Here’s the press release I got emailed today.
Democratic candidate for governor, Jay Inslee, today announced that he will step down from his seat in Congress to focus full time on his campaign and talking to voters about rebuilding Washington’s economy and creating jobs for the nearly 300,000 people still out of work.
“I am excited about focusing full-time on talking about my job-creation agenda and building a new economy for Washington state,” Inslee told a group of supporters at his campaign headquarters today. “We have a great chance to seize our own destiny, build our own industries, and create our own technological revolutions right here at home.”
“I am not one for half measures or half-hearted efforts,” continued Inslee. “I am going to leave everything on the field. I am going everywhere and I am going to listen to everybody. If you have an idea, I want to hear it. If you have a problem, I want to know it. If you have a business, I want to help you grow it. I am all in.”
Inslee, who is currently leading in fundraising and running neck-in-neck with his opponent based on recent polls, said he made the decision very recently after watching the GOP presidential nominees visiting Washington with what Inslee described as a “divisive social issues agenda” and then seeing state Republicans offer budget proposals that slashed education funding.
“It was a difficult decision, but what I need to do right now is focus all my attention on talking to people about what’s really important – creating jobs and growing our economy,” said Inslee.
Inslee’s resignation is effective March 20.
For what it’s worth, while this will probably play well with the legacy media who are always complaining he’s talking about national issues, I can’t say I’m thrilled with it. I know going back to DC and here to campaign is a pain in the ass, and God knows you want to not associate yourself with Congress to the extent possible. But I don’t think the best way to ask for the next job is to quit the one you’re in.
Also, does anyone know if there’s going to be a special election to fill the seat or if it stays empty until after the November election? Also also, what happens to constituent services until there’s another member of Congress?
This from DailyKos:
Member’s staff remain in place as employees of the Clerk of the House, temporarily “overseeing” operations for that C. D. Usually the state’s other Reps will do any heavy hauling needed for the constituents.
BTW: the House will basically quit working soon as they are all up for election (whoops, I mean besides the GOP majority – who haven’t done anything for the whole session), so Inslee won’t miss much.
@2
Thanks for that.
@2 The flip side of this is that Inslee wouldn’t miss much by staying in his seat but spending most of his time campaigning – which is how most office-holders running for a different office handle it.
I like Inslee, but the optics of this are terrible. Most people aren’t going to think about Inslee not having to commute 3000 miles multiple times a week. They’re going to see that McKenna is still in his elected office – in however perfunctory a manner – and Inslee is not.
@4
Bob Dole did this when he ran for president. I thought he was a class act for doing it.
I am not an Inslee fan. I yet think he is a class act for committing to one office.
Won’t the special election to fill the last two months of Inslee’s term involve the 1st CD as it is presently constituted? That should be confusing, to say the least.
In any event, Inslee leaves his constituents unrepresented for over eight months … which should provide ample cannon fodder for McKenna’s campaign.
The Republicans in the Washington state legislature have been doing an excellent job of hurting McKenna’s fundraising efforts, since a state officer can’t raise funds for campaigns while the legislature is in session.
Inslee is doing the right thing. He can now concentrate on running for Governor without the charge of “he’s not doing his job of being a Congressman.”
He does need to catch up on telling the eastern half of Washington state who he is. McKenna has had an overpowering advantage in online advertising on progressive websites such as dailyKos and here. One would think that *he* was the progressive candidate instead of Inslee for all of the online advertising that McKenna has done.
I think it’s going to be a close race. McKenna has been around forever, but the Reps aren’t too popular with Washington voters and this is a very, very blue state. I’m gonna say the Inslee will win, but it will be close.
I think there are a lot of people who simply do not know Inslee. And while it is a blue state, McKenna has won with a lot of democratic votes. So unless Inslee does a big turn around and offers something different in terms of leadership options, it won’t be easy.
I think a lot of people are disgusted with the absolutely REGRESSIVE democratic leadership we’ve seen in this state. And also what utter pussies they have been in suggesting any sort of new revenue streams. So, the Dems aren’t really all that popular.
At best it will be a race about the lesser of two evils. So unless there is a strong reminder on McKenna’s position on the health care, and voters get it, what his position means, he’s probably got a better than fair chance against Inslee.
Inlsee is running from the mess he and his fellow democrats have made of this country. To come here spewing he can create jobs, when as a Congressman, their American jobless rate of 8%-9% is horrible at best. I wouldn’t vote for Inslee for dog catcher helping rack up 6 trillion in new debt and coming here to fix things…ha ha ha ha
Face palm – SMACK!
You people are unbelievable.
10 – Walkers!
@10 is like prison inmates blaming a riot on the warden for not having enough guards.