reduce spending."
  • Support Good Jobs
Excerpt: "If elected, one of my first actions would be to work across partisan lines, bringing together major employers like Avista with political leaders like the mayor and county commissioners to work together for sustainable job growth."
  • Improve Schools
Excerpt: "We must do more to improve public schools and ensure that students receive an education that will prepare them for happy, productive lives in a competitive 21st Century. The Legislature’s recent cuts to public schools and universities are endangering our state’s future."

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Michael Baumgartner campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2026* U.S. House Washington District 5Candidacy Declared primary$1,040,227 $505,981
2024U.S. House Washington District 5Won general$1,505,190 $1,313,625
2014Washington State Senate, District 6Won $500,348 N/A**
2012United States Senate/Washington State Senate, District 6Lost $1,147,695 N/A**
2010Washington State Senate, District 6Won $444,456 N/A**
Grand total$4,637,916 $1,819,606
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Michael Baumgartner
EndorseeElectionStageOutcome
Jennifer Killman  source  (Nonpartisan) Mead School District school board District 3 (2023) General–

Personal finance disclosures

Members of the House are required to file financial disclosure reports. You can search disclosure reports on the House’s official website here.

Analysis

Below are links to scores and rankings Ballotpedia compiled for members of Congress. We chose analyses that help readers understand how each individual legislator fit into the context of the chamber as a whole in terms of ideology, bill advancement, bipartisanship, and more.

If you would like to suggest an analysis for inclusion in this section, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

119th Congress (2025-2027)

Rankings and scores for the 119th Congress




State legislative tenure

Committee assignments

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Washington committee assignments, 2017
• Commerce, Labor & Sports, Chair
• Higher Education
• Transportation

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Baumgartner served on the following committees:

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Baumgartner served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Baumgartner served on the following committees:

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards, State legislative scorecards in Washington

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2025.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2024.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2023.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2022.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2021.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2020.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2019.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2018.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2017.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2016.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2015.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2014.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2013.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2012.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Washington State Legislature in 2011.

See also

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External links

Candidate

U.S. House Washington District 5
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    Officeholder

    U.S. House Washington District 5
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 United States Congress, "BAUMGARTNER, Michael," accessed August 25, 2025
    2. ↑ LinkedIn, "Michael Baumgartner," accessed December 19, 2024
    3. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2014 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 20, 2014
    4. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 5, 2014, Official Primary Results," accessed August 5, 2014
    5. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Official general election results, 2014," accessed December 2, 2014
    6. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings," accessed May 18, 2012
    7. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Top 2 Primary: FAQ," accessed May 17, 2012
    8. ↑ AP, "Primary Results," accessed April 10, 2014
    9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cnnr
    10. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    11. ↑ VoteBaumgartner, “About,” accessed July 20, 2024
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Michael Baumgartner campaign website, "Issues," accessed July 31, 2012
    13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named tr

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)     		U.S. House Washington District 5
    2025-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -
    Preceded by
    -     		Spokane County Treasurer
    2019-2025    		 Succeeded by
    Mike Volz (R)
    Preceded by
    -     		Washington State Senate District 6
    2011-2019    		 Succeeded by
    -


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