Dansel, Maycumber announce congressional candidacies

REPUBLIC — Two residents have announced their candidacies for the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Ferry County Commissioner Brian Dansel, 40, was the first to announce last Friday, Feb. 16. He was joined in the race on Tuesday, Feb. 20, by state Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, 44.

Both candidates are Republicans.

McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, has announced that she won’t seek re-election to the post that represents Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Whitman, Eastern Franklin and Adams, and other counties.

“I’m running to bring my experience working in local, state and federal government to D.C. to focus on agriculture, economic development and improving our country’s stance as a world power,” Dansel said.

“My journey as a mother, farmer and former law enforcement officer has equipped me with a unique blend of experiences,” Maycumber said.

Dansel served as the 7th Legislative District senator before being appointed by President Donald Trump as an adviser to the National Economic Council and the USDA, where he was the Washington state Farm Service Agency executive director.

In 2019, Trump then appointed him to serve as the USDA’s Pacific northwest regional director, overseeing three different agencies in a six-state region.

Dansel was born and raised in Republic, and is a lifelong resident of Eastern Washington.

He credits his upbringing in a rural, working-class family as the basis for his desire to engage in the political arena and give a voice to those who otherwise would be overlooked.

Currently serving as a Ferry County commissioner, Dansel enjoys spending time with his wife, Carrie; and their two young sons.

Maycumber is currently a 7th Legislative District representative. She was appointed to the seat in 2017 when Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, was appointed to the Senate. She has won re-election ever since.

Born in Kirkland, she lives in Republic with her husband and three children.

“I am committed to engaging with communities from Republic to Pomeroy, Cusick to Spokane Valley, Walla Walla to Ritzville, and everywhere in between,” she said. “As a farmer, I will continue to fight for the voice of rural Washington.”

If elected, Maycumber said she plans to focus on border security and protecting Snake River dams.