Fact: It’s easier to vote Democratic or Republican than it is to vote for an individual candidate based upon their character. The answer for most people is that they will vote for someone based upon their party affiliation, trusting that the party knows what’s best for them and their interests.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. One major advantage is that party leaders are more expert at what’s happening politically. Most voters don’t understand the complex decisions and issues that they are presented with on the ballot. Voting a straight party ticket is easier and doesn’t require the voter to have to do their own research.

The disadvantage of voting a straight party ticket is that it requires party members to trust party leaders. The problem with this approach is that party leaders often have their own motives. It’s all about self-interest.

These issues will have an enormous impact upon Washington’s November election in two areas: first, the gubernatorial race between Attorney General Bob Ferguson and former King County sheriff Dave Reichert, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2005-2019. The second area is Initiative-2117.

Democrats have controlled the state legislature most of the time since 2005 and all of the time for governor’s office. The problem with this is that a lack of competition has made Democrats arrogant and dogmatic. This is especially true in Bob Ferguson’s case. A.G. Ferguson successfully and aggressively sued the Trump Administration over fifty times. He should be applauded for his actions. It has benefited the state and the nation. The advantage/disadvantage of this approach is that our A.G. has become a national figure with ambitions for national office beyond becoming Washington State’s governor.

A.G. Ferguson unsuccessfully spent over $4 million dollars prosecuting police officers in Tacoma’s Manny Ellis case, according to a recent article in the Tacoma News Tribune. The city and the state are now being sued for $47 million by one of the acquitted police officers. Did Ferguson sue because he cares about police racism, or was it because it would gain him state and national attention as someone who fought for Black rights? Juries usually provide us the answer through their verdicts.

Republican Representative Reichert is running at a disadvantage. The Washington State Republican Party endorsed Semi Bird, an ardent pro-Trump candidate. Bird had no chance of winning the governor’s race. Reichert does because he’s moderate. If Reichert came out strongly as pro-Trump, he would have won the party nomination, but lost in the general election. During the first debate, Ferguson unsuccessfully tried to tie Reichert to Trump, but was silenced by Reichert accusing Ferguson of being obsessed with Trump. Ferguson also accused Reichert of being anti-abortion. Reichert acknowledged he won’t vote for Trump or Harris. He doesn’t favor abortion, but will not act to change Washington’s abortion protections if he is elected governor. Reichert seems to be the better choice of the two.

The second issue that is deeply troubling about Ferguson and the current governor, Jay Inslee, is their opposition to I-2117, the tax-and-invest initiative which hopes to abolish the Climate Commitment Act. Democrats have not been transparent with whether the Act will actually be effective in cutting carbon emissions. The law that created CCA actually forbade PSE from publishing rising energy costs imposed by the CCA (mynorthwest.com 1/25/24).

The Democratically controlled state government has not released carbon dioxide pollution numbers to show the CCA’s effectiveness since 2019 (www.washingtonpolicy.org), even though it is required by state law. Ferguson conceded that he would improve the CCA if elected.

The Democrats current argument is that 45,000 high-paying jobs will be lost if I-2117 passes. Those jobs don’t yet exist in the state. The jobs seem to be in constructing electric ferries and buses. Of the three shipyards that are capable of building these ferries, only one is in Washington State, on Whidbey Island. The other two are in Florida and in Philadelphia, according to a Sept. 282024 Seattle Times article.

Voting for I-2117 is in the best interest of Washingtonians.

Do you vote according to party, or do you weigh the candidate’s character?

Neither political party is pristine in virtue or integrity. Vote Democratically on the national level to save us from another Trump presidency. On the state level, vote for the moderate Republican gubernatorial candidate, Dave Reichert, to end the 40-year Democratic chokehold on state politics. It’s time for a change.

Correction from last week’s article on the four state initiatives: I erred in saying voters should vote for I-2124. Voting for this initiative will overturn the long-term healthcare law which helps the poor and middle-income voters. Voting yes will benefit the rich. Vote no on I-2124.

Richard Elfers is a columnist, a former Enumclaw City Council member and a Green River College professor.