In the race to become Washington State’s next governor, Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson declared during his first debate with Republican former Sheriff Dave Reichert that, “I believe in responsible limitations on the Second Amendment.”

The moment was captured by Seattle’s KING, which broadcast the hour-long debate.

Reichert, who served two terms as sheriff of King County—the state’s most populous jurisdiction which encompasses Seattle—countered that he prefers to “focus on gun crime.” That is, he would prefer to lock up criminals who misuse firearms than penalize law-abiding citizens, and his record speaks for itself.

When he was sheriff, he brought together representatives from the gun prohibition control movement and gun rights community.

“We came up with the King County Firearms Coalition, which was very successful in reducing gun crime and gang violence,” Reichert recalled.

Ferguson, on the other hand, insisted “I’m someone who supports the Second Amendment.” Among Evergreen State gun rights activists, the feeling is his statement had all the credibility of Vice President Kamala Harris’ disclosure that she is “a gun owner” in her face-off with former President Donald Trump.

Ferguson declared, “There are limitations on all of our constitutional rights.” He fell back on the well-worn argument that he “can’t yell fire” in a crowded theater as a defense of his argument.

Ferguson proudly boasted his support for the state’s ban on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.” And, in an accusatory tone, said Reichert doesn’t support either restriction.

Only a few minutes into the debate, Ferguson exhibited what Reichert finally described as an “obsession with Trump,” by repeatedly trying to create the impression the former congressman was somehow a Trump disciple. Reichert countered that he is not supporting Trump while noting that he does support some of Trump’s programs such as lower taxes, which did not derail the anti-gun attorney general’s fixation.

Perhaps as a testament to his alleged “fixation,” according to Wikipedia, Ferguson “sued the Trump administration 97 times, leading 36 of the cases, realizing victory 22 times, and losing once.” Left unanswered was a question which has been bothering the state’s conservatives for several years: Who paid for those lawsuits? Evergreen State voters did not elect Ferguson to pursue nearly a hundred legal actions against the former president, they contend.

When Reichert stated, “I think it’s clear that I’m the only public safety candidate in this race”—as reported by the Vancouver Columbian, Ferguson’s sanctimony was on full display.

“I’m going to take no lectures from you about public safety when you are voting for and supporting a convicted felon for president, who by the way, is also a convicted sexual abuser,” Ferguson responded condescendingly. “In that race for president, I support a prosecutor. You support a convicted felon. So, you have no standing to say you are somehow the only public safety candidate.”

However, on Ferguson’s watch—during which he pushed what activists have described as an “extremist” gun control agenda—homicides in Washington more than doubled. Ferguson assumed office in 2013, a year which—according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report—saw the state report 155 murders, including 86 involving firearms.

Jump ahead to 2022, the year for which the most recent FBI data is available, and Washington logged 385 murders, including more than 200 involving firearms. However, the most recent crime report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs says there were 399 murders in 2022 and 376 homicides in 2023.

Whatever else those figures suggest, it is a clear indication the gun control policies backed by Ferguson aren’t working, and in the opinion of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, gun control in Washington has been a dismal failure.

In a statement to the media earlier this year, CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb observed, “Perhaps Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who has championed these restrictive gun laws, might also offer an explanation as to why the number of murders statewide has gone up more than 100 percent since 2014. He’s the top law enforcement official in the state, and he’s running for governor, so he needs to explain to the voters how this has happened on his watch.”

Ferguson and Reichert will square off for another debate well in advance of the Nov. 5 election, since Washington’s vote-by-mail ballots go out in October.

About Dave Workman