On Thursday, hours after he ended his Democratic presidential bid, Jay Inslee announced that he would run for re-election as governor of Washington. Inslee is the first Evergreen State governor to seek a third term since Republican Dan Evans successfully did so in 1972, but he begins the race as the clear favorite.
A number of Democrats had expressed interest in running for governor, but only if Inslee didn’t. And sure enough, Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, and King County Executive Dow Constantine each quickly announced that they wouldn’t challenge the incumbent. (Constantine joked, “I’m looking forward to finally starting that book club that Hilary Franz, Bob Ferguson and I have been talking about.”) No notable Democrats have talked about opposing Inslee.
Republicans last won the governorship in 1980, and while some Washingtonians may be fatigued with decades of Democratic rule, it will be tough for Team Red to appeal win crossover voters in this blue state next year with Donald Trump leading their ticket. Morning Consult’s poll gave Inslee a 47-35 approval rating for the second quarter of 2019, a good sign for the incumbent. Two Republicans are already running, but neither state Sen. Phil Fortunato or Republic police chief Loren Culp look very strong. There is still time, though, for more Republicans to enter the race ahead of the May filing deadline.
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