Washington Gov. Jay Inslee reacts to Trump’s election, acknowledging national fear but calling for local optimism

SEATTLE – Moments after Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the election to President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee gave a speech urging residents of the Evergreen State to remain hopeful about the future.

“Even though this is a dark moment on the federal basis, we should be encouraged that (Washington) now leads the U.S. Climate Alliance,” Inslee said to a handful of journalists at a news conference in downtown Seattle.

The news conference was likely one of the last times the longtime governor will address the public as he prepares to step down from his post and pass the torch to the newly elected Bob Ferguson. Inslee, a Democrat, announced last year that he would not seek re-election once he closed out his third term as governor.

Inslee wore a green tie and blue suit as he spoke from a conference room in a high-rise U.S. Department of Commerce building. Down below on the street, people passed by on the sidewalks of Seattle’s Sixth Avenue, many with grim expressions on their faces.

In his speech, Inslee celebrated Washington voters and their choices to uphold the governor’s landmark Climate Commitment Act through rejecting a ballot initiative that would have repealed it.

“This win is doubly important,” Inslee said in reference to voters’ rejection of Initiative 2117, “now that the White House is in control of a person who denies the existence of climate change, calls it a hoax and says that wind turbines cause cancer.”

The governor went on to celebrate Washington voters’ selection of Bob Ferguson as their next governor, along with choosing Democratic candidates to oversee all of the state’s eight other executive offices, including attorney general and superintendent of public instruction.

Since 2012, Ferguson has served as the state’s attorney general. He ran his campaign for governor centered around upholding access to abortion rights in Washington. Former U.S. Attorney Nick Brown, a Democrat, will take over the role of state attorney general, overseeing an office of more than 800 public lawyers. On Wednesday, Inslee called Ferguson and Brown “the best duo” possible to defend Washington.

“Bob Ferguson sued Donald Trump something like 95 times and won 92 times,” Inslee said. “… I know that there a lot of people who are worried about their personal futures and their families’ futures in light of some of the notorious statements by Donald Trump.”

Inslee said he was glad that Washington already has some protective measures in place, pointing to the fact that abortion access is currently enshrined in Washington state law and saying the state government has stockpiled mifepristone, an abortion medication.

When asked by a reporter if Democrats are “out of touch” with United States residents, Inslee said no.

“I’m not going to pretend to do an analysis after 18 hours of this race,” the governor said. “But look: things change. I’ve been around long enough to know that the tide goes in, the tide goes out. That happens sometimes, and I would not reach any conclusions to the contrary at the moment.”

Inslee himself lost a seat in Congress after one term in the Republican landslide of 1994.

Another reporter asked Inslee what Democrats should learn from the national voter trends in the 2024 elections. Inslee responded by inviting people to move to Washington.

“I would say what I’ve learned is people should come live in Washington state, because it’s a paradise of values,” Inslee said. “It values clean air, clean water. Values people who might have need. Values the public education of our kids.”

Toward the end of his remarks to the press, Inslee answered a question about his future professional plans by saying he intends to be “very, very active” working on efforts to combat climate change.

After the soon-to-be former governor thanked the press and left the room Wednesday, his smile disappeared as a weary look of concern took its place.

“Our state and others formed enduring alliances for progress during Trump’s first term in office, and we will continue to push the needle of progress for a more perfect union,” Inslee wrote in a statement released later that afternoon.