The atmosphere at the Spokane Convention Center during the Washington State Republican Party 2024 Convention was far from calm. Delegates grew restless as the morning session stretched on, causing a bit of a commotion as the scheduled lunch break approached.
Supporters of gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird expressed their anger when the Candidate Committee initially withdrew the governor’s race from the endorsement process. This decision was made based on “late breaking information that violated the vetting standards” concerning Bird.
The Candidate Committee report underwent amendments to include the governor’s race. The body and delegates adopted the report and were subsequently divided into breakout sessions based on their congressional delegation. This transition, however, was not without its fair share of dramatic moments.
Lisa Evans, the vice chair of the Washington State Republican Party, delivered the Candidate Committee report amidst constant interruptions from the crowd. Chair Jim Walsh had to intervene multiple times to restore decorum. Evans clarified that the committee had made the decision to exclude the governor’s race from the endorsement ballot in order to maintain fairness towards all candidates. It is worth noting that Dave Reichert is also running for governor as a Republican.
During the proceedings, a delegate, visibly upset, approached the microphone expressing their disappointment. They emphasized that the individuals present had made a significant personal effort to attend and cast their votes in favor of Semi Bird. In response to this concern, an amendment was proposed to reinstate the governor’s race to the voting process.
Before proceeding with the vote to approve the report, there was a request to disclose the negative information that led to the decision of the Candidate Committee. However, Walsh deemed this request irrelevant, which was promptly challenged by a delegate who expressed the desire to understand the underlying reasons behind the report.
In the latest revelations surrounding Bird, the focus has been on a bank fraud charge dating back to 1991. Bird openly acknowledges that he pleaded guilty in 1993 for using his father’s name and Social Security number to fraudulently secure a bank loan.
During the tally of county votes, as the delegations were in progress, an additional delegate approached the microphone to share a statement from Reichert. The delegate mentioned that the statement was recently posted on Reichert’s campaign’s Facebook page. In his statement, Reichert acknowledged the chaotic state of the endorsement process and announced his decision to withdraw his name from consideration for the gubernatorial endorsement through the convention process. However, he emphasized his continued pursuit of the endorsement from Republicans statewide and affirmed his unwavering commitment to represent the state as a Republican candidate throughout the upcoming November elections.
According to Paul Hess, the chair of the Rules Committee, the delegates were reminded that they were making history by engaging in a pre-primary endorsement process, which had never been done in the 135-year history of the organization.
