SEATTLE, Wash. – Candidates for Washington governor took the stage in their first debate Tuesday night and public safety was at the forefront of their discussion.
Current Attorney General Bob Ferguson and former Congressman Dave Reichert are vying to replace Jay Inslee this November.
The debate was put on by KING 5, The Seattle Times, KREM 2 and El Sol de Yakima.
Over the course of the hour, candidates made their pitch. 4 News Now is fact checking some of the claims made in this debate.
Gun Control
Ferguson: “My opponent opposes the ban on the sale of high capacity magazines. My opponent even opposes universal background checks supported by more than 60% of Washingtonians.”
In July, Reichert did an interview with KOMO 4 News in Seattle. He was asked about his assault weapons and said, “”I think that if someone is intent on hurting or killing someone, they will find a way to do it no matter what weapon they use.”
Crime rate in Washington
Bob Ferguson was elected Washington Attorney General in 2012. Reichert says ever since then, crime has gone up.
Reichert: “Murders have almost doubled since the time he took office… Domestic violence is up 134%, crime has increased over the last 12 years.”
Number of law enforcement officers
While they don’t agree on much, the candidates did agree that Washington doesn’t have enough police officers.
Ferguson: “Washington state ranks last per capita in number of law enforcement officers we have.”
Reichert echoed that claim.
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