2 'Robert Fergusons' drop out of WA gov race after AG Ferguson sends notice they 'risk felony charges'
14 May 2024
On Friday, May 10 in Washington State, two Democratic candidates — both named Bob Ferguson — announced that they were running for governor, which is the same position Democratic Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is running for.
But only three days later, according to KOMO News in Seattle and The Seattle Times, both of them dropped out of the race. And they did that, the Times reports, after AG Ferguson warned that they would risk felony charges if they didn't.
The Washington State attorney general, according to The Seattle Times, "said his campaign had sent cease-and-desist letters to the other Bob Fergusons."
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The Seattle Times' Claire Withycombe reports, "Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs announced, in a news release…. that two of the three people who filed to run for governor under the name Bob Ferguson withdrew from the race before Monday's deadline. Bob Ferguson, who is currently serving as the state's attorney general, will remain on the ballot in position 11 of a field of 28 candidates, Hobbs said."
Now, there is only one Democrat, not three, running for governor of Washington State as Bob Ferguson.
AG Ferguson is slamming Glen Morgan, a right-wing activist, for what he considers an "illegal scheme" designed to "confuse voters" in the gubernatorial race.
After the two men entered the race on May 10, Morgan posted, on Facebook, "Yes, I am the volunteer campaign manager for two of the Bob Fergusons running for Governor. They are both superior in every way to the AG running for the same office, and I believe they can provide better choices for the Democrats in our state for that office."
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On X, formerly Twitter, AG Ferguson posted, "News reports confirm that a right-wing conservative paid the filing fee for two other unknown 'Bob Fergusons.' The intent is clear — confuse voters and diminish votes. The stakes could not be higher."
In his tweet, Ferguson referenced former Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Washington), who is running for governor in his state as a Republican.
The Washington State attorney general tweeted, "This is a direct attack on our democracy and the integrity of the Washington state election system that could lead to the victory of an anti-choice conservative like Dave Reichert."