A right wing attempt to recall Attorney General Bob Ferguson has ended in failure after a judge predictably determined that there was insufficient evidence to support bogus charges concocted against Ferguson by the recall measure’s creators Scott Bannister of Yelm and Matthew Marshall of Roy.
King County Superior Court Judge Bill Bowman ruled that Bannister and Marshall had not demonstrated that Ferguson had committed an act of misfeasance or malfeasance while in office, which is the constitutionally-imposed prerequisite for launching a recall petition. Consequently, there will be no recall.
(In other states, including Oregon and Wisconsin, frivolous or unjustified recalls are allowed, but the Washington State Constitution prohibits them.)
Given that Bob Ferguson was already due to face the voters this year, it’s unclear why Bannister and Marshall were bothering with trying to recall Ferguson.
Even if a judge had allowed them to proceed with a signature drive, and even if they managed to get the requisite signatures (a tall order), they would still be wasting their energy. The 2020 presidential cycle is upon us; the regularly scheduled elections for statewide executive positions are about to be held. There is no point in trying to recall somebody who’s already due to face the voters.
Apparently it has not occurred to Bannister and Marshall that the easiest way to get what they want (Ferguson out of office) is simply to take advantage of the opportunity to challenge him in this year’s regularly scheduled election for AG. Logic, as we have seen, is not the strong suit of many right wing activists.
So far, two Republicans and one independent have lined up to challenge Bob Ferguson. Neither of the Republicans have reported raising any money yet, and their campaigns do not appear to be credible.
Independent Brett Rogers seems to be Ferguson’s only somewhat active opponent. Rogers has raised just $18,517.67 and spent $14,777.59. Ferguson, meanwhile, has a multimillion dollar campaign treasury at his disposal.
In 2016, Republicans failed to recruit anyone to challenge Ferguson and he ended up on the general election ballot with a Libertarian opponent, whom he overwhelmingly defeated. Though Republicans frequently display contempt for Ferguson, they have not displayed a willingness or interest to take him on.
Maybe that will change and the Republicans will recruit someone like Steve O’Ban to challenge Ferguson this cycle. Even if they do find somebody, though, Ferguson will be difficult to beat. He has a work ethic that is second to none and he’s one of the nicest, most pleasant people alive on Planet Earth right now.
Perhaps most importantly of all, Ferguson gets results.
He has a stellar track record against the Trump regime and against powerful entities like the Grocery Manufacturers Association. But it’s not just inside the courtroom where he has been effective. He often secures wins for families and workers without going to court, such as through his highly successful “no poach” initiative, which has benefited working people all over this country.
Though NPI does not endorse candidates for any office, we’re guessing Washingtonians will be giving Bob Ferguson a ringing endorsement later this year when they get their ballots. The majority of people in this state have every reason to want to keep Ferguson on as their chief law enforcement officer.
