Last night’s face-off between Attorney General Bob Ferguson and former Congressman Dave Reichert was decidedly low-key in contrast to the fiery presidential debate completed only moments before.
The two candidates met in the first of two televised debates before a panel of three journalists, plus a fourth journalist from Yakima who appeared on video.
Ferguson delivered a blizzard of policy proposals on crime, housing costs, gun control and homelessness, touting his record as A.G. of taking on the Trump Administration and big business. His major line of attack was to tie Reichert to Trump, saying the former King County Sheriff is a Trump supporter and would weaken Washington’s protections of reproductive rights.
“We need a governor who is a change agent, and who will protect reproductive rights,” Ferguson said. Later, turning to Reichert, Ferguson said, “I’m going to take no lectures from you about public safety when you are voting for and supporting a convicted felon for president.”
Reichert repeatedly denied he is supporting Trump – “I am not obsessed by Donald Trump” — although he is reported to have indicated his support for the former president at a private meeting of Republicans. He also asserted he would protect the right to abortion enshrined in Washington State law.
Rather than putting forward a host of policy initiatives, Reichert stuck to a few talking points. He portrayed himself as “the only public safety candidate” who could stem Washington’s increases in murders and other violent crimes. “Where have you been?” Reichert demanded, accusing Ferguson of being a late comer to the issue and supporting legalization of fentanyl.
For Reichert, homelessness in a drug problem, but he offered few ideas about how to get drugs off the street.
Ferguson has advanced a plan to spend $100 million on local law enforcement officers.
Asked about the initiative to repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act, Reichert said he supported the measure and accused Gov. Jay Inslee of lying about the CCA’s impact on the cost of gas at the pump. If the repeal is successful, he said the state should go back to the drawing board to develop a new plan that won’t drive up fuel prices.
Ferguson opposes repeal of the CCA although he called for “adjustments’’ to ease the impact on agriculture.
Ferguson emerged from the August primary election as the odds-on favorite, winning about 45 percent of the vote to Reichert’s 27.5 percent. Reichert has had trouble with his own right flank of the Republican Party, notably when the state GOP convention voted to endorse MAGA favorite Semi Bird. It remains to be seen if a moderate Republican – whatever that means these days—can persuade enough independent voters to overcome Ferguson’s big lead in the Democratic strongholds of Western Washington.
I couldn’t watch (too much Harris-Trump analysis to follow) so this is a helpful summary of the debate and the race.
I did like Reichert’s call for the top WA transportation priority to be fixing our broken State Ferry System. Reichert called for a hybrid ferry in new orders which would
allow both diesel and electric. Makes sense. I also agree on killing the added gas tax which hurts consumers and drives up inflation. The promised few pennies a gallon resulted in a 40-50 cent increase in gas across our State.
Maybe WA voters will decide to split their ticket and support Harris and Reichert?
Reichert still seems to be the accidental candidate. He had a long career as King County Sheriff, and many years of service in Congress without creating many ripples before stepping down. The GOP bench is so thin they had to drag him out of retirement, even though the MAGA wing detests him. By contrast, Ferguson has been on an ambitious upward trajectory since he took down Cynthia Sullivan to win a County Council seat. He was the lawyer delivering a set of indictments, while Reichert looked like he’d just lumbered out of his easy chair.
Actually Reinhardt appeared to have a cold or other illness didn’t seem in too form.
Actually Reichert appeared to have a cold or other illness didn’t seem in too form.