OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Latest on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his 2020 presidential bid (all times local):
7 p.m.
Two people close to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have told The Associated Press that he intends to seek a third term as governor.
The news comes after Inslee announced the end of his Democratic presidential campaign on MSNBC on Wednesday night.
The two people close to Inslee said he will announce his reelection intentions in an email to supporters Thursday. They were not authorized to discuss the announcement publicly and spoke to the AP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
Inslee always kept the option of a third term open, even as Democratic candidates had started lining up ready to get into the race if he didn’t. Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and King County Executive Dow Constantine had signaled they would run if Inslee didn’t.
— By Rachel La Corte
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6:10 p.m.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is ending his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Inslee announced his decision Wednesday night on MSNBC, saying that it’s become clear he won’t win. He did not say whether he intended to seek a third term as governor.
While he had qualified for the first two presidential debates this summer, Inslee struggled to gain traction in the crowded Democratic field and was falling short of the requirements needed to appear on two high-profile stages next month: the third DNC debate in Houston and a CNN town hall focused on climate change, Inslee’s key issue.
Inslee recently hit one of the markers, 130,000 unique donors. But he had yet to reach 2% in any poll, and he would have needed that level of support in four qualifying polls.
