Michael Baumgartner

❧

Wikipedia

Michael Baumgartner
Official House portrait of Baumgartner smiling in front of the U.S. flag, wearing a black suit with American flag lapel pin, white shirt, and red tie.
Official portrait, 2024
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2025
Preceded byCathy McMorris Rodgers
Treasurer of Spokane County
In office
January 1, 2019 – January 3, 2025
Preceded byRob Chase
Succeeded byMike Volz
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 6th district
In office
January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byChris Marr
Succeeded byJeff Holy
Personal details
BornMichael James Baumgartner
(1975-12-13) December 13, 1975 (age 49)
Pullman, Washington, U.S.
PartyRepublican
Spouse
Eleanor Mayne
​
(m. 2010)​
Children5
EducationWashington State University (BA)
Harvard University (MPA)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website

Michael James Baumgartner (/ˈbɑːmɡɑːrtnər/ BAHM-gart-nər, born December 13, 1975)[1] is an American politician and former diplomat currently serving as the U.S. representative from Washington's 5th congressional district, a post he has held since 2025. Baumgartner, a Republican, previously served as the 28th Spokane County Treasurer and as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 6th district from 2011 to 2019 and was his party's nominee in the 2012 election for the United States Senate, unsuccessfully challenging Democratic incumbent Maria Cantwell.

On February 26, 2024, Baumgartner announced his intention to run for the United States House of Representatives' in Washington's 5th congressional district to succeed Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, who did not seek reelection.[2] In August and November 2024, he won and placed first in both the primary and general elections respectively.[3]

Early life, education, and career

State Senator Michael Baumgartner, with his son, Conrad.

Baumgartner was born in Pullman. His mother is a kindergarten teacher and his father was a professor of Forestry and Natural Resource Sciences. After graduating from Pullman High School, he earned a scholarship to attend Washington State University. There, he was awarded a Thomas Foley scholarship, and was named a Stephenson scholar, an award given to the top graduates from the Honors College. He graduated in 1999 with a degree in economics with minors in French and mathematics. In 2002, he earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University.

After graduating from Harvard, Baumgartner, a Catholic, volunteered on a Gonzaga Jesuit mission to Mozambique and studied forests in Siberia.

During the Iraq War, he served as an economics officer in the Office of Joint Strategic Planning & Assessment (JSPA) at the United States Embassy in Baghdad, helping the Iraqi government as part of the Baghdad Security Plan, receiving accolades from then General David Petraeus as well as Ambassador Ryan Crocker. In 2008, he spent 7 months working as a civilian contractor in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. That same year, Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen referred to Baumgartner as an ‘architect of hope’ in Iraq.

After leaving Iraq, Baumgartner worked as a civilian contractor in Helmand Province, Afganistan, where he encouraged poppy farmers to grow food instead, in an effort to combat the opioid epidemic. He met his wife Eleanor Mayne, a journalist studying counternarcotics in Helmand Province, and the two were married in 2010.[4]

Washington State Senate

State Senator Baumgartner and former General David Petraeus, August 28, 2009

Baumgartner represented parts of the City of Spokane, Airway Heights, and Cheney including Eastern Washington University. (map)

Elections

In 2010, Baumgartner returned to Eastern Washington and was planning a trip with his future wife Eleanor “to see if we actually like each other," when he was approached by Cathy McMorris Rodgers' Chief of Staff and future Spokane Mayor David Condon, who recruited him to run against incumbent Democratic State Senator and Majority Whip Chris Marr for the Washington State Senate 6th Legislative District seat.[4] On August 17, 2010, in the state primary election, Baumgartner defeated Marr with 53% of the vote.[5] In the November election, he officially defeated Marr with 54% of the vote.[6] The election battle between Marr and Baumgartner is considered the most hotly contested and expensive state legislative races in Washington state history.[4]

Tenure

During his tenure as Washington State Senator, Baumgartner has sponsored keynote legislation such as an amendment to the Washington State Senate to rise Higher Education to the State's #2 focus, reorganizing and streamlining central service functions, powers, and duties of the State Government, and reforming the rule-making process for State Economic Policy (the latter two receiving 47–0 votes in the State Senate).[7]

In 2012 Baumgartner was named one of the National Federation of Independent Business's Guardians of Business, the highest award they offer, in recognition of his votes that side "100 Percent" with small businesses.[8] The Association of Washington Business has awarded him their 'Cornerstone Award' also, in recognition of his support for employers, economic development, and business-related issues in the Washington State Legislature.[9]

In 2015, Baumgartner was awarded the "Legislator of The Year" award by anti-tax activist Tim Eyman due to his consistent effort to fight tax increases proposed in the state legislature.[10]

During the 2016 presidential election primaries, Baumgartner chaired Scott Walker's campaign for president in the state of Washington.[11]

Committee assignments

In 2011 and 2012, Baumgartner was the ranking minority member of the Economic Development Trade & Innovation Committee, served on the Ways & Means Committee, and the Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee.[12]

In 2013, two Democrats joined with the 23 Republicans to form the Majority Coalition Caucus.[13] With the new coalition, Baumgartner was named Vice-Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and was also assigned to the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee, the Higher Education Committee, and the Human Services and Corrections Committee.[14]

2012 U.S. Senate election

In October 2011, Baumgartner decided to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Cantwell was running for her third term.[15] Washington uses a "top-two" nonpartisan blanket primary system, in which the top two candidates of any party in the primary election advance to the general election. Cantwell and Baumgartner finished first and second, respectively, and competed in the general election.

Baumgartner has formally endorsed Washington Initiative 502 to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana for adults 21 and over, making him the first and only candidate for statewide office in Washington state to do so, and taking a position that wasn't popular in his party.[16][17]

In the November general election, Cantwell defeated Baumgartner. Cantwell received over 60% of the vote, to Baumgarter's 40%.

Spokane County Treasurer

In 2018, Baumgartner opted not to run for reelection to the State Senate. Instead, he chose to run for Spokane County Treasurer. He won the November election and took office in January 2019.[18] He was unopposed for reelection in 2022.

U.S. House of Representatives

Baumgartner announcing his run for Washington's 5th congressional district.

Elections

2024

On February 26, 2024, shortly after incumbent Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers announced she would not seek re-election, Baumgartner announced he would run for Washington's 5th congressional district. While no public polling was conducted, Baumgartner was largely seen as the early favorite for the Republican nomination.[19] On August 6, 2024, Baumgartner won the primary for the open seat, placing first, with Democrat Carmela Conroy placing second. He received 28.4% of the vote to Conroy's 19.5%[20]

On November 5, 2024, Baumgartner officially won the race for the district with over 60% of the vote.[21] Notably, he outperformed predecessor Cathy McMorris Rogers' result in 2022, despite not being an incumbent. He was the best performing Republican out of any candidate in the state, both federally and statewide.[22]

Tenure

In 2025, Baumgartner founded the bipartisan Congressional College Sports Caucus.[23] He introduced the "Restore College Sports Act" with the aim of dissolving the National Collegiate Athletic Association and replacing it with the "American College Sports Association," which would be overseen by the federal government.[24]

In March 2025, Baumgartner joined Jim Jordan and Tom McClintock in a letter challenging Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and the state sanctuary law, which restricts local police from enforcing federal immigration policy. The letter follows accusations from the attorney general against Adams County sheriff's office for unlawful imprisonment based solely on immigration status.[25]

Committee assignments

For the 119th Congress:[26]

Caucus memberships

Notable achievements and votes

During his tenure in the State Senate, Baumgartner fought to improve infrastructure in Eastern Washington, including securing the $900 million funding needed to complete the north–south corridor route first proposed sixty years ago, being the sole local Republican to support the major transportation package,[28] helping lead successful efforts to build a new medical school in Spokane which addressed physician shortages in underserved and rural areas of Eastern Washington, which contributed to boosting healthcare economy jobs growth. The medical school, which was directed to be spearheaded by Washington State University, was originally blocked due to a 100-year old law that had given the University of Washington a monopoly on training doctors in the state.[29][30] Baumgartner lead efforts to repeal the law, ultimately being successful in 2015.

Baumgartner considered public education a top priority during his tenure and led efforts to halt increases and reduce tuition for public universities by 20% in Washington State in 2015, including the University of Washington and Washington State University. It is currently the largest successful tuition reduction in the country's history.[4] He has consistently fought for charter schools, which received significant opposition from the Washington State teachers’ union Washington Education Association.[31][32]

One of Baumgartner's most notable personal efforts was in 2016, when he took an outspoken stand against the expulsion of an American Samoan student, Robert Barber, from Washington State University. Barber had been only one credit short of a college degree when he was accused of involvement in a brawl. Baumgartner told a meeting of WSU regents: "If you don’t fix this, I goddamn will." Barber was reinstated to the student body, and was later found innocent of all criminal charges.[33][34][35]

In February 2018, Baumgartner was one of a handful of Washington State legislators to vote against a bill that would have exempted legislators from public records rules.[36]

In the final year of his tenure, 2018, the Washington Policy Center think-tank announced that Baumgartner would be presented with their prestigious "Champion of Freedom" award, in recognition "for his outstanding commitment to free-market principles, worker rights and limited government, particularly in advancing labor reform in our state. WPC’s board chose Baumgartner for this award in recognition of his "unwavering principled stand on numerous key issues during his many years in the State Senate."[37]

Concluding the 2018 legislative session, Baumgartner introduced a satirical resolution calling for April 1 to be celebrated as "Governor Jay Inslee Integrity Day", mocking the Governor for his about-turn on vetoing public records legislation.[38][39]

Awards

Personal life

Baumgartner and his wife Eleanor have three sons and two daughters. In early 2018, they lost their fifth baby after suffering a late miscarriage.

Baumgartner maintained a close friendship with Washington State University football coach Mike Leach throughout his life.[42] Leach and Baumgartner taught a course together at WSU titled "Leadership Lessons in Insurgent Warfare & Football Strategy," designed to "explore strategy and tactics common in both Guerilla Warfare and college football to provide a backdrop for critical thinking."[43]

Electoral history

2010 state senate

Washington State Senate election from the 6th District, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Baumgartner 33,929 54
Democratic Chris Marr (Incumbent) 29,237 46

2012 U.S. Senate

Results by county:
  Cantwell
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  Baumgartner
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
Blanket primary results[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Maria Cantwell (incumbent) 626,360 55.42
Republican Michael Baumgartner 344,729 30.50
Republican Art Coday 59,255 5.24
Democratic Timothy Wilson 26,850 2.38
Republican Chuck Jackson 21,870 1.94
Republican Glenn R. Stockwell 21,731 1.92
Republican Mike the Mover 16,459 1.46
Reform Will Baker 12,865 1.14
Total votes 1,130,119 100.00
United States Senate election in Washington, 2012[45]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Maria Cantwell (incumbent) 1,855,493 60.45%
Republican Michael Baumgartner 1,213,924 39.55%
Total votes 3,069,417 100.00%

2014 state senate

Washington State Senate election from the 6th District, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Baumgartner 28,309 57.5
Democratic Rich Cowan 20,949 42.7

2018 Spokane County Treasurer

Spokane County Treasurer election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Baumgartner 126,421 57.5
Democratic David Green 93,516 42.5

2022 Spokane County Treasurer

Spokane County Treasurer election, 2022[46]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Baumgartner 152,682 95.9
Write-in 6,463 4

2024 U.S. House

Blanket primary results[47]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Baumgartner 35,371 28.4
Democratic Carmela Conroy 24,342 19.5
Republican Jacquelin Maycumber 15,245 12.2
Democratic Bernadine Bank 14,729 11.8
Republican Brian Dansel 12,301 9.9
Democratic Ann Marie Danimus 7,039 5.7
Republican Jonathan Bingle 4,240 3.4
Republican Rene Holaday 3,622 2.9
Republican Rick Flynn 3,204 2.6
Democratic Matthew Welde 2,793 2.2
Democratic Bobbi Bennett-Wolcott 1,619 1.3
Write-in 121 0.1
Total votes 124,626 100.0
Results by county
  Baumgartner
  •   40–50%
      30–40%
      20–30%
  Maycumber
  •   30–40%
  •   20–30%
  Dansel
  •   30–40%
General election results[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Baumgartner 240,619 60.6
Democratic Carmela Conroy 156,074 39.3
Write-in 593 0.1
Total votes 397,286 100.0

References

  1. ↑ "Michael Baumgartner (R) – Candidate for US Senate". KHQ. August 23, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Spokane County Treasurer Michael Baumgartner announces bid for Washington's 5th Congressional district". KREM (TV). February 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Republican Michael Baumgartner and Democrat Carmela Conroy projected to advance in 5th Congressional District primary˜". The Spokesman-Review. July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "How Michael Baumgartner became the frontrunner to be Eastern Washington's next Congressman | the Spokesman-Review".
  5. ↑ "WA State Senate District 6 – Open Primary Race – Aug 17, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  6. ↑ "WA State Senate District 6 Race – Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Bill Sponsorship". Leg.wa.gov. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  8. ↑ "SMALL BUSINESS SLAMS BALTIMORE COUNCIL FOR LABOR COST INCREASE". NFIB. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Home – Senate Republican Caucus". senaterepublicans.wa.gov. October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Baumgartner". Tim Eyman. July 25, 2024.
  11. ↑ "How Michael Baumgartner became the frontrunner to be Eastern Washington's next Congressman". The Spokesman-Review. October 28, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Baumgartner". Leg.wa.gov. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  13. ↑ "2 Dems join GOP in state Senate coup, say parties will split power | Politics Northwest". Seattle Times. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Baumgartner named vice chair of budget-writing Ways and Means Committee as part of Majority Coalition Caucus". Michael Baumgartner. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Washington – Oregon – Idaho". Nwcn.com. September 30, 2011. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Baumgartner endorses marijuana initiative". Spin Control (blog). The Spokesman-Review. October 3, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Cantwell's GOP Foe Wants Legal Pot". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. October 3, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  18. ↑ Edelen, Amy (November 6, 2018). "Michael Baumgartner will be next Spokane County treasurer". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Five Takeaways from This Week's Washington State Primary". August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  20. ↑ "August 6, 2024 Primary Results". Office of the Secretary of State of Washington. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  21. ↑ "AP Race Call: Republican Michael Baumgartner wins election to U.S. House in Washington's 5th Congressional District". Associated Press. November 6, 2024.
  22. 1 2 Hobbs, Steve (December 4, 2024). "Canvass of the Returns of the General Election Held on November 5, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  23. ↑ https://www.legistorm.com/organization/summary/207004/Congressional_College_Sports_Caucus.html
  24. ↑ Forsman, Cole (April 10, 2025). "New bill looks to replace NCAA with new college sports organization". Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  25. ↑ Goldstein-Street, Jake (April 16, 2025). "State AG defends WA's 'sanctuary' policy amid congressional scrutiny". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  26. ↑ Donovan Smith, Orion (January 19, 2025). "Michael Baumgartner has big plans for his first term representing Eastern Washington in Congress". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Caucus Memberships". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
  28. ↑ Walters, Daniel. "The Two Baumgartners". Inlander. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  29. ↑ "WSU medical school in Spokane gets Senate OK". spokesman.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Gov. Jay Inslee signs WSU medical school legislation | WSU Insider | Washington State University". WSU Insider. April 1, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Lawmakers float proposal to keep charter schools". seattletimes.com. January 4, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  32. ↑ Criscione, Wilson. "Baumgartner to Spokane charter schools: 'We're going to continue to need your help'". Inlander. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  33. ↑ "State Sen. Michael Baumgartner, Jack Thompson, others point to Robert Barber in call for WSU student conduct reform". The Seattle Times. October 31, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  34. ↑ "Forum at WSU brings threats by state Sen. Michael Baumgartner amid impassioned defense of football player Robert Barber". Spokesman.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Acquitted of assault, former WSU lineman Robert Barber 'hoping to get on with his life and into the NFL'". Spokesman.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Washington State Legislature praises itself for expanding transparency. Media and open government groups call BS". Inlander.com. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  37. ↑ "2018 Annual Dinner". washingtonpolicy.org. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Senate resolution takes shot at Inslee". spokesman.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  39. ↑ ""Governor Inslee Integrity Day"? - Washington State Wire". Washington State Wire. March 5, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  40. ↑ "69 Lawmakers Win Main Street's Highest Award". nfib.com. May 12, 2014. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Michael and Eleanor Baumgartner named Washington Policy Center's Eastern Washington Senior Advisors". washingtonpolicy.org. January 23, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Spokane County official celebrates his travels with Mike Leach". KPBX-FM. December 14, 2022.
  43. ↑ "Leadership Lessons in Insurgent Warfare & Football Strategy" (PDF). Whitman County Watch.
  44. ↑ "U.S. Senator". Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  45. ↑ "U.S. Senator".
  46. ↑ "Spokane County November 8, 2022 General Election".
  47. ↑ Hobbs, Steve (August 22, 2024). "Canvass of the Returns of the Primary Held on August 6, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 6, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.