September 9, 2026 CD-5 candidates Michael Baumgartner and Carmela Conroy participated in a candidate forum sponsored by The Spokesman-Review and KSPS-PBS . It was hosted before a live audience in the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane. Watch the recorded video courtesy of KSPS-PBS.

Washington residents who are self-employed or recently retired will pay much higher prices in 2027 if they want to keep health insurance. Those people who rely on insurance exchanges, which also include employers with less than 50 employees, are expected to face an average of 22.2% higher premiums.

Independent Nate Powell built a coalition that united progressives and traditional Democrats, and pulled in disenchanted Republicans around the singular cause to unseat incumbent Michael Baumgartner.

The 2026 primary highlights a movement away from the Republican incumbent in WA-5 for the first time in over thirty-two years.

Robert Reich provides 10 recommendations for actions to support our communities, protect immigrants, mobilize for the midterms, boycott certain companies, obtain and spread the truth, push for progressive measures, and more.

Jerry Leclaire, Indivisible—The High Ground

Baumgartner wrote that he was “proud to vote YES on the SAVE America Act”. The Act would would make it harder to register, harder to vote, harder to vote by mail. In CD5 roughly two-thirds of eligible voters lack the standalone credential the bill would require.

The hallmark of a democracy is free and fair elections… Why would you disenfranchise 20 million people?

Patty Murray outlined exactly how President Trump has failed hardworking Americans—whether by passing the largest cuts to health care and SNAP in history or through his catastrophic economic policies that have driven up costs and pushed countless small businesses to the brink of closure.

Spokane Indivisible, "Your Voice in Congress"

Mike’s newsy newsletters continue to capture his big smile moments that skirt the edges of the ominous dangers our country is facing…There are three main areas in Mike’s Feb 6, 2026 newsletter we feel are important because they reveal his deeply held conservative beliefs and vision for America (spoiler alert – he is NOT a moderate Republican)…

Dr. Joan Braune is a scholar of far-right movements, including racist hate groups, fascist movements, and Christian nationalist movements. In this presentation, she discusses the influence of these movements on U.S. politics today and how we can resist, and how we can all play a role.