Current:Home > ScamsWashington attorney general and sheriff who helped nab Green River Killer fight for governor’s seat -MoneyStream
Washington attorney general and sheriff who helped nab Green River Killer fight for governor’s seat
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:00:07
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state’s longtime attorney general and a former sheriff known for his work hunting down the Green River Killer are vying to become the next governor of a Democratic stronghold that hasn’t had an open race for the state’s top job in more than a decade.
Democrat Bob Ferguson, who has served as attorney general since 2013, will face former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert in Tuesday’s primary election in a race that has featured weeks of intense sparring between the two frontrunners in a field of more than two dozen candidates.
Ferguson has framed Reichert, a Republican, as a two-faced candidate whose more moderate rhetoric during this campaign does not align with statements he has made in private or his actions in Congress. Meanwhile, Reichert has painted Ferguson as a candidate who wouldn’t change anything about the state, while providing a continuation of “one-party rule.”
In a state with a long reputation as solid Democratic territory that hasn’t had a Republican governor in nearly 40 years, any conservative candidate faces an uphill battle. But polling shows Reichert not far behind Ferguson and the race is considered competitive.
Under Washington’s primary system, the top two vote getters in each of Tuesday’s races advance to the November election, regardless of party. Experts predict a Ferguson and Reichert matchup in November.
Military veteran Semi Bird also is a key figure in the race after being endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party. But he has become a polarizing figure amid accusations of mischaracterizing his military service, as well as a guilty plea to bank larceny in 1993 for putting his father’s name and social security number on a credit application. Bird said he has not been convicted of a crime since then and regrets what he did.
Democrat Mark Mullet, a state senator from Issaquah, also has garnered attention as a moderate candidate who would bring the perspective of a small business owner.
The success of a Republican candidate in the governor’s race will depend on their ability to build crossover appeal to independent voters and moderate Democratic voters, said Sandeep Kaushik, a Democratic political consultant with Sound View Strategies.
“The only way a Republican can win a statewide race in Washington state is if they convince voters in the middle of the state, who lean blue, that they’re a different kind of Republican and willing to meet those voters halfway, willing to break with MAGA, break with the Republican Party,” he said. “Reichert has done none of that, so far as I can see.”
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Democracy: American democracy has overcome big stress tests since 2020. More challenges lie ahead in 2024.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
- Stay informed. Keep your pulse on the news with breaking news email alerts. Sign up here.
The campaign between Ferguson and Reichert has consistently focused on abortion. Ferguson’s team often references Reichert’s history of voting for a nationwide ban on abortion starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy as evidence of him being “wildly out of touch with the majority of Washingtonians.”
Abortion has long been legal in Washington until viability, a determination left up to the judgement of a health care provider, and after that in cases where the pregnant individual’s health or life is threatened.
Reichert has pushed back on Ferguson’s characterization and said his only plan for the state’s abortion law if elected governor is to enforce and support it. He accused Ferguson of trying to scare women into not voting for him.
Reichert said as governor he would prioritize public safety, referencing his 33 years and two terms as sheriff at the King County Sheriff’s Office and the dozens of sheriffs who have endorsed him.
He was the first King County detective assigned to the case of the Green River Killer, named for the waterway where the first bodies were found in 1982. Gary Ridgway, who killed 49 women, was arrested and convicted in 2003 during Reichert’s second term as sheriff.
Reichert said he also would focus on curbing homelessness, as the Seattle area has one of the nation’s highest rates of homelessness. He suggested moving people from the streets to state-owned land, including McNeil Island, where a facility for sexual predators is located.
“You tell me which one is more ridiculous: Living under a freeway in tents or maybe making a nice, warm, comfortable place on McNeil Island or Evergreen College,” he told The Associated Press.
Ferguson was endorsed by state Democratic leadership members including U.S. Senate Pro Tempore Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee, the longest serving governor in office in the country, who is not seeking a fourth term. Ferguson points to his record as attorney general, including reaching multimillion-dollar settlements with major opioid entities and standing up to former President Donald Trump.
But Republican state Rep. J.T. Wilcox said people in Washington state may be looking for a major leadership change after three terms of Inslee.
“Presidents usually leave office not at a high point, but at a point when people are sort of ready for them to be gone,” Wilcox said. “I think that that may have happened a little bit with Gov. Inslee. Twelve years, people feel like, ‘OK we’ve had all this, I’m getting tired of all the same rhetoric, maybe it is time for a change.’”
Washington is a vote-by-mail state and many voters have already cast their ballots before election day.
veryGood! (31)
Related
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Report: Ohio State offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien likely to become Boston College coach
- King Charles III Diagnosed With Cancer
- Texas Gov. Abbott insists state has right to protect border amid feud with President Biden
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Blue Ivy Steals the Show While Jay-Z Accepts 2024 Grammys Global Impact Award
- Apple Vision Pro makes triumphant appearance courtside on Celtics fan's face
- Shannen Doherty Responds After Alyssa Milano Denies Getting Her Fired From Charmed
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Boy, 13, fatally shot man on Denver bus after his leg blocked aisle, police say
Ranking
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Ariana Grande Shares Touching Tribute to Victoria Monét After 2024 Grammys Win
- San Francisco considers a measure to screen welfare recipients for addiction
- Grammys 2024: Why Trevor Noah Wants Revenge on NFL Fans Who Are Mad at Taylor Swift
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Which NFL team has won the most Super Bowls? 49ers have chance to tie record
- Céline Dion's Rare Outing With Son René-Charles at 2024 Grammys Put the Power of Love on Display
- Dr. Cornel West Is Running to Become President of the United States. What Are His Views on Climate Change and the Environment?
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
House plans vote on standalone Israel aid bill next week, Speaker Johnson says
Streaming services can cost a pretty penny: Here are 7 ways to cut down on your bill
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s 2024 Grammys After-Party Date Night Will Capture Your Attention
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Miley Cyrus wins first Grammy of her career for Flowers
These are the largest Black-owned businesses in America
'We're better together': How Black and Jewish communities are building historic bonds