For the fifth time, Congressman Rick Larsen has done it again.

As of 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, the U.S. Representative from the 2nd Congressional district leads former Snohomish county sheriff Rick Bart 117,045 to 65,792.

Larsen said his 64 to 36 percent victory was a vindication of the work he’s done for veterans and for the economy.

“Our first job when we get back to work in a few weeks is economic recovery and a job growth package,” he said. “We need to get people back to work.”

The district includes parts of King and Snohomish counties and all of Skagit, San Juan, Island and Whatcom counties.

Larsen was born and raised in Arlington and was first elected in 2000 to represent Northwest Washington in the U.S. House of Representatives. Larsen has served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee where one of his top priorities has been to help create family wage jobs in the region.

He focused his campaign on issues he believes concern those in his district: agriculture, veterans services and trade. Larsen voted to implement the $700 billion bailout of financial institutions.

The faltering economy and the war in Iraq served as critical issues for the campaign.

Bart is a Sedro-Woolley native and a graduate of Mountlake Terrace High School, knows the district well and felt his experience as sheriff and generally moderate views would have motivated voters to support him. Bart was the top cop in Snohomish County for 12 years, running unopposed in 2003.

Bart is a veteran with two sons who served in the Army and Air Force. During the campaign he said the time has come to get out of Iraq, but not by withdrawing like the Soviets did in Afghanistan. He said the country needed a solid plan that will work while protecting the troops as they withdraw.

Bart could not be reached for comment on election night.