The Washington Republican Party’s state convention turned chaotic as party leaders attempted to endorse candidates in key races, including the gubernatorial race. Former congressman and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert disavowed the endorsement process, calling it “deceitful and dishonest.” The chaos erupted when Semi Bird, a former Richland School Board member, was disqualified from the endorsement due to new information about his 1993 conviction on a federal misdemeanor charge of bank larceny.
As about 1,800 delegates, many waving Bird signs, reacted with outrage, Bird’s supporters successfully reversed the decision to disqualify him, leading to a potential endorsement vote scheduled for Saturday. Reichert, who withdrew from the process, criticized the system as broken and deceitful. Despite the endorsement dispute, the top two vote-getters in the Aug. 6 primary, regardless of party, will move on to the November general election.
The convention also highlighted divisions within the GOP, as pro-Donald Trump attendees reacted negatively to former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. The convention saw further backlash against Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, including U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse. Despite the chaos, Reichert remains focused on defeating his likely Democratic rival, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, in November, indicating he is open to later discussions with the party for support.