The governor’s race is between far-left Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert. But, as KTTH’s Jason Rantz recently explained, the key concern is whether Seattle media will rigorously scrutinize Ferguson or continue giving him a pass. Thus far, mainstream media outlets have allowed Ferguson to avoid interviews, relying instead on carefully crafted statements designed to mislead – sound familiar?

Recently, Ferguson was involved in lawsuits aimed at blocking popular ballot initiatives. The plaintiffs include donors to his campaign, raising clear ethical concerns. Yet, local media coverage has been minimal. Ferguson’s response has been inconsistent, claiming he informed interested parties while evidence suggests otherwise. His carefully worded defenses are more spin than truth, but media outlets have largely ignored this. Ferguson’s transparency claims also fall short. He has been criticized for withholding public records, even facing a judge’s rebuke for his office’s conduct. Yet, the media barely covers these issues, allowing him to maintain a false image of openness.

The reality is that outlets like The Seattle Times and local TV networks seem more focused on protecting Ferguson’s candidacy. With most major media aligned with his political views, there’s little pressure for him to face tough questions. The result is a campaign where Ferguson can spin, avoid scrutiny, and continue unchecked by the press. Read more from Jason Rantz at KTTH.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine have proposed eliminating the King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s (KCRA) implementation board, shifting control to a governing committee of elected officials and three appointed representatives with “lived homelessness experience.” Of course, Shift WA readers know that the KCRA has grossly failed to meet homelessness reduction goals (in fact, the situation has worsened) while spending millions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. According to the Seattle Times, “The proposal to eliminate the implementation board formalizes a monthslong series of moves by Seattle and King County to tighten the leash on the Regional Homelessness Authority and shift more control to elected officials.” If the answer to the question of solving the homelessness problem is to give Dow and whoever is mayor of Seattle this year more power, then may we humbly suggest they are asking the wrong question. Read more at the Seattle Times.

Why would Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson want to downplay a story highlighting their incompetence and exposing the state to potential multimillion-dollar lawsuits?

Washington State Patrol (WSP) recently admitted to losing an unknown number of emails and public records due to a botched data migration last year, permanently deleting those documents. Internal communications warned that “hundreds of thousands” of emails might be missing, but WSP’s communications director, Chris Loftis, later walked back that estimate. Even so, no one knows exactly how much was lost.

Apparently, we are supposed to believe that WSP only informed the governor and AG about missing public records after the media began asking questions. And conveniently, officials can’t seem to recall if any further discussions took place. The missing records were first noticed in mid-2023 when key documents tied to lawsuits, audits, and policy changes turned up empty. Some vaccine mandate-related emails are also among the missing.

While WSP downplays the issue as merely “procedural,” internal communications paint a darker picture, suggesting the agency could be crippled in defending against civil litigation for years. Despite the serious implications, Loftis claims there haven’t been any “material impacts” yet, and the agency is “hopeful” it stays that way.

So, there you have it, nothing else to see here, folks!

Read more at Cascade PBS.

Have you subscribed to the new Shift WA podcast yet? We’ve already released three full episodes, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive:

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• David Olson talks about his bid for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, including the role of OSPI, implications of I-2081, and his approaches to learning loss and school tech policies. He also addresses rising anti-Semitism in schools and the need for more apprenticeships.
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