WASHINGTON – Republican Dave Reichert and Democrat Bob Ferguson will face off against each other in the race to be Washington’s next governor.
Even though the votes have yet to be finalized, both candidates have garnered over 70% of the overall votes.
“I did not have on my bingo card the results that we saw last night,” Ferguson said.
Both candidates are hoping to build off this momentum in the months leading up to the general election this November.
“Never give up,” Reichert said. “Never give up hope, never give up faith.”
Reichert spoke with his supporters Tuesday night after witnessing his primary win. He told 4 News Now Wednesday he is staying motivated by his family.
“I have three children, six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and I’m working for them to make this a better state to live in,” Reichert said.
Both candidates face a challenging race ahead. One main hurdle: addressing voter turnout.
“I’ll have to be honest with you, I am a little disappointed that so few people turned out to vote,” said Reichert. “We should exercise our right to vote. People have given their lives.”
On Wednesday, Democrat candidate Bob Ferguson explained the main policies he’s focused on.
“The overwhelming majority of Washingtonians care about reproductive freedom,” Ferguson said. “They care about marriage equality, they care about all the issues we’re talking about today. An issue I head about a lot was affordable housing. That’s a message we hammered home in jurisdiction after jurisdiction. People care about the opioid epidemic.”
Across the political aisle, if Reichert is elected, it will be the first time in 40 years the state of Washington would see a Republican governor.
“I think I will be able to set an example for what a servant-based government can look like,” Reichert said. “An honest government that’s focused on serving the people of Washington state and set an example for the rest of the states across the nation.”
Both candidates are fully aware they need to keep earning votes across the state. Both said now is the most challenging leg of the race to the governor’s seat.
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