Bob Ferguson (D) and Dave Reichert (R) are running for governor of Washington on November 5, 2024. They advanced from the top-two primary on August 6, 2024, with Ferguson receiving 44.9% of the vote and Reichert 27.5%. Twenty-eight candidates ran in the primary.
Incumbent Jay Inslee (D) did not run for re-election.
There are three central themes this election: abortion, public safety, and the cost of living. Ferguson, who has been the state’s attorney general since 2013, says that the key difference between himself and former congressman Reichert is abortion. He cites Reichert’s record of voting for legislation that would have limited abortion to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Reichert responded in a campaign video, saying, “As governor, I will not change Washington law on this issue [abortion] … My opponent, Bob Ferguson, is trying to spread fear by saying things that I don’t believe and will not do.”
Reichert criticizes Ferguson’s record as attorney general and has tied him to Democratic policies that he says eroded public safety and raised the cost of living. Both candidates have emphasized public safety and an affordable cost of living in their campaigns.
Ferguson described himself as a reformer and said, “Washingtonians must have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, to be safe, to breathe clean air and drink clean water, to be free from discrimination, to start a small business, to make a living wage and have a safe work environment, to have opportunities to succeed in all kinds of careers.”
Reichert is a lobbyist for Thermo Fisher Scientific. He represented Washington’s 8th Congressional District from 2005 to 2019. Politico ranked Reichert as one of the most bipartisan members during his time in the U.S. House. Reichert identified a “triumvirate of issues: A ‘broken’ criminal justice system, the economy and homelessness” and said, “I’m running for Governor to protect the vulnerable, to help small businesses and to keep people safe.”
A Republican last won election as Washington’s governor in 1980. The last time the office was open was in 2012 when Inslee was first elected and defeated Rob McKenna (R) 51.4%-48.3%. As of September 24, 2024, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated the election Likely Democratic.
This is one of 11 gubernatorial elections taking place in 2024. The governor serves as a state’s top executive official and is the only executive office elected in all 50 states. There are currently 27 Republican governors and 23 Democratic governors. Click here for an overview of all 11 gubernatorial elections taking place in 2024.