Tri-Cities gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird is feeling the heat after a sizable shakeup in the 2024 Republican field for Washington state governor.
Former U.S. Congressman Dave Reichert, a moderate Republican who represented the 8th Congressional District for seven terms, officially threw his hat into the ring Friday.
The former King County sheriff is already seen as the GOP front runner after Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced two months ago he would not seek a fourth term.
He made his announcement in a short video published Friday morning, though he filed paperwork last week indicating his intent.
And his decision triggered an immediate change by another gubernatorial hopeful.
Dr. Raul Garcia, an emergency medicine physician and Republican from Yakima, announced Friday he plans to drop out of that race to instead challenge U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash, whose seat also is up for reelection in 2024.
Garcia said he would fully endorse Reichert for governor.
“We want to unite the party and support each other. Instead of fighting each other, we can work together and build a strong top of the ticket determined to bring solutions for Washington,” Garcia said in a prepared statement.
Reichert’s announcement and Garcia’s pivot spells pressure for Bird, a behavioral scientist and decorated retired U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret with 24 years military service.
Reichert entering the race could be a sign that the Washington State Republican Party will look to back more moderate candidates to run next year after losing a congressional seat and the party’s last statewide office in 2022.
Bird campaign endorsements
Bird characterizes himself as an anti-establishment “constitutional Christian conservative,” but the only public office he’s held has been the last 19 months on the Richland School Board.
But he could be kicked out early from that seat. On Aug. 1, voters in the Richland School District will decide whether or not Bird and two of his peers should be removed from office over a vote they took in February 2022 to go against Washington’s indoor mask mandate.
Bird is currently the financial front runner among Republicans, having netted roughly $116,000 in contributions over the last seven months by crisscrossing the state to speak at holiday gatherings, campaign events and Lincoln Day dinners.
Bird chairs the Benton County Republican Party, which met Thursday night and voted to officially endorse him for governor in next year’s primary. Benton County is the fifth county so far to back him.
He intends to stay in the race.
“Semi Bird’s candidacy signifies a departure from the status quo and a rejection of traditional politics,” said Corey Gibson, Bird’s campaign communications director, in a statement. “His unwavering commitment to the people’s concerns and his refusal to be beholden to establishment figures resonates deeply with Washingtonians yearning for authentic representation.”
On June 30, after news broke that Reichert had filed his paperwork, Bird’s campaign published a post on Facebook with an image urging candidates to unite behind him.
Nearly two dozen candidates have filed campaign paperwork with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission to run for governor in 2024.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz lead the Democratic field. State Sen. Mark Mullet, a Democrat from Issaquah, also plans to run.
A Republican hasn’t been in the governor’s mansion in nearly 40 years.
