Joe Pakootas, candidate for U.S. Congress. Photo from campaign web site

Joe Pakootas, a former chairman of the Colville Tribes of Washington, is running for Congress.

Pakootas, 56, is a Democrat. He hopes to unseat Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) for Washington’s 5th Congressional District.

The task will be tough since McMorris Rodgers ranks high in the GOP leadership and has a national profile. But Pakootas hopes to capitalize on issues like the shutdown of the federal government and partisanship in Congress.

“She’s part of that decision-making group,” Pakootas told The Spokesman Review.

The district includes the eastern portion of the Colville Reservation, the Spokane Reservation and the Kalispel Reservation. But Native Americans make up only 2 percent of the population so Pakootas can't rely on the Native vote.

McMorris Rodgers opposes the Spokane Tribe off-reservation casino, an issue of dispute between the Spokane Tribe and the Kalispel Tribe.

Get the Story:
Joe Pakootas, Colville Tribe CEO, starts run for U.S. House (The Spokesman Review 2/19)