WA Republicans throw weight behind MAGA candidate Semi Bird

At times it was a rowdy weekend as Washington state Republicans gathered in Spokane to throw support behind a candidate for governor and other key offices.

For governor, the majority of the roughly 1800 delegates gave their official stamp of approval to military veteran and former Richland School Board member Semi Bird.

"Normally, the state party convention is just procedural," said KNKX reporter Scott Greenstone, "but this one was actually a lot different than conventions of the past."

This year's event was earlier in the election cycle and the party endorsed candidates for statewide seats before the filing deadline.

The Republican Party hasn't held the governor's mansion in nearly 40 years and has recently struggled with Washington's top two primary system.

"Sometimes a lot of Republicans run for one seat, and only two Democrats or a Democrat and an independent get through to the general election," Greenstone said. "So this was really a move to unify the party."

On paper, Bird is an underdog, up against a better-funded Republican with eyes on the governor’s mansion: former congressman and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert.

Reichert and Bird are not hugely different when it comes to policy, but they represent a division in the GOP. For example, Reichert wrote an op ed in The Seattle Times, making an economic case for Covid lockdowns.

Meanwhile, during his time at the Richland School Board, Bird "voted to repeal mask mandates," Greenstone said. Bird also opposed DEI efforts and took a stand against "culture war issues."

The decision at the convention sends a message about who the state party’s faithful members see as the standard bearer for the Washington GOP: Donald J. Trump.

"The stakes here are really important because a lot of Republicans believe Reichert might be the first Republican in 30 years, who could actually win," Greenstone said.

Listen to Soundside’s full conversation with Scott Greenstone by clicking the play icon at the top of this story.