Bob Ferguson faces recall effort after failing to fill state campaign finance commission seats
Apr 7, 2026, 11:42 AM | Updated: 2:51 pm
Governor Bob Ferguson signs bills from the 2026 legislative session into law. (Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office)
(Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office)
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson is facing a recall effort after he failed to promptly fill multiple seats on the Public Disclosure Commission.
Ferguson, who’s in the second year of his first term as governor, was tasked with filling two seats on the Public Disclosure Commission — a commission that enforces state campaign finance laws — within 30 days of the seats becoming vacant, per state law.
First reported by The Washington State Standard, one of the seats has been open for nearly all of Ferguson’s tenure as governor. Commissioner Allen Hayward resigned in January 2025, while Commissioner Nancy Isserlis stepped down from her seat that August.
Ferguson “constitutes wrongful conduct that affects, interrupts, or interferes with the performance of his official duty,” Attorney Conner Edwards wrote in the petition. “First, the position (Pos. 2) held by Allen Hayward was vacated by him on February 1, 2025. Accordingly, Gov. Ferguson was obligated to fill this vacancy by 3/3/25. As of today, the Governor has waited 394 days past the statutory deadline to fill this vacancy. Second, the position (Pos. 3) held by Nancy Isserlis was vacated by her on August 31, 2025. Accordingly, Gov. Ferguson was obligated to fill this vacancy by 9/30/25. As of today, the Governor has waited 183 days past the statutory deadline to fill this vacancy.”
Edwards is known as a “prodigious filer of campaign finance complaints,” according to The Washington State Standard.
The petition was formally filed on April 1.
“Our office has been actively working to fill the vacancies, and will continue to do so,” Brionna Aho, Ferguson’s communications director, wrote in an email to The Washington State Standard. “We will provide a more detailed response in the response to the petition.”
For the recall measure to go before voters, it would need to collect at least 965,000 signatures once a Thurston County Superior Court judge determines whether the recall is legally sufficient to proceed.
Additionally, Edwards clarified he will back off his attempt to recall Ferguson if he fills the commission’s seats soon.
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