Election 2024: Washington State Governor (Live results)

Former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, a two-term sheriff known for helping to hunt down a prolific serial killer, is trying to become Washington’s first GOP governor in 40 years. But he faces a difficult hurdle in the Democratic stronghold against longtime Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a darling of liberals for his many lawsuits against the Trump administration.

The two candidates have spent months trading accusations of dishonesty, especially when it comes to abortion rights, as they fight to lead a state that hasn’t had an open race for its top job in more than a decade.

They are seeking to replace Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, the longest serving governor in office in the country, who declined to seek a fourth term.

Reichert, 74, has struggled to gain widespread appeal among independent and moderate Democratic voters — or unified support from the state Republican party, which endorsed a rival in the primary. And as ballots are sent out in the vote-by-mail state, his path to victory appears increasingly shaky.

“I think not only has the partisan lean moved more towards the Democrats over the last decade or two in the state, but also the Republican Party has become less united, especially since 2016,” said Cornell Clayton, director of Washington State University’s Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service. “And that hurts Republican candidates.”

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