Joe Kent concedes, but is 'not done yet'

Six weeks after the November election, Joe Kent announced that he has conceded the election for Washington's 3rd Congressional District. He called his opponent, Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez, Wednesday morning to make it official.

"While I’m disappointed that we did not prevail, our campaign and our supporters have a lot to be proud of," Kent said in a statement. "We defeated a twelve-year incumbent in the primary and came within a single percentage point of winning the general despite an unprecedented $14.2 million spent against me, including millions in special interest dark money."

You can see information about Gluesenkamp Pérez's campaign finances here.

Kent is a MAGA Republican who ran to unseat Republican Congressmember Jaime Herrera Beutler. Herrera Beutler was among a handful of GOP members who voted in favor of impeaching former President Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. The action stirred Trump's base to "primary" such Republicans.

Kent was able to oust Herrera Beutler in the August primary, but was unable to ultimately win the district in November. Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez declared victory in the week after the election, flipping the district from red to blue. Following the initial election results, Kent's campaign called for a recount. The results didn't budge much.

RELATED: Rep. Herrera Beutler's advice as she exits Congress

In a statement, Kent says that despite the loss, his political work is not finished. He says that Republicans are losing the "ballot turnout battle" and the GOP needs to adapt. He therefore wants to lead a change in the party. He adds that his campaign is "not at a sad end but a strong beginning," and says that he is planning another announcement in January.

Kent's full statement:

I promised during the campaign that I would accept the outcome of the election, now definitively determined as the recount has concluded.

This morning, I called my opponent to concede and offer my congratulations on her victory.

While I’m disappointed that we did not prevail, our campaign and our supporters have a lot to be proud of. We defeated a twelve-year incumbent in the primary and came within a single percentage point of winning the general despite an unprecedented $14.2 million spent against me, including millions in special interest dark money.

In this loss is an important lesson. We’ve identified over eighty-one thousand Republicans who did not vote in the General Election. Democrats have taken full advantage of ballot harvesting laws in Washington State, but Republicans lag far behind.

We cannot continue to lose the voter turnout battle. Our party must adapt and I look forward to helping lead this change. I

want to thank our many staffers, volunteers, donors, and voters. I’m also grateful to the leaders in the state and county Republican parties who worked hard to ensure this was a legitimate election.

My message to anyone disappointed in our loss is to hold fast to the energy and optimism that I saw at every one of the three hundred rallies and townhalls we held across the district because our campaign is not at a sad end but a strong beginning.

I will have more to say in early January. Rest assured that I’m not done yet.