Brian Bogen

Brian Bogen (No party preference) ran for election for Governor of Washington. He lost in the primary on August 6, 2024.

Bogen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Brian Bogen was born in Eugene, Oregon. Bogen's career experience includes working as a business owner. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and a degree from Stanford University. Bogen has been affiliated with Chief Seattle Council, Boy Scouts of America, Long Live the Kings, and ACT Contemporary Theatre.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Governor of Washington

Bob Ferguson defeated Dave Reichert in the general election for Governor of Washington on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Bob Ferguson (D)	55.5	2,143,368
	Dave Reichert (R)	44.3	1,709,818
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	8,202

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,861,388
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Washington

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Washington on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bob Ferguson (D)	44.9	884,268
✔		Dave Reichert (R)	27.5	541,533
		Semi Bird (R)	10.8	212,692
		Mark Mullet (D)	6.0	119,048
		Leon Lawson (Trump Republican Party)	1.8	35,971
	Submit photo	Jim Daniel (R)	1.5	29,907
	Submit photo	Cassondra Hanson (D)	1.2	24,512
		EL'ona Kearney (D)	1.2	24,374
		Jennifer Hoover (R)	0.8	15,692
		Andre Stackhouse (G)	0.6	11,962
		Don Rivers (D)	0.5	9,453
	Submit photo	Martin Wheeler (R)	0.4	7,676
		Chaytan Inman (D)	0.3	6,427
		Ricky Anthony (D)	0.3	6,226
	Submit photo	Jeff Curry (Independent Party)	0.3	6,068
		Fred Grant (D)	0.3	5,503
		Brian Bogen (No party preference)	0.2	4,530
		A.L. Brown (R)	0.2	4,232
		Michael DePaula (L)	0.2	3,957
		Rosetta Marshall-Williams (Independence Party)	0.2	2,960
		Jim Clark (No party preference)	0.1	2,355
	Submit photo	Edward Cale (D)	0.1	1,975
		Alex Tsimerman (Standup-America Party)	0.1	1,721
		Bill Hirt (R)	0.1	1,720
	Submit photo	Frank Dare (Independent Party)	0.1	1,115
		Alan Makayev (Nonsense Busters Party)	0.1	1,106
		William Combs (Independent Party)	0.1	1,042
	Submit photo	Brad Mjelde (No party preference)	0.1	991
		Ambra Mason (Constitution Party) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Bobbie Samons (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,347

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,970,363
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bogen in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Brian Bogen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bogen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Brian Bogen is a small-business owner with multiple businesses across the northwest. He is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a board member of the Chief Seattle Council and is a former board member of Long Live the Kings, a non-profit supporting wild salmon restoration and sustainable fishing. He helped secure $30 million for a theater in Seattle and served on the ACT Theater Board. He also served as a councilmember for the Town of Woodway, where he was first appointed and then elected to the office.

Brian holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and attended the Albers Graduate School of Business and Economics at Seattle University as well as the Senior Executive Program of Stanford University.

Brian and his wife Lisa split their time between Shoreline and Cle Elum and have three children: Danny, a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps; Lucy, a junior at the University of Oregon; and Shelby, a freshman at Oregon State University.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Brian knows public safety is at the core of strong communities that are great places to raise a family, own a business and build an economy that works for everyone. The top priority of government is the protection of its people. If people don’t feel safe in their communities, businesses or walking to school, nothing else matters.
Brian's focus is on transforming education to ensure every student succeeds. He believes in diving deeper into K-12 funding to improve student outcomes, taking immediate action in low-performing districts, and allocating funds to boost educational attainment and reduce dropout rates. Brian prioritizes spending on students over administrators and supports school choice and Career and Technical Education to cater to diverse learning needs. He advocates for accountability with one central agency overseeing school performance and the State Auditor reviewing district spending. Brian is committed to robust educational funding with a focus on results, setting clear goals, and taking decisive action to prepare all students for their futures.
Brian is committed to responsible financial management for Washington State. He opposes the practice of using volatile or one-time funds for ongoing expenses, which risks cuts to essential services or higher taxes. He believes lawmakers must accept the shortcomings of the capital gains excise tax and the Climate Commitment Act, both of which fall short in funding promises while increasing costs for taxpayers. Brian advocates for a budget that reflects shared values, prioritizing the environment, public safety, education, housing, and support for the vulnerable. He believes in crafting a sustainable budget that ensures long-term stability and prosperity for all Washingtonians.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Brian's policy priorities are safe communities, ensuring access to high-quality education for every child, and environmental stewardship. He is dedicated to bridging the deeply fractured political system that has focused too much on extremes and not enough on policies that benefit the majority. He believes Washingtonians are ready for a third option that transcends partisan divides. Brian’s campaign is centered on collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership that priorities the common good. He aims to be a governor who brings together the best minds, diverse ideas, and innovative solutions to debate to craft the best policies that move our state forward on the pressing issues facing Washington.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The governor's core responsibilities include fostering an environment that encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and inclusivity in government. This approach to governing allows room to find common ground on long-term solutions for the state’s most pressing challenges. I am dedicated to ensuring greater government transparency and accountability while emphasizing listening to community needs. The next governor must focus on sustainable, long-term well-being for Washington State, aiming to bridge divides and move the state forward together.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want my legacy to be one of unity and progress, where I worked with people from all political affiliations to achieve our shared goals of strong communities, good schools, a clean environment, and economic opportunity for all. Throughout my life, I've seen that despite our differences, we all aspire to these fundamental values. I hope to be remembered as someone who was part of a team that brought Washington State back on track for a sustainable future. My aim is to leave behind a state where collaboration and innovative solutions have paved the way for lasting prosperity. Ultimately, I want to be known for fostering a brighter future for our children and generations to come.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

I believe the core responsibility for any executive authority (and especially a governor) is to avoid hyper-partisanship and find common ground that best serves the people and respects the rights of all citizens. I believe that governors must avoid a my-way-or-the-highway approach and instead foster a collaborative environment. As governor, I am committed to bringing together the best minds, diverse ideas, and innovative solutions for open debate. This inclusive approach will help craft the best policies to address the pressing issues facing our state. Success for me means being part of a process that moves Washington forward for the benefit of all its residents.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

The governor should play a crucial role in the state budgeting process, bringing lawmakers together to craft a budget that aligns with shared values and prioritizes the environment, public safety, education, housing, and programs for the vulnerable. With extensive business experience managing millions in spending, I understand the importance of tackling pressing issues and measuring the results of expenditures. I am concerned about the massive increase in spending and the risks posed by using one-time funds for ongoing expenses. I advocate for a budget that includes provisions for government accountability and measures success based on tangible outcomes, such as higher graduation rates and reduced homelessness, ensuring taxpayer dollars are effectively utilized.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I believe the initiative process should be respected as it allows voters to speak on issues they want addressed and, on the laws, passed by their representatives. In the past, the process allowed voters to pass new laws, like transparency measures/access to public records for government officials. The initiative also allows voters to have a say on the policies enacted by the lawmakers they elected to serve them in our state Legislature. Voters have an important opportunity to weigh in on whether they believe these policies are successful and let the next Legislature and governor know that either they approve or disapprove of the outcomes and results of the polices.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Brian Bogen campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Governor of Washington	Lost primary	$173,224	$184,098
Grand total			$173,224	$184,098
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Governor of Washington

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 2, 2024

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 2, 2024

[1]

	v • e State of Washington Olympia (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Brian Bogen

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Governor of Washington

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Washington

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

SITE NAVIGATION