Taxes, crime, abortion rights take center stage in WA gubernatorial debate
Sep 10, 2024, 10:08 PM | Updated: Sep 11, 2024, 3:13 pm
Democrat Bob Ferguson, left, and Republican Dave Reichert, right, take part in the Washington gubernatorial debate hosted by KING 5, The Seattle Times, KREM 2, and El Sol de Yakima on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in Seattle. (Photo: Jennifer Buchanan, The Seattle Times)
(Photo: Jennifer Buchanan, The Seattle Times)
The hot topics in Tuesday night’s Washington gubernatorial debate were taxes, crime, and abortion. KING 5, The Seattle Times, KREM 2, and El Sol de Yakima were the hosts for the debate.
Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert squared off about state spending. Reichert said if elected, he would veto any new taxes that were proposed while Ferguson explained he wanted to run the state “like a business” and find what programs were working and identify those that weren’t.
Reichert accused Ferguson of being soft on crime and that instead of supporting the hiring of more law enforcement officers in the state, he focused on letting the number of attorneys in his office swell to 800.
“I think it’s clear that I’m the only public safety candidate in this race,” Reichert said.
Jason Rantz: KING 5 gubernatorial debate was embarrassing and a waste of time
Ferguson countered with saying Reichert supports a convicted felon in former President Donald Trump.
“In that race for president, I support a prosecutor. You support a convicted felon,” Ferguson said. “So you have no standing to say you are somehow the only public safety candidate.”
“I hate to disappoint you Bob, but I’m not supporting Mr. Trump,” Reichert said.
Presidential debate: Harris, Trump detail their starkly different visions in a tense, high-stakes debate
Police agencies throughout the state are understaffed due to a multitude of issues including the “defund the police” movement and recruitment problems. Washington ranks 51st out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in police per capita.
When it came to abortion rights, Ferguson said he was clearly pro-choice while accusing Reichert of voting for a ban on abortion. Reichert called that a lie saying the bills he supported allowed for abortions 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
Reichert emphasized his humble beginnings in the Renton Highlands and his career in the sheriff’s office. Ferguson highlighted his consumer oriented lawsuits that he said his office prosecuted successfully.
Ferguson and Reichert will debate again in a week on Sept. 18.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X here and email him here.
