With 19 months remaining in his time as governor, it is too early to fully assess Jay Inslee’s tenure. There is plenty of work left to do, including a regular legislative session next year and perhaps a special session this year.
But with Inslee’s announcement Monday that he will not seek an unprecedented fourth term next year, it is not too soon to speculate about his successor. Most important, it is not too soon to urge Republicans to put forth a worthy challenger for an office that has been held by Democrats since January 1985.
John Spellman was Washington’s most recent Republican governor, serving one term before being defeated by Booth Gardner. Following Gardner’s two terms, a string of four Democratic governors have been elected.
Indeed, that reflects the populace of the state, which is increasingly blue; as further proof, Washington has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since Slade Gorton won reelection in 1994. But it also reflects the diminishing status of the Republican Party in our state.
In 2020, Republican Loren Culp advanced to the general election by receiving 17 percent of the vote in a 36-person primary. Culp then lost the general election to Inslee by 13 percentage points.
As the entirety of the police force in the city of Republic, Culp was ill-equipped to challenge Inslee, let alone govern a state of more than 7 million people. The result was more of a coronation than an election, with the public deprived of robust policy debates between two qualified candidates.
Part of the reason for that is that qualified Republican leaders in the state likely recognized the futility of challenging Inslee as he sought a third term. But part of it also the Trumpification of the Republican Party, a change that might play well in some states but is a path to guaranteed self-destruction in Washington.
Voters in this state deserve better from Republicans. With the deep-blue Seattle metro area accounting for 52 percent of Washington’s population, Republicans face a difficult battle in statewide elections. And candidates who embrace the caustic politics of the most recent Republican president have no chance of winning over centrists.
Thus, with the governorship open next year, Republicans in Washington find themselves at a crossroads. They can continue to embrace the abrasiveness of a twice-impeached president or they can honestly reflect upon what it takes to win a statewide election. In other words, they can keep digging or they can put down the shovel.
Inslee’s decision to not seek reelection will lead to much speculation about the Democratic side of the ledger. Bob Ferguson, who is in his third term as state attorney general, is widely seen as the heir apparent. Hilary Franz, in her second term as state commissioner of public lands, has expressed interest in running for governor. Both have proven they can win statewide elections; both are engaging personalities who are formidable campaigners and fundraisers; both are Democrats, which is a significant advantage in Washington.
Other Democratic names also will be floated in the tide of speculation that is certain to follow Inslee’s announcement. The party is certain to settle upon a well-qualified candidate who has a modicum of statewide name recognition.
But the initial concern is with Republicans in the state. Even if the governor’s office remains inhabited by Democrats, it is important that voters be given a reasonable choice and meaningful debates about the direction of our state.
