WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson announces bid for governor, campaign trip around state
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday that he will run for governor in 2024.
An exploratory committee has been formally launched, according to a press release from his campaign office, and Ferguson, a Democrat, will spend the next few weeks traveling across Washington.
“I have never been afraid to take on big challenges, and I’ve never forgotten who I’m fighting for,” Ferguson said in the news release. “I look forward to listening and learning from Washingtonians in every county and corner of this great state.”
His trip will start in Eastern Washington and stops will include “public appearances, house parties, meetings with tribal governments, business leaders, and elected officials.”
Under a continuation of his policy as AG, the exploratory committee will not accept campaign donations from large corporations, Ferguson’s news release said.
Ferguson, a Democrat, was first elected attorney general in 2012, taking office in 2013, and was last elected to the position in 2020.
During his tenure, he has fought and won several lawsuits against former President Donald Trump’s Administration, including a lawsuit against the administration’s family separation policies at the border.
In 2019 Fergson also filed a lawsuit against McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp., the three largest opiod distributors, for their negligence in the opiod epidemic. In 2022, Ferguson announced a resolution in the case and the three distributors were required to pay Washington state a total of $518 million.
Prior to his time as AG, Ferguson served as a King County Council Member from 2003 until 2013.
Ferguson’s announcement comes one day after current Gov. Jay Inslee announced that he will not seek a fourth term.
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 10:34 AM.
