Governor debate in Washington revolves around taxes, crime and abortion rights

The hot topics in the gubernatorial debate in Washington on Tuesday night were taxes, crime and abortion.

Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert clashed over government spending. Reichert said if elected he would veto any proposed new taxes, while Ferguson said he wanted to run the state “like a business” and figure out which programs work and which don't.

Reichert accused Ferguson of being too soft on crime fighting. Instead of supporting the hiring of more police officers in the state, he focused on increasing the number of lawyers in his firm to 800.

“I think it’s clear that I’m the only public safety candidate in this race,” Reichert said.

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Ferguson countered that Reichert was supporting a convicted felon, former President Donald Trump.

“In this presidential race, I'm supporting a prosecutor. You're supporting a convicted felon,” Ferguson said. “So you have no right to say that you're somehow the only public safety candidate.”

“I'm sorry to disappoint you, Bob, but I do not support Mr. Trump,” Reichert said.

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Police departments across the state are understaffed due to a variety 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 the number of police officers per capita.

When it came to abortion rights, Ferguson said he was clearly pro-choice, while accusing Reichert of voting for an abortion ban. Reichert called this a lie, since the bills he supported allowed abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Reichert emphasized his humble beginnings in Renton Highlands and his career in the sheriff's office. Ferguson highlighted his consumer-focused lawsuits, which he said his office successfully pursued.

Ferguson and Reichert will debate again in a week on September 18.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X Here and send him an email here.