Former Democrat Gov. Gary Locke delivered a reality check to his own party this week, blasting Olympia’s budget practices as undisciplined and unsustainable. Speaking at the Association of Washington Business’s Economic Future Solutions Summit, Locke criticized lawmakers for using one-time money to create permanent government programs, warning that the approach inevitably leads to budget deficits, higher taxes, and broken promises to voters. He said spending is “out of control,” urged legislators to set real priorities, and warned that Washingtonians will lose trust if lawmakers keep shifting money around to cover their mistakes.

Locke also questioned the Democrats’ newly enacted millionaire’s tax, pointing out that lawmakers claimed it was necessary to balance the budget—yet they’re already projecting another deficit just two years later. His criticism echoes former Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire, who recently noted that Washington’s budget has exploded from $33 billion when she left office to roughly $80 billion today, concluding that the state doesn’t have a revenue problem—it has a spending problem. Apparently, even prominent Democrats can see what legislative Democrats still refuse to admit. Read more at Center Square.

Gov. Bob Ferguson is once again blaming President Trump and the conflict with Iran for Washington’s sky-high gas prices, while conveniently ignoring the policies his own party enacted that have made the state one of the most expensive places in America to fill up. Although global events have pushed oil prices higher, neighboring Idaho still pays nearly a dollar less per gallon, and a new report from the Institute for Energy Research found that Republican-led states pay an average of 55 cents less per gallon than Democratic-led states.

The report points squarely at state gas taxes and carbon taxes as the biggest culprits, and Washington is one of the worst offenders. The state’s Climate Commitment Act alone adds roughly 50 cents per gallon, on top of the nation’s third-highest gas tax. Despite repeated calls from Republicans to suspend the CCA and provide relief, Democratic lawmakers have refused, insisting they need the revenue even as the state collects record tax dollars. Ferguson may want voters to blame Trump, but Washington drivers are paying the price for policies made much closer to home. Read more at Seattle Red.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s reelection campaign appears to be facing mounting headwinds, according to her latest FEC filing. The report shows Perez posted a hefty 72.5% burn rate during the second quarter, spending nearly $675,000 on advertising alone—about half of her total expenditures. While her primary challenger, Brent Heinrich, has raised relatively little money, his candidacy has forced Perez to spend far more than she did at this stage of her last campaign, leaving her with roughly $200,000 less cash on hand than she had at the same point in 2024.

The financial strain comes as Perez also faces troubling poll numbers. An NRCC survey found her with a 50% unfavorable rating and support from just 69% of Democratic voters, while a Democratic poll reportedly showed state Senate Minority Leader John Braun holding a narrow one-point advantage in the race. Taken together, the fundraising and polling suggest Perez no longer enjoys the political comfort she had in previous cycles, as Democrats are forced to spend more money defending what was once considered a safer seat. Read more at Seattle Red.

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