Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, will hang it up after this term.
Gov. Inslee has served three consecutive terms dating back to 2012, making him the longest tenured governor in the country.
In 2019, Inslee put his hat in the mix for President briefly before abandoning his candidacy and resuming his campaign for Governor of Washington.
His likely predecessor will be either Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson or Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz with little competition from Republicans. Washington is one of five states that conduct elections entirely by mail-in voting since the legislature made the switch in 2011. The other states that mail ballots to all voters are Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii.
According to Politico:
“It remains unclear how much interest the race will draw from Republicans. Inslee cruised by his Republican opponent Loren Culp by over 13 points in 2020, and Senate Republicans invested in the state in 2022 only for incumbent Democratic Sen. Patty Murray to win handily. But some early names on the GOP side include Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier and former Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler”
In a post Roe v. Wade nation, Gov. Inslee last week signed five abortion bills into law, ensuring access to abortions in the Evergreen State. The bills included waiving copays for those seeking abortions with private insurance, protections for doctors and other providers who provide abortions or gender-affirming care, and protections for those seeking abortions in Washington from outside the state. Inslee also signed a bill authorizing the Dept. of Corrections to purchase mifepristone after it was halted by a federal judge in Texas.
