U.S. Representative — Washington’s 3rd Congressional District
Washington’s 3rd · educational cover · southwest regional illustration
What this office is
A United States Representative is a federal legislator elected from one congressional district. Washington’s 3rd is one of the state’s ten House seats. The term is two years. The whole House stands for election every even-numbered year.
This page is Side One: inform, educate, inspire. It is not the race, not legal advice, and not an official government notice. For the 2026 cycle, use the election twin.
Confirm the current Member and the official map on House.gov — Find your Representative and the Clerk of the House.
How the job fits this community
The 2026 ballot uses Washington’s 2022 map. The 3rd is southwest Washington: Vancouver, Longview, and the Columbia / coast counties on that drawing. People here often work across the river in Oregon and still file federal casework in Washington.
Federal work here is a Portland-adjacent city, a mill town, and a working river. Vancouver files like a growing suburb. Longview files a plant inbox. The coast counties file FEMA after a named storm.
The Representative is the human hinge between this southwest map and Washington.
What the job entails
- Legislate. Introduce and cosponsor bills. Sit on committees. Vote.
- The purse. The House originates revenue bills. Appropriations decide what actually gets built or staffed.
- Oversight. Hearings and letters that watch the executive branch.
- Casework. SSA, VA, IRS, USCIS, military records, passports.
- District presence. Town halls, city halls, employers, schools — the district is the employer.
- Two homes. Washington for votes and committees. The district for the people who hired the office.
What a day is like
There is no single Tuesday. In Washington: a visitor from Vancouver and a visitor from Longview. In the district: a river-city desk and a coast drive.
The staff is the office. A serious Member is a serious principal: clear priorities, honest casework, no rumor as policy.
Place snapshot (verify official sources)
- State: Washington · Chamber: U.S. House · Seat: District 3 of 10
- Communities commonly listed: Vancouver, Longview, Kelso, and southwest counties
- Always verify on VoteWA
Orientation adapted from public congressional-district descriptions and Washington official election sources for education. The map and the Member of record are whatever VoteWA and House.gov say today.
What this is not
- Not a U.S. Senator (statewide, six-year term).
- Not the Governor.
- Not the Mayor of Seattle, Spokane, or Tacoma.
- Not a campaign flyer. This page does not tell anyone who to vote for.
Official doors
- Find your Representative
- Washington Secretary of State — elections
- VoteWA
- Redistricting Commission maps
- Clark County Elections
The arena: 2026 election — Washington’s 3rd