The Seattle Times endorses Bob Ferguson for Governor of Washington State, leaving Democrats pleasantly surprised

Breaking with a tradition of often backing Republicans in marquee races, Washington’s newspaper of record has decided to endorse Bob Ferguson for the state’s top job. In an unsigned endorsement published today, the Seattle Times editorial board urged voters to make Ferguson the state’s next governor, declaring: “Ferguson has delivered positive results for the state. His values largely mirror those of most Washingtonians. He will not be overwhelmed by the job. Voters ought to choose Bob Ferguson for governor.”

Ferguson, fifty-nine, is the state’s current Attorney General and the 2024 frontrunner for governor according to the Northwest Progressive Institute’s electoral polling. He was first elected to statewide office in 2012, defeating then-fellow King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, a Republican, and was reelected in 2016 and 2020.

Ferguson launched his long-expected campaign for governor after incumbent Jay Inslee decided against seeking an unprecedented fourth term last year. For many years, political prognosticators assumed he’d be competing for the position against King County Executive Dow Constantine and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who also had gubernatorial ambitions. But Constantine decided against running and Franz was only in the race for a few months before pivoting to running for Congress in WA-06.

That altered the dynamics of the contest considerably.

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/07/the-seattle-times-endorses-bob-ferguson-for-governor-of-washington-state-leaving-democrats-pleasantly-surprised.html