{"id":2228939,"date":"2024-04-24T09:25:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T13:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wa-gop-endorses-slate-of-candidates-amid-discord-at-state-convention\/"},"modified":"2024-04-24T09:28:58","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T13:28:58","slug":"wa-gop-endorses-slate-of-candidates-amid-discord-at-state-convention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wa-gop-endorses-slate-of-candidates-amid-discord-at-state-convention\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington GOP Backs Candidates Despite Convention Discord"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwa-gop-endorses-slate-of-candidates-amid-discord-at-state-convention%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2228939&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Delegates at the Washington State\u2064 Republican Party \u200bconvention in Spokane endorsed candidates for\u2062 all statewide offices, with\u2064 exception \u200bto the governor&#8217;s race. \u200dSemi Bird,\u200c a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kari-lake-files-new-election-appeal-to-arizona-supreme-court\/\" title=\"Kari Lake appeals election to AZ Supreme Court.\">gubernatorial\u200b candidate<\/a>, delivered his \u2062speech before the endorsement vote, where former \u2063Congressman Dave Reichert withdrew his request. The endorsed candidates and highlights from their \u2064speeches were shared, reflecting a diverse range of perspectives and aims.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>(The Center Square) \u2013 Endorsements for all statewide offices were made by the delegates to the Washington State Republican Party convention held in Spokane last week.<\/p>\n<p>Candidate speeches were heard on the first day, except for the office of governor. Gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird gave his speech on Saturday morning just before the endorsement vote. Former Congressman Dave Reichert, also a candidate for governor, withdrew his request for an endorsement and did not attend the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_85d165ea-fe91-11ee-88fc-0fa2ddf454d2.html\">convention<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>What follows is a list of the endorsed candidates with the percentage of the vote they received, including other candidates seeking endorsement, as well as highlights from the endorsed candidates\u2019 speeches.<\/p>\n<p><strong>U.S. Senator:<\/strong> Dr. Raul Garcia 73% (Issac Holyk)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have to tell you my why,\u201d Garcia said of his run for national office, explaining his \u201cwhy\u201d started with the day he was to leave Cuba with his mother at age 11 and government officials tempted him with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/howard-stern-calls-unvaccinated-fing-morons-threatens-presidential-run-to-clean-this-mess-up\/\" title=\"Howard Stern Calls Unvaccinated \u2018F***ing Morons,\u2019 Threatens Presidential Run To \u2018Clean This Mess Up\u2019\">big party<\/a> if he chose to stay.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I had already fallen in love with America,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Garcia noted he was polling within 8 points of incumbent Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Governor:<\/strong> Semi Bird 72% (Note: Although Reichert had announced his withdrawal, his name remained on the preprinted ballots.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had some problems in the \u201990s, and God gave me my wife Ann \u2026 I will not live in shame for the sins of my past,\u201d Bird said, a reference to the failure to disclose a misdemeanor charge for grand larceny in 1993.<\/p>\n<p>Bird is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a former Richland School Board member who was recalled after his opposition to state masking policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>He listed auditing all state agencies, reversing Washington\u2019s status as a sanctuary state, and honoring law enforcement officers as three key actions he would take as governor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>State Auditor:<\/strong> Matt Hawkins 99% (unopposed)<\/p>\n<p>Hawkins acknowledged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/professor-who-went-on-strike-for-social-justice-hit-with-hefty-bill-from-state-auditor\/\" title=\"Professor Who Went on Strike for Social Justice Hit with Hefty Bill from State Auditor\">state auditor<\/a> is not a position that sets policy or enforces law, but in that position \u201cI can ask questions\u201d to hold government institutions, including schools, accountable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Secretary of State:<\/strong> Dale Whitaker 64% (Sen. Phil Fortunato, Bob Hagglund)<\/p>\n<p>Whitaker is running on a platform of election transparency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will fight for same-day in-person voting with paper ballots,\u201d he told those at the convention.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Attorney General:<\/strong> Pete Serrano 100% (unopposed)<\/p>\n<p>Serrano, a Pasco attorney, outlined his qualifications to defend individual rights and emphasized that \u201cwe have to educate the people on how to self-govern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He closed with a plea for post-convention unity, quoting President Abraham Lincoln\u2019s Biblical paraphrase, \u201cA house divided against itself cannot stand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Commissioner of Public Lands:<\/strong> Sue Kuehl Pederson 86% (Jaime Herrera Beutler)<\/p>\n<p>Pedersen lost to incumbent Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz in 2020<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need far better long-range planning for our forests,\u201d Pedersen said.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking about her experience working for Seattle City Light, she emphasized the need for a balanced energy production portfolio for a stable grid, including hydroelectric power.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Superintendent of Public Instruction:<\/strong> David Olson (Brad Klippert, Chad Magendanz, David Spring)<\/p>\n<p>Olson is a retired naval officer and veteran of the Peninsula School Board in Gig Harbor.<\/p>\n<p>He discussed his school board\u2019s decision to ban cell phones and social media and the positive impact that has had on students\u2019 mental health, before taking a shot at current Superintendent Chris Reykdal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReykdal took away local control of our schools,\u201d Olson said. \u201cI\u2019ll give it back on Day 1.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>State Supreme Court:<\/strong> In a separate process designed to meet the requirements of the code of judicial conduct, Federal Way Municipal Court Judge Dave Larson was recognized and recommended for an open seat on the Washington Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p>Larson emphasized he cannot make any promises, but quipped, \u201cI want to make the judiciary boring and dependable again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He quoted from the Washington State Constitution on the relationship between government and the people and the need to have justices with different backgrounds and experiences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not afraid to be that person who says, \u2018Wait a minute\u2019 and offers another perspective,\u201d Larson said.<\/p>\n<p>He cited his experience working on the front lines of the mental health and homeless issues revolving through municipal courts as a potentially valuable addition the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hollywood-celebs-rage-in-defeat-after-barrett-confirmation-revolting-disgraceful-unconscionable\/\" title=\"Hollywood Celebs Rage in Defeat After Barrett Confirmation: 'Revolting. Disgraceful. Unconscionable'\">highest court<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Larson noted there hadn\u2019t been an open seat in 16 years. Judges have resigned mid-term with seats filled by an appointment by the governor, forcing candidates to run against an incumbent.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Delegates at the Washington State GOP convention in Spokane endorsed candidates for statewide offices. Candidate speeches, except for the governor&#8217;s race, were heard on the first day. Semi Bird, a gubernatorial candidate, delivered his speech Saturday morning before the endorsement vote<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2228940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24014160623172-1-1-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2228939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24014160623172-1-1-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2228939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2228939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2228939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2228940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2228939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2228939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2228939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}