GOP Gubernatorial Debate Preview: Are These The Only Choices?
Pro-Trump, Anti-Science GOP Candidates for Governor Fail to Inspire
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | July 9, 2020
It’s debate night for the GOP candidates for governor! Amid anti-science and mask declarations, these Trump-loving candidates have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons.
Chair thief Tim Eyman: Mr. Eyman is accustomed to bad headlines, but his unhinged and deplorable comparisons between the cop who murdered George Floyd and Governor Inslee’s actions to protect Washington from COVID are beyond the pale. Did Eyman apologize? Of course not. Instead, he and his lawyer continued to use inappropriate and inflammatory racial language to describe himself as a victim. Eyman is also fervently anti-mask, calling for mask disobedience, and describing mask-wearing to prevent the spread as COVID as “the dumbest thing you could ever do.” He said Governor Inslee’s mask order was, “It was beyond dumb, embarrassingly stupid, ABSOLUTE IDIOCY.” The only thing dumb and embarrassingly stupid are those comments from Mr. Eyman.
Police Chief Loren Culp: A man who came to fame defying a voter-approved initiative to enact common-sense gun safety reforms and that won with nearly 60% of the vote — continues to deny public health guidelines. He has opposed wearing masks, saying, “I will not comply. You can take your masks and do you-know-what with it.” Culp has also been in the news for using his campaign to enhance his book sales for personal benefit. And most alarming, Culp was accused in a lawsuit of “botching a child sexual-abuse investigation and intimidating the victim.” As the victim alleged Culp’s failure to protect her and that he accused her of “made up” allegations, Mr. Culp defended himself saying of the man who eventually pled guilty to abusing a 12-year old, “Not everyone who takes a plea deal is actually guilty.”
Former Mayor Joshua Freed — Longtime Trump supported and the self-proclaimed favorite of the Republican Governors Association and the Trump Campaign, Freed has already embarrassed himself donating — and then un-donating — $500,000 to his own campaign. Today it was reported Mr. Freed pandered to anti-vaxxers, while cozying up to domestic terrorist Rep. Matt Shea. This isn’t the type of judgment Washington state needs right now.
These scandal-ridden candidates are unfit to lead our state, especially during such a challenging time. Their anti-health stance is a dangerous attack on all Washingtonians and flies in the face of our shared goal to reopen our economy and get back to work safely and responsibly. They are free to support Trump and his divisive, failed agenda, but 64% of voters in Washington disapprove of his presidency.
“All the Republicans running for Governor are offering is a two-bit impression of Donald Trump: erratic leadership that sows nothing but chaos,” said Tina Podlodowski, Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party. “Thankfully, Washingtonians have Governor Inslee’s strong, steady leadership to depend on during this crisis and can rely on a proven leader as we begin rebuilding our economy from this pandemic.”
