TACOMA — Norm Dicks may have won an 18th term in the U.S. Congress, but the longtime representative of the 6th Congressional District — which includes the North Olympic Peninsula — will not become chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Dicks, D-Belfair, was in line to become chairman of the powerful committee if the Democrats had retained control of the House.
Since the Democrats lost the House, Dicks will instead be the ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Committee.
“This is a very significant vote,” said Dicks, who described the election as “a very tough year” for Democrats.
Dicks, 69, was leading challenger Doug Cloud 57.18 percent to 42.82 percent in tonight’s first-round of vote counting in the race to represent the 6th Congressional District.
Cloud, R-Tacoma, trailed by 23,198 votes — 92,382 to 69,184 — throughout the district as of 9:30 p.m. tonight. The Tacoma attorney said he was not prepared to concede.
“We’ll see where it goes from here,” Cloud said.
Ballots went out to 378,674 voters in the 6th Congressional District, which includes Clallam, Jefferson,
Grays Harbor, Mason and Kitsap counties, and part of Tacoma in Pierce County.
Dicks and Cloud faced off in a Clallam County League of Women Voters forum at Sequim Community Church on Oct. 13.
During that forum, Dicks said his work on salmon restoration and the tear-down of the Elwha River dams — which is to begin next September — will bring needed jobs to the area.
“I’m very pleased overall,” Dicks said of the race
“Thanks to the people of the 6th Congressional District for their support. I’ve worked hard in my career on projects that put people back to work, and we need to continue to do that.”
Dicks was first elected to Congress in 1976.
Cloud, 53 has run to unseat Dicks four times. He outperformed the incumbent 55.28 percent to 44.72 percent in Clallam County.
“When you take Clallam and Jefferson together we’re ahead,” Dicks said, referring to the 16,745 to 15,146 vote lead he had on the North Olympic Peninsula.
“I wish we did better in Clallam, but every election is different and that’s why they do them every two years.”
The 435 members of the House of Representatives draft bills and vote to enact federal laws.
Compensation is $174,000 per year plus an annual cost of living increase.
“I have always reached across the aisle when we were in the minority, and I will continue to do that,” Dicks said.
“I strongly believe in bipartisanship and working with the other side.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
