How and why did Jay Inslee win the race for Washington’s governor? Historians likely would credit history: Democrats have won gubernatorial races in this state for three decades. Economists, though, might credit the economy: Inslee campaigned largely on the promise to create a “stronger and growing economy” based on innovation and “new revolutions in health sciences and clean energy technology.”
We’ll side with the economists on this one, and congratulate Inslee on his victory and wish him well as he strives to unite Washington in pursuit of an economic recovery. Inslee is the kind of forward thinker who can connect the state’s high-tech and clean-energy components with economic recovery. As he boasted about his state during the campaign: “We invent, we create and we build.” And as a former state representative from Yakima and former Congressional representative from both eastern counties and the Puget Sound area, he’s got the political bona fides to claim the governor’s mansion.
Republican challenger Rob McKenna will be the first to agree that, in this race, there is no consolation prize. But -McKenna deserves credit for running an engaging and creative campaign of his own, drawing about 48 percent of the vote and winning 31 of the state’s 39 counties. In Clark County, the two-term state attorney general carried about 53 percent of the votes. But McKenna could not overcome the power of Puget Sound; in King County, he took only 38 percent of the votes.
Speaking of percentages, here’s one Inslee would be wise to post on the ‘fridge door at the governor’s mansion: 64.3 percent. That was the voters’ approval of Initiative 1185, which requires two-thirds legislative approval of tax increases. That percentage pairs conveniently with Inslee’s declaration that he will not need to increase taxes to balance a budget. When crunch time comes, the shadow of I-1185 will be as ominous as ever.
