ASUWT hosts second debate watch party as Washington gubernatorial election approaches – The Tacoma Ledger

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

By Michaela Ely

On September 18, the ASUWT hosted a watch party for the second gubernatorial debate featuring candidates Bob Ferguson and Dave Reichert. The debate took place in Spokane and was hosted by the Association of Washington Business and Greater Spokane Inc. in a series of events hosted by ASUWT, the first of which covered the presidential debate.?

“We hope to give students the space to network while learning about our government. This year is a big election year, so we are striving to ensure our students are informed about their decisions,” said ASUWT Vice President Moira Kelley.

The debate began with each candidate giving their opening statement. The order of opening and closing remarks was determined by a coin toss, which Ferguson won. He chose to give his opening speech second, which meant he also gave the final closing speech. In his opening statement, Reichert discussed how Washington became the state it is today, citing homelessness, rising crime and the poor state of public education. In his opening statement, Ferguson cited the high cost of living and his belief in reproductive rights, while emphasizing that his campaign does not accept donations from corporations because his focus is on Washington residents.

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

During this debate, several key issues for the election were raised, including reproductive rights and the cost of living. Each candidate had 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 suggested that Reichert would support an abortion ban. However, Reichert responded that the recording was taken out of context and that he would maintain current abortion laws. According to the Washington Department of Health, current abortion laws in Washington allow abortion up to the point of fetal viability, which is approximately 24 to 26 weeks, or to protect the life of the mother.

Reichert asked Ferguson how crime has increased since Ferguson was elected attorney general and asked if he wasn’t responsible and who would bear the blame. Ferguson responded by citing the importance of a bipartisan budget and investing money in hiring first responders.

The cost of living came up in the debate in various contexts. Due to the moderators of the debate, several questions centered around small businesses, including how to address the impact of the cost of living on small businesses. Ferguson responded to the question with examples of how he would address the impacts by streamlining the approval process and addressing unnecessary regulations. Reichert responded similarly, but also addressed the impact of new taxes and homelessness.

The debate itself was controversial, with both candidates accusing each other of spreading misinformation about issues or constantly repeating themselves. However, there were a few occasions when both candidates appeared to agree, such as on the impact of the state’s 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 ended with the candidates’ closing statements. Reichert began by asking the audience if they thought Ferguson would change anything in Washington’s administration. He then emphasized the importance of balanced government and concluded by saying he wanted to show how a divided state like Washington can come together and create positive change. Ferguson’s closing statement began by noting that the debate had revealed two different visions for Washington. He ended his closing statement with a reference to his career as attorney general and how he advocates for workers and reproductive rights.

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

“I wasn’t undecided before the debate and was leaning towards Ferguson. However, my decision was still loose enough to be influenced by Reichert if he had done well enough, but unfortunately for him, he did the exact opposite. The debate confirmed my decision to support Ferguson when the time comes,” said UWT student Alexei Gilbert.

Both watch parties hosted by ASUWT took place before the start of fall quarter, but additional events are planned once the quarter begins.

“The attendance we had at the last two debates (presidential and gubernatorial debates) was surprisingly good considering we are technically not in school right now. It definitely gave us some anticipation for the vice presidential debate on October 1st, as it will actually take place in the fall quarter and we hope it gets more attention. We will be conducting multiple submissions for voter registration information through November 5th as well as some other information events. “We have all of our events that we will contribute to as well as other voter information for students on our Huskies Voting page,” said Ben Brown, ASUWT’s director of legislative affairs.

The ASUWT will host a watch party at the DAWG House for the Vice Presidential Debate on October 1st from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m