Conroy Pulls Within 1,857 Votes in WA-5 as Wong Faces Sentencing

Ballot counting in Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District produced the tightest contest there in more than three decades as Spokane Democrat Carmela Conroy pulled within 1,857 votes of incumbent Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner, while in Hong Kong, 30-year-old activist Joshua Wong prepared for a Thursday morning sentencing hearing before Judge William Tam.

Spokane Democrat Carmela Conroy Trails Rep. Michael Baumgartner by 1,857 Votes

In Washington's 5th Congressional District—a seat held by Republicans since 1995, when George Nethercutt defeated incumbent Democrat Tom Foley—Spokane Democrat Carmela Conroy trailed incumbent Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner by 1,857 votes as of 8:40 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Washington State Standard and Hoodline. The Spokesman-Review reported Baumgartner ahead 50.3% to 49.3%, while the Tri-City Herald recorded Baumgartner at 50% (96,663 ballots) to Conroy's 49% (94,806 ballots)—a gap of fewer than 2,000 votes.

The narrow margin contrasts sharply with 2024, when Baumgartner won reelection with more than 60% of the vote and a margin exceeding 84,000 votes, according to KXLY 920 News Now, before he took 47% in this summer's primary, the lowest Republican primary share in the district since 1992. Conroy led in Spokane, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties, while Baumgartner led in rural counties with tens of thousands of ballots still to be counted across Benton, Franklin, Yakima, Klickitat, Adams, Grant, Douglas, and Okanogan counties ahead of the 21-day certification deadline under RCW 29A.60.190. In neighboring District 4 to succeed retiring Rep. Dan Newhouse, Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney led John Duresky 54% (74,133 ballots) to 46% (62,569 ballots).

Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Faces Thursday Sentencing in Second Security Case

In Hong Kong, 30-year-old pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday morning by Judge William Tam for his second conviction under the Beijing-imposed national security law, KCBS Radio and the Associated Press reported. Public spectators began queuing outside the courthouse as early as Tuesday to secure gallery seats.

Wong, who has spent nearly 6 years behind bars and is currently serving a 4-year, 8-month prison term linked to an unofficial primary that had been set to end in January 2027, was charged in 2025 with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and pleaded guilty in September, facing an additional sentence ranging from 3 years to life imprisonment. Prosecutors cited Wong's international advocacy alongside Nathan Law beginning around 2016 and meetings with U.S. lawmakers Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio in 2016 and 2019, while defense attorney Derek Chan urged a sentence offering hope and Georgetown Center for Asian Law fellow Eric Lai noted the impact on civil society since the 1997 handover and 2019 protests, even as a 2017 documentary on Wong rose to the top of Netflix's Hong Kong chart in September.