Michael McGarr
A candidate for U.S. Representative, Congressional District 5 in the 2026 Washington Primary Election, Aug. 4
Party: Democratic
Age: 70
City: Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Bella Vista High School in Sacramento, California, in 1973. Graduated from Antelope Valley College with an associate degree in Letters, Arts and Science in 1994. Graduated from California State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1996.
Work experience: Served in the U.S. Air Force as a B-52 bomber and navigational systems repairman, honorably discharged as a sergeant. Worked as an air traffic controller at Van Nuys and Burbank airports from 1982-1992. Worked as a copy editor at the Los Angeles Daily News from 1993-2005. Worked as a copy editor at The Spokesman-Review from 2005-2021. Retired.
Political experience: Ran as a Republican for California State Assembly in 1996, losing in the primary; Democrat Bob Hertzberg ultimately won the seat.
Family: Married to Liz McGarr.
Candidate Channels
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Baumgartner (R) | 54,205 | 48.01% |
| Carmela Conroy (D) | 23,536 | 20.85% |
| Nate Powell (I) | 16,216 | 14.36% |
| David Womack (D) | 4,542 | 4.02% |
| Kevin Fagan (D) | 4,089 | 3.62% |
| Bajun Mavalwalla (D) | 3,290 | 2.91% |
| Ann Marie Danimus (I) | 1,599 | 1.42% |
| Richard Freudenberg (D) | 1,490 | 1.32% |
| Matthew Hayes (I) | 1,455 | 1.29% |
| Kyle Usrey (I) | 1,289 | 1.14% |
| Michael McGarr (D) | 757 | 0.67% |
| Andrew Bartleson (I) | 425 | 0.38% |
Related Coverage
Michael Baumgartner to face Democrat Carmela Conroy in 5th Congressional District 2024 rematch
Two years ago, Democrat Carmela Conroy was defeated by Michael Baumgartner for a seat in Congress . On Tuesday, she won enough support for a rematch.
Michael McGarr doesn’t know how to get to Congress, but he’s going to try ‘something completely different’
Michael “Mike” McGarr, former air traffic controller and retired copy editor for The Spokesman-Review, isn’t sure how to convince voters that he’s the guy to end three decades of Republican control of Eastern Washington’s congressional seat.