Republicans in Washington are mostly ignoring a new attack from Democrats in the race for governor.
Dave Reichert, a former congressman and current sheriff of King County, was caught on camera earlier this year telling a crowd that “marriage is between a man and a woman” as part of a longer answer to questions about transgender people. Reichert is widely seen as the leading Republican candidate for governor.
This week, Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson put out an attack ad on social media calling those comments unacceptable. On social media, Ferguson shared a longer video of Reichert’s comments and said that Reichert’s views “have no place in the Governor’s mansion.”
He has since said that he will not do anything to limit same-sex marriage if he is voted governor. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Washington for more than ten years. In 2015, the Supreme Court made it legal across the country.
Reichert said, “I’m not running anyone’s personal life. I’m running to lead the Washington State government that will keep our communities safe, help our neighbors in need, and bring businesses back to our state.”
The mess is happening as Republicans get ready for their state gathering in Spokane, where they will decide whether to support Reichert for governor.
Several Democrats are worried about Reichert’s views on LGBTQ issues, especially since transgender people’s rights are being attacked all over the country. Most Republicans in Washington have not been affected by Ferguson’s hit ad.
In a text message, Jim Walsh, Chair of the Washington Republican Party, called it “desperate.”
According to a former Republican strategist, Ferguson’s attack was a classic example of how to run a campaign right before an election.
“This is mostly appealing to Democrats,” said Randy Pepple, a political science teacher at the University of Washington. For the Democrats to vote for Bob Ferguson, all he has to do is say, “Dave Reichert is extreme.”
Pepple worked for Rob McKenna, who was Washington’s Republican attorney general and almost lost his 2012 election for governor. He was his campaign manager and chief of staff. Pepple also said that it’s common for election campaigns to focus on getting a group of supporters excited instead of talking about problems that most voters care about.
People in your party are getting a message: “Hey, go vote for me,” Pepple said.
Reichert is likely to keep talking about public safety, which Pepple says Ferguson doesn’t agree with as much. As of now, Reichert has the support of several police officers and groups from all over the state, including those in King County.
Late in March, Ferguson put out a plan for public safety that included hiring more cops. [All Rights Reserved 2024 Northwest News Network]
