Republican candidate for Washington’s Lt. Governor proposes abolishing office if elected

Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Ann Davison Sattler has a plan for when she’s elected, and it’s to abolish the office. She says she’s looking at the state budget shortfall, and it just simply doesn’t make sense to keep the lieutenant governor office in place, at least not right now.

“Well, first and foremost, I would not, or anyone who holds that office, have the authority to unilaterally do that,” Davison Sattler told the Jason Rantz Show. “… What I’m doing is just putting it on the deck for consideration because I think when we’re looking down the tunnel of this massive budget shortfall, the first thing we must do is everything needs to be on the table and look at whether or not it is necessary and essential to run our state government.”

In Washington state, the state Legislature can abolish the offices of lieutenant governor, the auditor, and the commissioner of public lands.

“I’m saying that, look, I’m not in this for political gain. I want to make sure that we’re taking care of Washington, and that means taking care of the tax dollars, so that even if I got that office, I would put that on the table because I think that that needs to be first and foremost,” Davison Sattler said.

Jason asked Davison Sattler if she could be more useful actually using the power she’d get if elected lieutenant governor. Why would a Republican vote for Davison Sattler, if she’s not going to use the position to promote conservative principles?

“I absolutely would use it for that reason,” she said. “And then I ask you to look at our current state Legislature. Do you think the Democrats are going vote to eliminate a place where they like to park somebody? …  I still think I would have a platform. I don’t think that it could be taken away. I would have the notoriety that this is done because we’re looking at tax savings and I still think I would have a useful voice.”

Davison Sattler said she can and would continue to advocate for the conservative side, “which is not present here in Seattle.”

“I would willingly serve and happily be there,” she said. “But I’m saying that we do need to make sure that before we look at tax increases, everything needs to be looked as essential or not, and if it’s not then we need to be willing to cut back. And I’m saying I would put myself on the line as well.”

Davison Sattler emphasized the importance of ensuring there’s a Republican in the lieutenant governor seat. To which Jason said he would rather have a Republican in office who’s going to stay in that office, even if it means being surrounded by other Democrats. At least it would be another Republican that supporters could count on to bring attention, from the position of lieutenant governor, to the issues.

Davison Sattler assured that the sole purpose of her running is not to abolish the position.

“Make no mistake, when I announced in January I was set on doing what I was doing in the city of Seattle last year, nothing has changed on that,” she said. “What I have said is COVID-19 has come upon us, so this was never the sole reason for me running for this seat.”

“It doesn’t change my platform,” she added. “And why I was running. Again, homelessness, public safety, addiction, and mental health, and then above those are political balance and fiscal responsibility.”

She does not expect, if elected, that the position would be removed day one either.

“Before that, I would be in there and I would serve Washington,” she said.

“Look, we have to have ideas,” she added. “They don’t always live. They don’t always die. We have to make sure that we’re talking about every dollar. … I am going to be an impactful leader for our state because we don’t have anyone in the position that I’m in, someone who has been in both parties, someone who was willing to put everything on the line whether it’s politically convenient or uncomfortable, it doesn’t matter. We have got to set foot on the right path for Washington, and I’m going to do that.”

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