2 extra Bob Fergusons join Washington state governor race by filing deadline, drop days later
Washington's upcoming gubernatorial primary election briefly saw not just one, not just two, but three Bob Fergusons file for the August primary just before the deadline to file came up last Friday.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Washington's upcoming gubernatorial primary election briefly saw not just one, not just two, but three Bob Fergusons file for the August primary just before the deadline to file for candidacy came up last Friday -- only for the most recent two to drop out by Monday evening.
According to the office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is running for governor as a Democrat, just before the filing deadline on Friday, May 10, two additional candidates also named Bob Ferguson filed to run for governor -- also both as Democrats.
However, conservative activist Glen Morgan publicly took credit on Facebook for recruiting the two extra Fergusons and said that he is their volunteer campaign manager, AG Ferguson's campaign said on Monday.
AG Ferguson spoke Monday about what he called an "illegal scheme" and shared his hopes for a resolution that will remove the confusion caused by the situation. The other Fergusons are from Yakima and Graham, according to AG Ferguson, who added during the campaign event that his campaign learned one of the Fergusons has voted Republican in past elections.
During the Monday morning event, AG Ferguson asked for the other Bob Fergusons to withdraw from the race. Both of the other Bob Fergusons dropped their gubernatorial bids by 5 p.m. Monday, Seattle CBS affiliate KIRO reported.
“In the final hours of filing week, anti-democracy Republicans orchestrated a cynical, deceptive attack on election integrity,” AG Ferguson said earlier Monday. “To be clear: I do not want these two individuals to be prosecuted so long as they do what is right and withdraw by today’s 5 p.m. deadline.”
AG Ferguson said he has sent cease and desist letters to the other Fergusons and said that he doesn't want them to be prosecuted and they won't be if they drop out of the race.
KOIN 6 News reached out to Morgan for comment on the allegations and received a link to NeighborsForBobFergusonPAC.com as a response.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.