Republican · Washington's 4th District · 2026
Amanda McKinney
McKinney spent weekends and summers in cherry orchards and on her family's farm, which grew hay, apples and pears along the Columbia River.
Biography
Amanda McKinney spent childhood weekends and summers in cherry orchards and on a family farm growing hay, apples and pears along the Columbia River.1 Her father was a police officer, and she and her husband, David, have two children.23
She graduated from The Dalles High School and Central Washington University, then worked in mortgage banking and consulting before winning election as a Yakima County commissioner in 2020.3 Her local government work has also taken her into national county organizations, where she serves in agriculture and rural affairs leadership.2
McKinney's campaign highlights her work on the county water bank, irrigation resources and additional water storage. She supports preserving the Snake River dams and expanding reliable energy from hydropower, nuclear power and natural gas.2 She also wants local communities to retain authority over major development decisions and federal rulemaking that affects farms and rural businesses.2
She backs President Trump's agenda, stricter immigration enforcement and gun rights. She opposes abortion, saying life should be protected from conception, and opposes transgender girls and women competing in female sports categories.2 The Republican faces Democrat John Duresky for the seat Dan Newhouse is leaving, a contest that will give Central Washington a new representative after twelve years with the incumbent.3
Record and controversies
Open meetings litigation
In 2021, Angie Girard and Arthur West brought Open Public Meetings Act claims involving Yakima's Board of Health, county commissioners and individual commissioners. Official minutes identify McKinney among the commissioners excluded from a settlement discussion because they were named individually in the litigation.4
The Board of Health approved a settlement in September 2022, with McKinney and three other members abstaining.5 That agreement provided no admission of liability and expressly excluded the claims against individual county commissioners and the Board of County Commissioners. It therefore does not establish either personal liability or a resolution of those separate claims.4 A later disposition of the individual claims was not verified in this review.