By Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard

When the two men vying to be Washington’s next governor debated last week in Seattle, Republican Dave Reichert seemed rattled and unprepared, stumbling through answers and unable to respond to Democrat Bob Ferguson’s criticisms.

Even Reichert’s appearance – no jacket, no tie – signaled to some that he might not be taking this endeavor seriously.

Wednesday, when they met again in Spokane, the former congressman came in a suit and tie, and with his talking points ready.

“A Democrat House, a Democrat Senate working together with, yes, a Republican governor. Mind-blowing, right?,” he said in his closing comments to the audience in Fox Theater. “We can show the country what it means for a divided state like Washington to come together to fix what’s broken, change what’s wrong and do what’s right.”

His closing offered a contrast to Ferguson, the state attorney general, who followed and sought to cast himself as the reformer who would change the culture of government in tackling the myriad challenges facing the state, on issues ranging from crime to housing costs to education.

“You had a chance to hear two very different visions for the state of Washington,” Ferguson said. “I have never been satisfied with the status quo. We need a governor who is a change agent, at the same time a governor who will defend our core freedoms.”

For Reichert, it was a stronger performance. Whether it’s enough to change the direction of his campaign is unclear.

Ferguson hammered Reichert for past positions on issues like abortion and climate change that could hurt the GOP contender’s appeal with the moderate voters he would need to win.

And Democrats have had a lock on the job for 40 years, winning every gubernatorial election since 1984.

Ferguson won last month’s statewide primary with 44.9% of the vote followed by Reichert with 27.5%. At this stage, Ferguson has raised twice as much money as Reichert and recent statewide polling shows him with a comfortable lead among voters.

As he tries to gain traction, Reichert is zeroed in on Ferguson’s tenure as attorney general, seeking to tie him to policies put in place by retiring Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and the Democratic-controlled Legislature – policies he says are to blame for residents’ concerns about public safety and higher costs of living.

The winner of the Nov. 5 election will be Washington’s first new governor in 12 years.

The debate, hosted by the Association of Washington Business and Greater Spokane Inc., was likely the final time the two men will share a stage in this election.

Here are three notable takeaways.

Agreement on abortion

Ferguson contends abortion is the most critical difference between he and Reichert, who voted while in Congress to ban most abortions after 20 weeks. He assails his opponent for voting in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood.

On Wednesday, given a chance to question each other, Ferguson asked Reichert to explain to the women of Washington state why he wanted to unravel the state’s reproductive freedom laws.

Reichert said he doesn’t and he won’t. “I will protect your rights ladies. You have the right to make that choice.”

Later, each said they support the laws on the books regarding abortion, including the state’s stockpiling of the abortion drug, mifepristone.

DEI

Reichert was asked what guidance he would give to the executive branch’s Office of Equity in light of growing opposition to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in government, schools and businesses.

“We all need to treat each other with respect and dignity. Do we really need a curriculum to teach people how to relate to each other, be kind to each other, respect each other no matter what color, race, creed or religion,” he said. “I don’t agree with DEI but do agree with treating people with respect.”

Ferguson seized on those comments, pointing to remarks by Reichert opposing marriage equality.

“You talk about treating everybody with respect. You said marriage is only between a man and woman, and I’m sorry, but that stings for LGBTQ Washingtonians. And I want those individuals to know that they have a choice of a governor who supports their freedom to marry the person they love,” he said.

Reichert responded sharply, saying Ferguson lied about his position.

“I happen to believe a marriage is between a man and a woman. That’s my faith,” he said. “You have the right to choose who you love. I am not going to impose my religion on you.”

Donald Trump never came up

Throughout the first debate, Ferguson worked tirelessly to tie Reichert to former president Donald Trump, who is this year’s GOP presidential nominee.

He mentioned Trump so often that Reichert – who would publicly declare he would not vote for Trump or the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris – snapped: “You’re obsessed with Donald Trump. I’ve moved past that.”

On Wednesday, Ferguson didn’t bring up the former president.

How are the campaigns spinning it?

“The contrast on the other side of the stage was hard to miss, as anti-choice Congressman Dave Reichert struggled for the second week in a row to explain his repeated votes for banning abortions while in Congress,” Bayley Burgess, Ferguson’s campaign manager said in a statement after the debate. “No matter what he says to mislead voters, the recordings of Reichert behind closed doors speak for themselves: he supports Trump and loves Trump’s policies, he supports a national abortion ban, and he doesn’t believe climate change is man-made.”

Jeff Harvey, a senior political advisor to Reichert, said: “Bob Ferguson lied, deflected, and spread fear to hide from taking responsibility for the failures of the status quo, which he supports, over the last 12 years since he’s been Attorney General. Voters are fed up and are demanding change. They know we literally can’t afford another four years of the same failed policies that have made the state of Washington one of the most expensive states to raise a family… It’s time to break up the status quo. Bob Ferguson won’t do that. Dave Reichert will.”

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