Washington’s 5th Congressional District is centered on the city of Spokane, with fertile wheat fields in the south and wild forests up north. Covering Washington’s eastern swath from the Oregon state line to the Canadian border, it’s far from one of the state’s most distinctive landmarks, Seattle’s Space Needle skyline, geographically and culturally.

The district, though, holds national importance because it includes Fairchild Air Force Base, U.S.-Canada border crossings, the main northern interstate highway, and three of the four Lower Snake River dams. For 20 years, it was represented by Republican Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, a well-respected legislator who was, for a time, near the top of the House Republican leadership.