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Summary

Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson addressed the attendees at the annual Roosevelt Dinner of the Skamania County Democratic Party dinner on Sunday, Sept. 21 in Stevenson.

The recently elected governor thanked supporters for their grassroots campaign efforts, highlighting that his campaign received over 120,000 individual donations from Washingtonians and that he is the only governor in the country who did not accept donations from large corporations or corporate banks.

Ferguson shared personal anecdotes, including stories about his 17-year-old twins, Jack and Katie, and their Instagram page for the family cat, Peter, who is now the “first cat” of Washington. He also shared a story about his daughter’s collection of signatures from prominent female political figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Kamala Harris, with space reserved for the first woman president.

Ferguson then shifted to more serious topics, discussing concerns about democracy in America. He referenced a book his son was reading called “How Democracy’s Die,” which examines how democracies historically fail through gradual erosion rather than sudden coups. Ferguson emphasized that Washington State has been at the forefront of challenging the Trump administration, noting Washington state was the first to take legal action against Trump in both 2017 and 2025, winning in court both times.

Ferguson outlined several stark contrasts between policies in Washington State versus Washington D.C., focusing on four key areas:

• Immigration: Ferguson criticized federal immigration enforcement tactics while highlighting Washington’s “Keep Washington Working Act,” which prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE on raids and detentions.
• Public Health: He discussed forming the West Coast Health Alliance with Oregon, California, and Hawaii to establish science-based vaccine schedules independent of federal policies, in response to concerns about Robert Kennedy Jr.’s leadership of public health at the federal level.
• Climate: Ferguson praised Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act, which requires polluters to pay into a system that funds climate resilience and clean energy initiatives, contrasting this with federal rollbacks of climate policies.
• Reproductive Freedom: He highlighted Washington’s commitment to reproductive rights, including his decision to replace federal funding cut from Planned Parenthood.

Ferguson expressed concern about federal budget cuts, particularly the $3 billion annual reduction in Medicaid funding for Washington State, which he described as “morally wrong” and threatening healthcare coverage for a quarter million Washingtonians.

The governor concluded with a chess analogy from his past experience as a competitive player, emphasizing that even when on the defensive, one must always find ways to push forward. He applied this to Washington State’s current situation, acknowledging they are on the defensive regarding federal policies but must continue advancing their own agenda aligned with state values.