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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Attorney General

Election Results

Candidate Votes Pct
Bob Ferguson (D) 1,443,811 53.11%
Reagan Dunn (R) 1,274,664 46.89%

* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.

About The Race

The race to replace Rob McKenna, who is running for governor, pits two King County councilmen against each other. Republican Reagan Dunn and Democrat Bob Ferguson have waged spirited campaigns, with their sparring at debates and public appearances providing some of the most memorable political clashes of the season so far. The attorney general is the state’s top legal officer, responsible for enforcing the law and for defending state agencies in civil litigation. The position pays $151,718 per year plus health care and other benefits.

The Candidates

Bob Ferguson

Party:
Democrat
Age:
59
City:
Seattle, Washington
Occupation:
Lawyer

Education: Graduated from Bishop Blanchette High School in Seattle in 1983. Earned bachelor’s from the University of Washington and law degree from New York University.

Work experience: Law clerk for U.S. District Judge Frem Nielsen in Spokane and 8th Circuit Court of Appeals; attorney at Preston Gates Ellis.

Political experience: Elected King County Council 2003, re-elected 2007. Elected attorney general in 2012, re-elected 2016.

Family: Married to Colleen Ferguson. Has two children.

Campaign finances: Raised almost $4 million as of Sept. 29, 2020 with $4,000 maximum contributions from at least 43 individuals or groups, including the Spokane Firefighters Union, state Auto Dealers Political Action Committee, Building and Construction Trades PAC, state Medical PAC and Democratic Attorneys General Association.

Reagan Dunn

Party:
Republican
Age:
52
City:
Maple Valley, WA

Complete Coverage

Pot leaving Washington is federal concern

OLYMPIA – State officials are trying to convince the federal government they can keep legally grown pot from making its way over the border to Oregon, Idaho or other states as they try to avoid a legal fight over the new marijuana law. “It is our responsibility to show the federal government we will be a responsible entity,” Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday.

Feds examining pot law, Inslee says

OLYMPIA – State officials appear to be hoping for the best while preparing for the worst as Washington and the federal government try to determine how the state will license and regulate legal marijuana. After a meeting in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee said the nation’s chief legal officer was open to learning more about the law voters passed and the state’s plans to make it work. There were no firm conclusions from their first meeting, Inslee said.

Governor candidates shelled out record dough

OLYMPIA – Even without the final spending tallied, this year’s Washington governor’s race was the most expensive in state history, and outside independent groups spent record amounts trying to persuade residents to vote against Jay Inslee or Rob McKenna. Post-election reports filed this week with the state Public Disclosure Commission show the Inslee and McKenna campaigns spent a combined $25.7 million to be Washington’s next governor. Including other candidates that were eliminated in the primary and money spent by incumbent Chris Gregoire before she opted out of the race, spending hit nearly $26.2 million, passing the record set in 2008 by nearly $1 million.

Attorney general race pits two co-workers

SEATTLE – The two men competing to be Washington’s next attorney general are co-workers, but that’s about as much similarity King County Councilmen Reagan Dunn and Bob Ferguson will admit to sharing. Dunn, a Republican, and Ferguson, a Democrat, have been trying to draw differences for months in their quest to succeed incumbent Rob McKenna, the GOP’s candidate for governor.

Political Web ad violates TVW rule

OLYMPIA – The Democratic candidate for state attorney general is being accused of violating TVW broadcast rules by using the government cable channel’s footage in his latest commercial. The commercial for Bob Ferguson, which only appears on the Internet, features a brief video clip of his opponent, Republican Reagan Dunn, challenging a Ferguson allegation about poor attendance at King County Council meetings.

TVW blasts Ferguson ad for AG

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Post debate: AWB endorses McKenna, Dunn

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Attorney general candidates debate

Two candidates for state attorney general agreed on a few things in their first debate. Both support same-sex marriage. Both oppose legalizing marijuana for recreational use but support it for medical use. Both would press the federal government to keep to the schedule of cleaning up the waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

Gov, AG debates today in Spokane

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Spin Control: Both sides fuel up for critical Spokane debate

Spokane will be in the political limelight Tuesday as Washington’s first gubernatorial debate of the season takes the stage at the Bing Crosby Theater. The Association of Washington Business and Greater Spokane Incorporated are co-hosting the premier head-to-head between Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee at 3:30 p.m., the second debate on a two-event card. Two guys who want McKenna’s current job of state attorney general, Republican Reagan Dunn and Democrat Bob Ferguson, are the warm-up debate at 2 p.m.

Gov debate set for Spokane?

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