Washington State Labor Council reiterates early endorsement of Bob Ferguson and urges member mobilization
May 18, 2024 | Campaign and Election (TVW), Washington
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The Washington State Labor Council (AFL-CIO) on May 18 reaffirmed its endorsement of Bob Ferguson for governor and used its COPE convention to marshal union volunteers for the November election. President Sims opened the convention with a call to action and introduced Ferguson as the council’s endorsed candidate.
Ferguson, the former state attorney general and the campaign’s endorsed nominee, thanked delegates for their early support and emphasized that his campaign does not accept donations from large corporations or corporate PACs. "I don't take a dime. Not one dime," Ferguson said, framing his operation as sustained by small donations and grassroots organizing. He accused opposing forces of attempting to "jeopardize the integrity of our election system" by filing multiple similarly named candidates and alleged that corporate interests have already injected "1000000 bucks" into the race.
The candidate framed the contest as close and winnable with strong union turnout, noting that past open-seat gubernatorial contests were decided by narrow margins. He urged delegates to use relational organizing — one-on-one contact and volunteer outreach — and to translate convention energy into campaign work.
Why it matters: The WSLC’s endorsement carries organizational resources — volunteers, canvass capacity, and targeted communications through WSLC programs such as Labor Neighbor. Ferguson’s pledge to refuse corporate PAC money and his emphasis on worker-centered policy signal labor’s priorities in the governor’s race and set expectations for WSLC-led turnout operations.
Looking ahead: The convention scheduled endorsement votes later in the day for other races and directed delegates to take a lunchtime solidarity action supporting locked-out Boeing firefighters. The council’s political and field machinery will now focus on volunteer recruitment and donor outreach to support endorsed candidates in competitive districts.
Ferguson, the former state attorney general and the campaign’s endorsed nominee, thanked delegates for their early support and emphasized that his campaign does not accept donations from large corporations or corporate PACs. "I don't take a dime. Not one dime," Ferguson said, framing his operation as sustained by small donations and grassroots organizing. He accused opposing forces of attempting to "jeopardize the integrity of our election system" by filing multiple similarly named candidates and alleged that corporate interests have already injected "1000000 bucks" into the race.
The candidate framed the contest as close and winnable with strong union turnout, noting that past open-seat gubernatorial contests were decided by narrow margins. He urged delegates to use relational organizing — one-on-one contact and volunteer outreach — and to translate convention energy into campaign work.
Why it matters: The WSLC’s endorsement carries organizational resources — volunteers, canvass capacity, and targeted communications through WSLC programs such as Labor Neighbor. Ferguson’s pledge to refuse corporate PAC money and his emphasis on worker-centered policy signal labor’s priorities in the governor’s race and set expectations for WSLC-led turnout operations.
Looking ahead: The convention scheduled endorsement votes later in the day for other races and directed delegates to take a lunchtime solidarity action supporting locked-out Boeing firefighters. The council’s political and field machinery will now focus on volunteer recruitment and donor outreach to support endorsed candidates in competitive districts.
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