Dave Reichert served his
country in the US Air Force.
He was King County Sheriff
before becoming a US Congressman
for the state of Washington.
He spent the last four years fighting
human trafficking in Central America,
but says it was time for him
to return to politics because
this state deserves better.
Government should not be directing and
giving edicts to its citizens government.
Is a servant, should be a servant,
whether on the trail of the
Green River Killer chasing down
looters during the WTO riots.
We have to make progress.
We have to move forward,
and I can help do that.
Or serving in Congress.
Dave Reichert has made an impact
on the state of Washington and
he wants to return to public
service to bring about change.
That didn't happen enough for me in
Congress, So I think as governor
I'll have those opportunities.
Where we can actually make a
difference by listening to the facts,
taking in information, making a
decision and making things happen.
It won't be easy.
It's been more than 40 years since
a Republican has been elected
Washington's governor and Donald Trump,
who has lost the state twice,
could be atop the Republican
ticket again in 2024.
Have you endorsed anybody for
the Republican Party? President.
Wise yet? No, if Donald Trump.
If he were to come here on a campaign stop,
would you campaign with them?
Would you go up on a stage with them?
I think I'll cross that bridge when I get,
so I'd have to think about that one.
Bob Ferguson put out a pretty
lengthy e-mail to his supporters
this weekend calling you a profound
threat to reproductive freedom.
Where do you stand on abortion?
Well. There's no secret I've all, you know,
I've explained my my position on abortion.
I happen to believe that life begins
in the womb and at at inception.
I'm a pro-life person, with some exceptions.
So those exceptions are rape and incest
and the life of the mother and those
have always been consistent with me.
He says any changes to abortion laws
should come from voters. Not politicians.
I think this is important to
point out I am not running for
governor to to seek power.
What I'm what I'm trying to
do is to empower other people.
And well, the other people are
the people of Washington state.
Reichert blames the rise in drug
use overdoses and an increase
in homelessness on a hands off
approach by lawmakers. We're
almost becoming complacent to the
idea of well, if it's allowed by.
You know the people that we elect
and they're passing laws that allow
people to shoot up drugs and and
urinate and defecate all over the
the city and break in and steal
of the property from storefronts.
I guess it must be okay and if
everybody else is doing I'm
I might as well do it myself.
Potential solutions for Reichert
allow police to chase after
car thieves and burglars again
and he's exploring turning the
Old Navy ships in Bremerton.
Into shelters for those
experiencing homelessness.
I know this sounds like off the wall,
but you got to be innovative
and thinking about, OK,
how do we do this and get things done
and take action instead of just sitting
around twiddling our thumbs going?
We need to build a tent city.
We need to you know we can't.
We can't disturb this area or that area.
And all the meanwhile,
Seattle has become Gotham City.
You know where where is Batman? Right
Reichert has also proposed refurbishing
the old abandoned state prison on
McNeil Island into a shelter for
those experiencing homelessness.
Reichert has never lost an election
in the state of Washington.
The governor's primary is 13 months away.
August 2024 in Olympia.
Drew Mickelson, KING5 News.