 Since 2005, the 5th District has been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican.Rodgers's predecessor, George Nethercutt, defeated Democrat Tom Foley, then Speaker of the House, in the 1994 elections; Foley had held the seat since 1965.In presidential elections, the 5th District was once fairly competitive, but in recent years has generally been a safe bet for the Republicans.