Jay Inslee announces he will run for a third term as governor

August 22, 2019 8:50 PM

Erin Robinson,

Posted: August 22, 2019 8:50 PM

Updated: May 20, 2021 10:57 AM

by Erin Robinson

Jay Inslee announces he will run for a third term as governor — Copyright 2019 CNN

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced Thursday he will run for a third term.

Inslee made the announcement on Twitter just hours after he ended his presidential campaign.

4/ That’s why, today, I’m announcing my intention to run for a third term as Washington’s governor. Join me today. https://t.co/bDszBDZO0e

— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) August 22, 2019

“It’s become clear I’m not going to be carrying the ball — I’m not going to be president, so I’m withdrawing tonight from the race,” Inslee told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Wednesday night. “But I have to tell you, look, I’ve been fighting climate change for 25 years, and I’ve never been so confident of the ability of America now to reach critical mass to move the ball.”

Inslee made combating climate change the fundamental issue of his campaign. He released a series of plans that tied the issue to everything from foreign policy to the economy to labor laws.

Inslee reached the 130,000 donor threshold for the third Democratic debate but did not reach the polling threshold, making it unlikely he would qualify.

Inslee has been Washington’s governor since 2013. Before then, he served as a representative in Washington’s first and fourth districts. Gubernatorial terms span four years in Washington, but the state does not have term limits.