Dem Gubernatorial Hopeful Bob Ferguson Stops by Wenatchee Valley
Outgoing Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson was in the Wenatchee Valley this week to chop it up with workers and union reps. Ferguson, a Democrat, is his party's gubernatorial frontrunner.
It was a busy Wednesday indeed for Mr. Ferguson. His first stop was the Wenatchee Convention Center; there he spoke before the Washington State Labor Council, an offshoot of the redoubtable AFL-CIO. (Click here to read about the nexus between labor and Democratic Party politics.)
Ferguson then toured the Wenatchee Area Technical Training Site. Students there are working toward an electrician certification. Also along for the tour was handyman-turned-policymaker Matthew Hepner, a Democrat who sits on the East Wenatchee City Council.
Throughout his public life, Ferguson has been tarred by GOP critics as an elitist, someone who cares chiefly about advancing the personal prerogatives of the upper crust. But dozens of labor unions - including IBEW Local 191 - have endorsed Ferguson's run for governor.
(In fairness, police and fire unions are largely partial to Republican frontrunner Dave Reichert. It's an understatement to call Reichert a law-and-order guy; he was King County Sheriff in a previous life.)
The longtime AG is nothing if not geographically thorough. Per the campaign's self-reporting, Ferguson has visited all 39 counties in Washington.
The state primary takes place on Aug. 6. Assume that Ferguson and Reichert advance to the general election (this outcome is looking increasingly inevitable). In that event, Ferguson would likely emerge on top; he leads Reichert by nine points according to the latest polling data.