ASUWT hosts second debate watch party as Washington Gubernatorial election approaches

The second gubernatorial debate took place on September 18 with the ASUWT hosting its second debate watch party.

By Michaela Ely

On Sept. 18, the ASUWT hosted a watch party for the second gubernatorial debate featuring candidates Bob Ferguson and Dave Reichert with the debate taking place in Spokane and hosted by The Association of Washington Business and Greater Spokane Inc, marking the watch party as the second in a series of events being hosted by the ASUWT with the first covering the presidential debate.? 

“We hope to give students the space to socialize while also learning about our government. This year is a large election year, so we strive to ensure our students are educated in their decisions,” ASUWT Vice President Moira Kelley said. 

The debate began with each candidate delivering their opening statements. The order of the opening statements as well as the closing remarks were determined by a coin toss, which Ferguson won. He elected to go second for his opening statement which also meant he had the last closing statement. Reichert’s opening statement reflected on how Washington became the state it is today, referencing homelessness, rising crime levels and the failing state of public education. Ferguson’s opening statement referenced the high costs of living as well as his belief in reproductive rights while also highlighting that his campaign doesn’t take donations from corporations as his focus is on Washingtonians. 

Small business was the first topic of the debate when the moderators asked the candidates how they would humanely reduce the impact of homelessness on small businesses. Reichert responded by saying that there needs to be more accountability, naming the decriminalization of drugs as a key reason for the high impact of homelessness. He also emphasized the importance of electing officials that would support law enforcement. Ferguson responded to the question by saying that he would hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the opioid crisis. 

Several key issues for the election came up during this debate, including reproductive rights and the cost of living. Each candidate was given the opportunity to ask the other a question. Ferguson used his question to ask about Reichert’s stance on reproductive rights as leaked audio recordings posted on the website Reichert Revealed implied that Reichert would support an abortion ban. However, Reichert responded that the recording was taken out of context and that he would keep the current abortion laws in place. According to the Washington Department of Health, the current abortion laws in Washington allow abortion up to the point of fetal viability which is around 24 to 26 weeks or to protect the life of the mother.  

Reichert asked Ferguson about how crime has increased since Ferguson was elected as the attorney general, asking if he is not responsible then who is. Ferguson responded by citing the importance of a bipartisan budget and investing money into hiring first responders. 

The cost of living came up in a few different contexts throughout the debate. Due to the hosts of the debate, several questions were centered around small businesses, including a question about how to address the impact of cost of living on small businesses. Ferguson responded to the question with examples of how he would address the impact, by streamlining the permit process and addressing unnecessary regulations. Reichert responded similarly, but also addressed the impact of new taxes and homelessness. 

The debate itself was contentious, with both candidates calling the other out for spreading misinformation about issues or constantly repeating themselves. However, there were a few occasions where both candidates seemed to agree with one another, such as the impact of the state tax system. Both candidates agreed that Washington has one of the most regressive tax systems and the impact on the middle and lower classes needs to be addressed.? 

The debate wrapped up with the candidates’ delivering closing statements. Reichert began by asking the audience if they thought Ferguson would change anything in Washington’s government. He then emphasized the importance of a balanced government and ended by saying that he wants to show how a divided state like Washington can come together and make positive changes. Ferguson’s closing statement began with him stating that the debate revealed two different visions for Washington. He ended his closing statement by referencing his career as the Attorney General and how he stands up for workers and reproductive rights. 

The watch party provided the opportunity for UWT students to watch the debate together and come to their own conclusions about who they should vote for.  

“I was not undecided before the debate, leaning more towards Ferguson. However, my decision was still loose enough to be swayed if Reichert did well enough, but unfortunately for him, he did quite the opposite. The debate affirmed my decision to support Ferguson when the time comes,” UWT student Alexei Gilbert said. 

Both watch parties the ASUWT hosted occurred before Autumn quarter started, but they have more events planned once the quarter starts. 

“The attendance that we’ve had for the last two debates (Presidential and Gubernatorial) has been surprisingly decent, considering we’re not technically in school right now. It has definitely given us some excitement for the Vice-Presidential debate on October 1st, since it will actually be taking place during the Fall Quarter and we’re hoping to get more attention on it. We will be holding multiple tablings for voter registration information leading up to November 5th , as well as some other informational events. We have all of our events that we will be tabling at, as well as other voter information for students on our Huskies Vote page,” ASUWT Director of Legislative Affairs Ben Brown said. 

The ASUWT will be hosting a watch party at the DAWG House for the Vice-Presidential Debate on October 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.