Bob Ferguson
Bob Ferguson (Democratic Party) is the Governor of Washington. He assumed office on January 13, 2025. His current term ends on January 8, 2029.
Ferguson (Democratic Party) is running for re-election for Governor of Washington. He declared candidacy for the 2028 election.
Ferguson succeeded Rob McKenna (R), who served in the position from 2005 to 2013. McKenna did not run for re-election in 2012 and instead ran for governor.
While serving as attorney general, Ferguson filed a lawsuit challenging the executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 27, 2017, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States. The order impacted refugee admissions and immigrant and nonimmigrant travel from seven countries. Trump eventually rescinded and replaced that executive order, following a district court ruling that issued a temporary restraining order to stop it from going into effect. In April 2017, Ferguson was named to TIME's list of "The 100 Most Influential People" for his filing of the initial lawsuit that led to the repeal of the executive order.[1]
Biography
Ferguson is a fourth generation Washingtonian, born into a large family in Queen Ann Hill. He is one of seven children and an internationally-rated chess champion. After high school, he considered pursuing a career as a chess player, but he ultimately decided against it.[2] Ferguson opted instead to attend the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1983.
He left his home state to attend law school at the New York University School of Law, but he returned to Washington following graduation to launch his legal career at the Seattle firm Preston, Gates & Ellis, which later became K&L Gates. Ferguson made his first bid for public office in 2003 when he campaigned for, and won election to, the King County Council.[2]
Education
- Bachelor's in political science from the University of Washington (1983)
- J.D. from New York University School of Law (1995)
Political career
Attorney General of Washington (2013 - Present)
Ferguson was first elected attorney general on November 6, 2012, and assumed office on January 16, 2013. He won re-election in 2016.
In 2013, Ferguson's official profile listed his top priorities as attorney general as follows:[3]
- "Protecting consumers and seniors against fraud by cracking down on powerful interests that don’t play by the rules"
- "Keeping communities safer by supporting law enforcement"
- "Protecting our environment"
- "Standing up for our veterans by advocating for service men and women and their families"
King County Councilman (2003-2013)
Ferguson's political background includes three terms, representing two districts, on the King County Council. His first election in 2003 resulted in the ousting of a 20-year incumbent.[4]
Elections
2020
See also: Washington Attorney General election, 2020
General election
General election for Attorney General of Washington
Incumbent Bob Ferguson defeated Matt Larkin in the general election for Attorney General of Washington on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bob Ferguson (D) | 56.4 | 2,226,418 |
 | Matt Larkin (R)  | 43.5 | 1,714,927 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 3,968 | ||
| Total votes: 3,945,313 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Attorney General of Washington
Incumbent Bob Ferguson and Matt Larkin defeated Brett Rogers and Mike Vaska in the primary for Attorney General of Washington on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Ferguson (D) | 55.8 | 1,356,225 |
| ✔ | | Matt Larkin (R) | 23.7 | 575,470 |
 | Brett Rogers (R) | 12.2 | 296,843 | |
 | Mike Vaska (R) | 8.2 | 199,826 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,372 | ||
| Total votes: 2,430,736 | |||
| = 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
- Noah Purcell (D)
- M. Lorena Gonzalez (D)
2016
- Main article: Washington Attorney General election, 2016
Ferguson filed to run for re-election in the 2016 election for attorney general of Washington.[5] Only one candidate, Libertarian Joshua Trumbull, filed to run against him. As the state holds a top-two primary, both candidates automatically advanced to the general election.
Results
General election
Incumbent Bob Ferguson defeated Joshua Trumbull in the Washington attorney general election.
| Washington Attorney General, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Bob Ferguson Incumbent |
67.14% | 2,000,804 | |
| Libertarian | Joshua Trumbull | 32.86% | 979,105 | |
| Total Votes | 2,979,909 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
Incumbent Bob Ferguson and Joshua Trumbull were unopposed in the Washington primary for attorney general.
| Washington primary for attorney general, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Bob Ferguson Incumbent |
72.61% | 906,493 | |
| Libertarian | Joshua Trumbull |
27.39% | 341,932 | |
| Total Votes | 1,248,425 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign finance
| Bob Ferguson Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| To date | As of July 12, 2016 | $0 | $1,184,111.73 | $(312,666.50) | $ | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $1,184,111.73 | $(312,666.5) | ||||||||
2012
| Attorney General of Washington General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Bob Ferguson |
53.5% | 1,564,443 | |
| Republican | Reagan Dunn | 46.5% | 1,361,010 | |
| Total Votes | 2,925,453 | |||
| Election results via Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Ferguson was elected attorney general of Washington in the 2012 general election. Washington has a top-two primary system, in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, go on to the general election.[6] He faced two Republican challengers—fellow King County Councilman Reagan Dunn and Stephen Pidgeon—in the primary election on August 7 and received the highest number of votes, securing one of two available slots on the general election ballot.[7] The other slot went to Dunn (R), with whom he squared off on November 6, 2012.[8] The night after the polls closed, on November 7, 2012, the race was called for Ferguson.[9]
| Attorney General of Washington, Primary, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Bob Ferguson |
51.7% | 685,346 | |
| Republican | Reagan Dunn |
38.2% | 506,524 | |
| Republican | Stephen Pidgeon | 10.1% | 134,185 | |
| Total Votes | 1,326,055 | |||
| Election results via Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Endorsements
Ferguson was endorsed by Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire as well as this list of public and private sector individuals and organizations:[10]
Statewide Organizations for Ferguson
County Prosecutors for Ferguson
Statewide Leaders for Ferguson
Members of Congress for Ferguson
|
Campaign themes
2020
Campaign donors
The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent 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, and 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.
| Bob Ferguson campaign contribution history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | Attorney General of Washington |  |
$1,686,939 | |
| Grand total raised | $1,686,939 | |||
| Source: [[11] Follow the Money] | ||||
2012
Ferguson won election to the position of Attorney General of Washington in 2012. During that election cycle, Ferguson raised a total of $1,686,939.
| Attorney General of Washington 2012 election - Campaign Contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top contributors to Bob Ferguson's campaign in 2012 | ||||
| Washington State Democratic Party | $77,525 | |||
| Robert Ferguson Surplus Funds | $12,040 | |||
| Clark County Democratic Central Committee | $10,000 | |||
| Spokane County Democrats | $9,000 | |||
| Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO | $7,200 | |||
| Total Raised in 2012 | $1,686,939 | |||
| Total Votes received in 2012 | 1,564,443 | |||
| Cost of each vote received | $1.08 | |||
| Source:Follow the Money | ||||
Noteworthy events
Johnson & Johnson lawsuit
On January 2, 2020, Ferguson filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceutical. The suit asks that the company pay to the state of Washington the profits it has made from selling opioids there, along with money for damages. Ferguson stated that the payments, the total amount of which was not known at the time the lawsuit was filed, would be used for addiction prevention and treatment in the state. Johnson & Johnson issued a statement via email stating, "The company intends to defend vigorously against the Attorney General’s allegations."[12]
Federal executive order on immigration
On January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump issued an executive order, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, impacting refugee admissions and immigrant and nonimmigrant travel from seven countries. The order suspended for 90 days entry into the United States for individuals from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The order also suspended refugee admissions to the United States for 120 days while the process was reviewed for additional national security measures that could be implemented. The admission of Syrian refugees was suspended indefinitely.
On January 30, 2017, Ferguson filed a lawsuit challenging the executive order in federal district court. Ferguson argued that the executive order amounted to religious discrimination by targeting Muslims and therefore violated the constitutional rights of immigrants. The administration responded that the state did not have standing to sue and that the president was within his authority over immigration policy in issuing the executive order. On February 2, 2017, Minnesota joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff.[13][14]
On February 3, 2017, U.S. District Judge James Robart issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) of the executive order. The TRO blocked enforcement of Section 3 and Section 5 nationwide while the case was considered in district court. Robart wrote that Washington and Minnesota had effectively demonstrated that (1) they would be likely to succeed in their challenge of the order; (2) they would likely suffer harm as a result of the order; (3) it was most fair to the parties involved to issue a TRO; and (4) a TRO was in the public interest.[15] The Justice Department appealed Judge Robart's block, and on February 9, 2017, a three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the block. On February 16, 2017, the Department of Justice filed a brief with the Ninth Circuit stating that President Trump would be rescinding the executive order and issuing a new one to eliminate constitutional concerns.[16][17][18]
On March 6, President Trump issued a new executive order that rescinded and replaced his January 27 executive order. Differences from the January 27 order included removing Iraq from the list of countries subject to the entry suspension, specifying that current visa holders were not affected, removing the indefinite suspension on admitting Syrian refugees, and allowing entry for refugees who had already been granted asylum. On March 9, 2017, Ferguson filed a motion asking a federal judge to extend the existing TRO to the new executive order. Ferguson said that while the ban was narrowed, it did not clear itself of constitutional problems. Ferguson announced that attorneys general from New York and Oregon would be joining in his effort to enforce the injunction against the new order. By March 30, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and California had joined the lawsuit.[19][20]
In April 2017, Ferguson was named to TIME's list of "The 100 Most Influential People" for his filing of the initial lawsuit that led to the repeal of the executive order.[1]
Arlene's Flowers and Gifts lawsuit
In April 2013, Ferguson filed suit against Barronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene's Flowers and Gifts, after she refused to provide flowers for a gay couple's wedding. He first advised her to reconsider her decision and then filed a consumer protection suit against her, stating, "It is unlawful to discriminate against customers based on sexual orientation."[21] Stutzman's attorney questioned Ferguson's legal standing to sue. In response to the suit, Stutzman filed a countersuit, saying her rights were being violated.[22]
The Washington State Supreme Court unanimously ruled against Stutzman in February 2017, saying her refusal to sell flowers for the wedding violated the state's anti-discrimination laws.[23] Stutzman appealed the ruling and on June 25, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States granted Stutzman's appeal of the state supreme court's decision. The state supreme court was tasked with considering Stutzman's case following SCOTUS' ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.[24] For more information on SCOTUS' ruling, click here.
Ballot measure activity
The following table details Ferguson's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Bob Ferguson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| Initiative 1639, Changes to Gun Ownership and Purchase Requirements Measure | 2018 | Supported[25] |  Approved
|
Notable endorsements
The following table shows a list of notable endorsements made by this individual or organization. The list includes presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, state legislative, and other notable candidates. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Ferguson lives with his wife, Colleen, and their twins, Jack and Katie, in North Seattle.[3]
See also
2020 Elections
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Washington State Office of the Attorney General
- Elect Bob Ferguson Attorney General
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Bob Ferguson on YouTube
- Ferguson for AG on Facebook
- Campaign contributions: 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 TIME, "The 100 Most Influential People," accessed April 25, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Peninsula Daily News, "Attorney general candidate addresses Peninsula Issues," April 6, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Washington state office of the Attorney General, "About Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson," accessed April 29, 2013
- ↑ Bob Ferguson for Attorney General, "About Bob," accessed May 19, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcandlist - ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Top 2 Primary: FAQ," accessed May 17, 2012
- ↑ King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson, "Bob's Bio," accessed February 9, 2012
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Results," August 7, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Seattle's Q13 FOX, "Inslee maintains slim lead in governor's race; Ferguson wins attorney general contest," November 7, 2012
- ↑ Bob Ferguson for Attorney General, "Endorsements,"accessed June 29, 2012
- ↑ Follow the Money, " Career fundraising for Bob Ferguson," accessed May 7, 2013
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson files suit against opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson," January 2, 2020
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Judge in Seattle halts Trump’s immigration order nationwide; White House vows fight," February 3, 2017
- ↑ Star Tribune, "Minnesota suing Trump administration over refugee order," February 2, 2017
- ↑ United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, "State of Washington v. Trump - Temporary Restraining Order," February 3, 2017
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Judge in Seattle halts Trump’s immigration order nationwide," February 3, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Court Refuses to Reinstate Travel Ban, Dealing Trump Another Legal Loss," February 9, 2017
- ↑ Reuters, "U.S. Justice Dept says Trump to replace travel ban order in near future," February 16, 2017
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedchictrib - ↑ Politico, "Last-ditch legal efforts to stop Trump travel ban heat up," March 13, 2017
- ↑ Washington Times, "Wash. state attorney general sues florist for refusing to supply same-sex wedding," April 11, 2013
- ↑ KNDO, "Richland Florist Sues WA Attorney General's Office in Gay Wedding Case," May 16, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Florist Discriminated Against Gay Couple, Washington State Supreme Court Rules," February 16, 2017
- ↑ NBC News, "Supreme Court grants appeal of florist who refused to serve gay wedding," June 25, 2018
- ↑ KUOW, "In Unusual Move, Washington Attorney General Endorses Gun-Related Ballot Measure," accessed August 21, 2019
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