Washington AG wins gubernatorial bid to replace retiring Inslee

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) is the winner of the state's gubernatorial contest, The Hill/Decision Desk HQ projects.

Ferguson was up against former Rep. Dave Reichert (R) in the race to replace retiring Gov. Jay Inslee (D), who announced last year that he would not run for a 4th term.

The attorney general has been in office for more than a decade. He also reportedly raised more than $8 million for his gubernatorial bid, a significant haul over many of the other candidates in the crowded field.

Ferguson, 59, received Inslee's endorsement.

The Hill/DDHQ has ranked the Evergreen State as "safely Democratic." Washington has not voted for a GOP governor since 1980.

Still, polling throughout the cycle showed Ferguson and Reichert — a former sheriff known for helping to catch the "Green River Killer" — locked in a tight race in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.

The state uses an open primary system in which voters did not have to declare a party to cast a ballot. The two candidates with the highest vote count automatically moved forward to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. Overall, nearly 30 candidates were on the primary ballot.

Before becoming the state's top prosecutor, Ferguson spent nearly 10 years sitting on the King County Council.