(USNewsMag.com) – On May 1, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, 72, announced that he will not be running for reelection in 2024. In making his announcement, Inslee stated he is “ready to pass the torch.”
Climate change was central to Inslee’s agenda, signing many bills that addressed the issues, such as caps on emissions. He enacted a paid leave of 16 weeks for Washington state.
Inslee first entered politics when he was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1988. In 1992, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving the 4th congressional district. He failed to get re-elected in 1994. He first ran for governor in 1996, though he did not get elected. He was elected again to the House in 1998, representing the 1st congressional district for six consecutive terms.
In 2012, Inslee was elected as governor, winning a tight race against the then-Washington attorney general Rob McKenna. He was elected to a second term in 2016. He was elected to a third term in 2020, winning by more than 10 points. In 2020, Inslee also ran in the Democratic presidential primary before dropping out to run for his third term as governor.
Inslee is the longest serving current governor. Inslee is the first governor to be elected to a third term in Washington state in over 40 years. Inslee is the second person to serve three terms as governor. Dan Evans, a Republican, was the first to serve three consecutive terms as governor. Arthur Langlie, a Republican, also served three terms.
Republicans have tried to make inroads in the state that is seen as reliably Democrat. Though no candidates have announced they are running yet, it speculated that the attorney general Bob Ferguson, and Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz could be considering running on the Democrat side. On the Republican side, former Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who represented the 3rd District, has indicated she is interested in potentially running.
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