Welcome to The Newsfeed.

The midterm election is less than three weeks away.

Voters in Washington will vote on their members of Congress, with all ten U.S.

House seats on the ballot this year.

Today, we're focusing in on three of those races in southwestern, central and eastern parts of the state.

We tap a longtime state political reporter to unpack the significance of each race, including one that is among the closest in the nation.

Washington voters are deliberating who goes to the nation's capital.

We're reviewing congressional races in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th districts in the state.

Washington State Standard political reporter Jerry Cornfield says all seats have varied political significance.

In the southwestern portion of the state is the 3rd Congressional District, the one race with the most attention, money and national implications.

Incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat who often sides with Republicans, is clawing to keep her seat against Republican state senator and businessman John Braun.

-When I last looked, Republicans held a four seat advantage over Democrats in the U.S.

House.

There's less than two dozen races around the country that are even considered competitive.

This is one of them.

So the winner of this race will help determine who's going to have the majority in the U.S.

House next year.

-Cornfield says if this seat flipped, it would be a huge boost for Republicans.

-Well, I mean, Washington State is heavily Democrat in it's congressional delegation.

So if Senator John Braun, the Republican, is able to take the seat back, as Republicans did hold it for more than a decade prior to Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez winning, it would be a big win for the party.

They've been suffering losses in the state legislative races and the congressional races, and this is one that will be a good barometer of just where is the Republican Party, at least in the southwest part of the state.

-In the central part of Washington, including Yakima and the Tri-Cities, voters are weighing the open seat for district four.

Republican Congressman Dan Newhouse is not seeking reelection.

The race is between Amanda McKinney and John Duresky.

-Amanda McKinney, a Yakima County commissioner, is running with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, and she is all in after a recent debate with the Trump MAGA agenda and is 100% in line with him.

John Duresky, he's got a long history in the community and this, but he's not as well funded.

The Democrats are not lined up to push him through.

But there is a blue wave that's on the East coast, and it's making its way to the West Coast.

And this is one of those races where you just wonder, are Democrats and the independents ready to walk away and do something they haven't done in a long time?

And that's elect a Democrat to this district?

-The fifth congressional race includes Spokane, the largest city in eastern Washington.

This is the other seat in Washington currently held by a Republican, Michael Baumgartner.

But in this case, he's running for reelection.

-Michael Baumgartner is in his first term, and he too has the support of President Donald Trump.

Carmela Conroy, the Democrat, ran against... You know, they fought each other two years ago on the ballot.

So it is a kind of a rematch of sorts on paper.

Again, like the 4th Congressional District, it looks pretty one sided for the Republican.

However, just in recent weeks, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said, we think that blue wave is going to wash ashore in that district, and we can bring Carmela Conroy over to a victory and turn it from red to blue.

I think that's a long shot.

-While the seven other races all feature a Democrat and Republican, analysts expect them all to stay in Democratic control.

I'm Paris Jackson.

Thanks for watching.

To see more coverage on some of the key races and issues on the November 3rd ballot, visit Cascade PBS.org/TheNewsfeed.