Intern Ethan Jasny contributed to this report.
Back in May — when we initially wrote about the now-open Washington governor’s race after three-term incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee said he wouldn’t seek reelection — we noted that the race would “remain in the Solid Democrat column unless Republicans can land an impressive, moderate recruit.”
Earlier this month, Republicans did just that after former centrist Rep. Dave Reichert shocked many by announcing he would vie for the state’s top job.
Reichert — a seven-term congressman who retired in 2018 and won every congressional race in which he ran despite being a top Democratic target early in his tenure — makes what initially looked like a predictable race in a solidly blue state much more interesting. As such, we are shifting our rating from Solid Democrat to Likely Democrat. It’s too early to move this into our competitive columns, but this is no longer a firmly safe seat.
Reichert, 72, was first launched into the public spotlight for his work helping catch the “Green River Killer” — a notorious serial killer
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