And then there was one: 2 Bob Fergusons drop out of race for Washington governor (2024)

In addition to current Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, two other men with the same name filed for the race Friday afternoon.

SEATTLE — After a weekend of controversy, there will be just one Bob Ferguson appearing on Washington’s August primary ballot.

Two other Bob Fergusons, who filed late Friday, have both withdrawn their names for consideration. That leaves the state’s current attorney general as the only Bob Ferguson on the ballot in the race to be Washington's governor.

On Monday morning, Ferguson had some hard words for the other two candidates sharing his name.

"I want to be very clear; this is not an attack on me. It's an attack on our election system. Attack on our democracy,” Bob Ferguson said during a news conference.

One Ferguson who filed on Friday to run for governor is from Yakima, and the other Ferguson is from Graham.

Ferguson said both of the other Bob Fergusons had the same campaign manager, a man named Glen Morgan. Ferguson's campaign calls Glen Morgan a far-right activist.

"Their goal is to mislead voters and split my supporters three ways to depress my vote totals and keep me from moving into the top two in the general election,” said Ferguson.

Washington Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Reichert, a former congressman and King County Sheriff, said he condemns the action.

"It's a move that confuses voters and I don't want to win that way so I was disappointed to see those other two names added," said Reichert.

Semi Bird, another Republican gubernatorial candidate, said it's Attorney General Ferguson who is responsible for undermining democracy.

"I find Bob Ferguson's whining about the '3 Bobs' to be completely disingenuous when he has presided over the consistent decline of our public safety system and has personally gone out of his way to infringe upon the constitutional rights of Washington state citizens on a myriad of topics," Bird said in a statement. "Bob Ferguson is directly responsible for 'undermining democracy' in Washington state and will be held accountable via the vote of citizens who are fed up with career politicians and seek positive change and common sense governance."

The top two candidates with the most votes in the August primary will advance to the November general election ballot. Jim Walsh, the chairman of the state's Republican Party, calls it a flawed system.

"I am encouraged to see the current attorney general so worked up about a class B felony. For ten years, he has been ignoring class B felonies in the state of Washington,” Walsh added.

Former King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said that he suspects the other Bob Fergusons "weren't told that this little prank was a Class B felony that could land them in prison."

It is a felony to declare as a candidate for public office under the name of a fictitious person, a false name, or in using the name of an incumbent or candidate who has already filed “with intent to confuse and mislead” the voting public, according to a statement released on Monday by the Office of the Secretary of State.

“Voters deserve good-faith candidates who are running on the strength of their ideas to make Washington a better place to live and work, not people who pay a filing fee just to manipulate elections,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “Washington’s long history of free and fair elections must be protected and preserved in every year and campaign cycle.”

KING 5 reached out to Morgan, and the two other Bob Fergusons on Monday, but did not immediately receive a response.

The Bob Ferguson from Graham posted a statement to his campaign website, saying, "It is with a heavy heart, and under duress, that I am withdrawing from the Governor’s race."

"For 20 years, I wore the uniform of the U.S. Army and defended this great nation. I am, and will always be, grateful for the opportunity to serve and work alongside great many Americans that also wanted to protect this country," said Bob Ferguson of Graham in a statement.

He said since his candidacy was announced he's faced harassment and the threat of legal action unless he withdrew.

"The threats made to my family and I, along with the shady tactics used to deliver messages, do not frighten or intimidate me. It is unfair to my family, friends, and supporters to deal with bullish behavior by someone that is too afraid to stand toe-to-toe with me.

"For that reason, I rescind my candidacy," the statement from the Graham Bob Ferguson read, in part.

The general election is Nov. 5.

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And then there was one: 2 Bob Fergusons drop out of race for Washington governor (2024)

FAQs

Has Washington state ever had a Republican governor? ›

In the November 1984 general election, Spellman was defeated by Booth Gardner, and no Republican has served as governor of Washington since.

Who was the first governor of Washington state? ›

Territorial governors were appointed by the president of the United States. Elisha P. Ferry had the longest term of eight years and went on to become the state's first governor.

Has any state ever had a black governor? ›

Democrat Deval Patrick was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2007 and served two terms. He is now a professor at Harvard University. David Paterson, the only other contemporary Black governor, served as New York's governor when he finished the remainder of former Gov.

When was the last time Washington had a Republican governor? ›

STATE GOVERNORS
NameAffiliationAssumed Office
Albert Dean RoselliniDemocrat01/14/1957 01/09/1961
Daniel Jackson EvansRepublican01/11/1965 01/13/1969 01/08/1973
Dixy Lee RayDemocrat01/12/1977
John Dennis SpellmanRepublican01/14/1981
19 more rows

Who was the youngest governor of Washington state? ›

At 40, Langlie was the youngest governor in the history of the state until Daniel Jackson Evans took office in 1965 at 39.

Who was the governor of Washington that ran for president? ›

Inslee was reelected to a second term in 2016. He was briefly a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. He was reelected to a third term as governor in 2020.

Has Washington had a female governor? ›

Christine Gregoire (/ˈɡrɛɡwɑːr/; née O'Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008.

How many governors have been Republican? ›

As of January 2024, there were 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats holding the office of governor in the states. There are 4 Democrats and 1 Republican (one is also a member of the New Progressive Party) as governor of United States Territories and Mayor of the District of Columbia.

Was Dixie Lee Ray a Republican or Democrat? ›

Has WA had a female governor? ›

A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington. Gregoire chaired the National Governors Association for the 2010–2011 term.

Has any president been a governor? ›

20 presidents previously served as governors; 17 presidents were state governors; 9 were governors immediately before election as presidents. Two, William Henry Harrison and William Howard Taft, served as territorial governors.

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