#jay inslee

Harris/Walz are running about 20 points ahead of Trump statewide—currently, they're further ahead here than in Oregon or California. They're winning in Whitman County in eastern Washington and came within a few of points of winning Spokane County. Clark County, which is adjacent to the border with Oregon and contains the Portland suburb of Vancouver WA, can be a lot "swingier" than Multnomah County just to the south (which contains Portland) and a ballot box was literally blown up there to screw with the election results. Clark County worked to get new ballots to everyone affected and Harris is not only clearly winning in Clark, but further ahead than Biden in 2020—leading Trump by nearly 10 points iirc.

One of the few politicians I truly like, my beloved governor Jay Inslee, is stepping down, and had endorsed his Democratic AG, Bob Ferguson. Ferguson is easily winning the state, though not leading as much as Harris is, which is a kind of nice change from so many Democrats (including pretty mediocre ones) doing better than her, even though I've liked Ferguson as AG.

I will say that Ferguson was running against what goes for a good Republican candidate these days—a "moderate" with ties to King County (Seattle) who was not the first choice of the vile Washington GOP, but beat out some far-right assholes in the Republican primaries. For part of the campaign, it seemed like Reichert (the Republican candidate) might be "normal" enough and local enough to conceivably eke out a win, but in the event, Ferguson is ahead by double digits.

Our Democratic senator easily held her seat and also ran ahead of Ferguson in counties like Whitman.

Inslee's acknowledgment of Trump's win includes zero congratulations or unity blather, but instead remarks that Washington State sued the first Trump administration 97 times and won 95 of those cases while he was still president, and we will do it again if we have to (these suits were of course driven by AG Ferguson, now our governor-elect).

For the first time in generations, Washington Democrats actually won every statewide elected office—there are nine of them and the margins of the victories vary a lot, but the GOP failed to win even one, and the state government remains a Democratic trifecta as well.

There were four deceptively-worded, Republican-funded, corporate bullshit initiatives on the state ballot this year. Three are already dead in the water. As Governor Inslee put it, "Washingtonians sent an unequivocal message that they want action on pollution and climate change. Washingtonians also made clear they want to preserve the equity of our tax system with the capital gains tax on the super wealthy. When they or a loved one need long-term care, they want the WA Cares Act to be there for them." Yup!

Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (a current Democrat in the House) is still leading in the Trumpy WA-3 district, which redistricting only made redder than it was before (when her victory was considered one of the biggest House upsets of the year). She's about three points ahead still.

1st: Incumbent Renominated Gubernatorial DILFS -- Phil Scott, Greg Gianforte, Spencer Cox

Scott and Gianforte are the cream of the crop. Cox is just barely daddy-ish for me. Although, he's anti-Trump which helps. Still, he doesn't hold a candle to his opponent, Brian King:

If we were voting on looks alone, mine would go: Scott, Gianforte, and King.

2nd: Retiring/Term-Limited Incumbent Gubernatorial DILFs

Jay Inslee, Chris Sununu, Doug Burgum, Jim Justice, Eric Holcomb, John Carney, Mike Parson, Roy Cooper

And finally, the remaining DILFs in the 2024 U.S. gubernatorial elections:

North Dakota -- Kelly Armstrong < Merrill Piepkorn

Washington -- Bob Ferguson < Dave Reichert

Delaware -- Matt Meyer > Michael Ramone

West Virginia -- Patrick Morrisey < Steve Williams

And the remaining DILF candidates:

(Reposted from Spoutible.com)

It is terrible that we've reached the point where this is necessary, but given what has already occurred, and the ongoing threats being made, this is only responsible government.

MAGA Republicans will fear-monger about it. They will probably try to falsely claim that this is a "coup" or "martial law" as Whataboutism to cover their own plans for such. Ignore them. Their inflammatory rhetoric is why this is necessary.

Also, if you have not yet voted/need to vote in person on Election Day, don't let the fear of unrest deter you from doing so. This action is being taken to ensure that you CAN cast your vote in safety, and have it fairly counted.

These are four of the surrogates that we plan to lean on heavily during the campaign. We’ve assigned surrogates to various regions and marked them as main or back-up, but both will be leaned on in ways that speaks to the strengths of the surrogate.

Southwest (AZ and NV)

Main: Senator Mark Kelly—a former astronaut and current Senator from Arizona, Mark Kelly’s focus on science, healthcare, and veterans’ issues aligns with the Harris-Walz campaign’s platform. His work to protect voting rights and his commitment to bipartisan solutions make him a key voice in the Southwest. Kelly’s credibility and appeal to both independent and moderate voters strengthen the campaign’s outreach in a critical battleground state.

Back-up: Governor Katie Hobbs—a vocal advocate for voting rights, reproductive health, and public education. Her leadership in protecting democracy and her efforts to expand healthcare access are closely aligned with the Harris-Walz campaign’s goals. Hobbs’ work in a battleground state like Arizona is crucial in securing support in the Southwest, particularly among women and young voters.

Pacific Northwest (OR and WA)

Governor Jay Inslee—having a strong stance on climate change and renewable energy has allowed Inslee to make environmental stewardship a cornerstone of his political career. His expertise on environmental issues and his successful leadership in one of the nation’s most progressive states align with the Harris-Walz campaign’s focus on sustainability. Inslee’s commitment to combating climate change makes him an invaluable surrogate in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, particularly among environmentally conscious voters.

Seaboard (NJ, DE, MD, DC)

“OLYMPIA — Minors seeking gender-affirming care in Washington will be protected from the intervention of estranged parents under a measure Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Tuesday.

The new law is part of a wave of legislation this year in Democratic-led states intended to give refuge amid a conservative movement in which lawmakers in other states have attacked transgender rights and limited or banned gender-affirming care for minors.