Election Prep: Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Six Weeks until Ballots Arrive
Voting in Washington state’s 2024 general election begins on Oct. 18, so we have six weeks until ballots arrive in our mailboxes. I plan to use this column to discuss the duties of each state wide office and introduce the Republicans running for those offices, since they won’t get fair or equal coverage from our state’s legacy media outlets.
If you’re thinking about voting Republican in the presidential race, I hope to give you sufficient information that you also feel comfortable voting Republican for state executive offices, as well. This week we’re looking at the positions of governor and lieutenant governor.
Duties of the Governor
Washington’s last Republican governor was John Spellman, who left office in 1985. After 40 years of failing policies that have transformed Washington state from the jewel of the west coast to a failing, crime-ridden, over-taxed and over-regulated economic tragedy, it’s time for a change of political party in the governor’s mansion.
Why is a Republican governor so important? The governor’s duties include enforcing the laws and ensuring public safety, which Governor Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson (running to replace Inslee) have failed to do. The governor’s office also controls the development of the state budget, and in addition, “the governor has the power to appoint heads of departments, agencies, and institutions.”
It turns out that the ability to appoint the heads of departments and agencies is very significant. According to the governor’s office, the governor “is responsible for appointing citizens to over 230 boards and commissions.” That’s a tremendous amount of political power, that impacts every aspect of our lives, from building standards to health, education, wildlife management and energy project siting. Around 40 agency heads are directly appointed by the governor, and the heads of another 49 agencies are appointed by board or commission members who are appointed by the governor.
Has your life as a Washington resident improved as a result of the Democrats having a political stranglehold over every government agency? It’s time for a change.
Dave Reichert for Governor
Democrats are clearly worried about the Reichert campaign. According to Politico, “Part of his appeal to voters is his long public profile in the state. As sheriff of King County, Reichert helped catch the “Green River killer,” the infamous serial killer, in the early 2000s. He ran for Congress in 2004 and won that and the next six subsequent elections, even as voters in his district regularly voted for Democrats higher on the ticket. He was often ranked as among the most bipartisan members of the House and sometimes bucked his party, like voting to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in the military.”
As a moderate Republican, Reichert has a great chance to win the votes of moderate Democrats and Independents who are tired of the soft-on-crime policies and economic destruction caused by Democratic leadership of our state. With Reichert as Governor, Republicans can start to make important and much needed changes at the agencies which are destroying our environment, our jobs, the education system and the state’s economy. Vote for a change, vote for Dave Reichert.
Duties of the Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor is a position that tends to be largely ignored by the voters, but it’s also extremely important. The most important role for the lieutenant governor is as president of the Senate. In that role, he or she has to cast tie-breaking votes, usually in favor of the agenda of his or her political party.
According to the lieutenant governor’s website, “As President of the State Senate, the Lt. Governor presides over the parliamentary procedure as legislation is being debated. If there is a dispute on the floor or if there is a question on procedure or even the legality of a motion, the Lieutenant Governor, in association with Senate Counsel, will be called upon to make a ruling on the matter.” If you’ve ever watched a senate debate, you’ll understand the vital importance of this parliamentary duty.
Another important role of the lieutenant governor as president of the Senate is acting as the “chair of the Senate Committee on Rules, the 17-member committee that determines which legislation advances to the floor of the Senate for debate. The lieutenant governor is a voting member of this committee.” This gives the lieutenant governor a large voice in the lawmaking process. As part of the goal of stopping our state’s lurch towards Marxism, it’s vital that we have a Republican sitting in the lieutenant governor’s seat.
Like the governor, the lieutenant governor also has the opportunity to appoint people to additional boards and commissions. According to the lieutenant governor’s website, “The lieutenant governor serves on and appoints members to over 100 different boards and commissions. Some of these appointments and positions are filled in the lieutenant governor's capacity as president of the Senate, and others fall under his executive authority.”
Dan Matthews for Lieutenant Governor
You’ve probably never heard of Dan Matthews, but he’s a great candidate that deserves a closer look. Matthews is a decorated Air Force pilot who served in two wars, a retired commercial airline pilot and pilot instructor. His master’s degree is public administration and among other community activities he’s served on the Shoreline school board. One of the things I really like about his platform is his commitment to building bridges and listening to all people. We need more elected officials committed to building unity.
As a political outsider, Matthews notes that both parties bear some responsibility for the problems we face, and says in an interview he’s “stepped forward to fix a broken political system.” You can find out more about Matthews’ platform at electdanmatthews.com. “As lieutenant governor, Dan will prioritize legislation that empowers the people, lowers taxation and fees, and demands accountability for spending. He will oppose any legislation that interferes with our Bill of Rights and the Constitution.”
If you’re tired of the ruthless Democratic one-party rule of the Washington legislature, and want to cast a vote to shake things up in the Senate, join me in voting for Dan Matthews for Lt. Governor.
Nancy Churchill is a writer and educator in rural eastern Washington State, and the state committeewoman for the Ferry County Republican Party. She may be reached at DangerousRhetoric@pm.me. The opinions expressed in Dangerous Rhetoric are her own. Dangerous Rhetoric is available on thinkspot, Rumble and Substack.
Sources:
(1) John Spellman (R), Elected Gov. in 1980. https://bit.ly/3AQ73X6
(2) WA Governor's Duties, Ballotpedia, https://bit.ly/4eg8sVn
(3) WA Gov Boards and Commissions, https://bit.ly/3Tlarji
(4) 2024 Organization Chart of Washington State Government, https://bit.ly/3MBsZb1
(5) For real this time: Can a Republican win the Washington governor’s race?, https://politi.co/4ecVPKM
(6) Lt. Gov, President of the Senate, https://bit.ly/3zcFqHu
(7) Lt. Gov Appointments to Boards, https://bit.ly/3ZmHck1
(8) Elect Dan Matthews, https://bit.ly/3ZiZCSI
(9) Dan Matthews Platform, https://bit.ly/4edB7KP
Thank you!