Washington gubernatorial debate pits attorney general vs. ex-sheriff who helped nab serial killer

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington’s longtime attorney general and a former sheriff known for his work hunting down the Green River serial killer are going head-to-head in a debate Wednesday evening as they vie to become the next governor of the Democratic stronghold state, which hasn’t had an open race for its top job in more than a decade.

Bob Ferguson, a Democrat who has been attorney general since 2013, will face ex-sheriff and former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, a Republican, in Spokane in a debate hosted by the Association of Washington Business and Greater Spokane Inc.

With no Republican having held the governor’s post in nearly 40 years, Reichert faces an uphill battle in November. Ferguson received about 45% of the votes in the August primary to qualify for the general election, compared with about 27% for Reichert. Another Republican in that race, military veteran Semi Bird, got about 11% of the primary vote.

Under the state’s primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party with the top two finishers advancing to the general election.

Ferguson has been endorsed by state Democratic leaders including Patty Murray, president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, and Jay Inslee, who is the longest-serving governor in office in the nation and decided not to seek a fourth term.

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Reichert, who worked for 33 years at the King County Sheriff’s Office, including two terms in the top post, has been endorsed by dozens of sheriffs. King is the state’s most populous county, home to Seattle.

Reichert was the first county detective assigned to the case of the Green River Killer, named for the waterway where the first of 49 women’s bodies were found in 1982. Gary Ridgway was arrested and convicted in 2003, during Reichert’s second term as sheriff.

Public safety has been a key issue for both Ferguson and Reichert as the state experiences a rise in violent crime and has ranked last in the nation in law enforcement officers per capita for more than 12 years running, according to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police chiefs. Each candidate has vowed to hire more police.

Ferguson’s plan includes directing $100 million to help local jurisdictions bring more officers on board, including through hiring bonuses. Reichert has said elected officials need to show they support law enforcement, including by protecting qualified immunity laws, in order to recruit more officers.