Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and his GOP challenger Bill Bryant are gearing up for Wednesday’s first debate of Washington’s general election season.
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Jay Inslee, left, shakes hands with challenger Bill Bryant before the two debate at Spokane Falls Community College, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016, in Spokane, Wash.
“But Inslee is doing better among democrats than Bryant is doing among republicans and there’s a growing number of democrats”, says Elway.
Inslee, a former longtime congressman, is seeking a second term.
The debate was hosted by the Association of Washington Business, Greater Spokane Incorporated and Community Colleges of Spokane.
The two also jousted over the amount of state regulation as well as school funding and statewide minimum wage.
Bryant, for months, avoided questions from reporters about backing Trump… we asked him about it last month on “Your Afternoon Show…”
“We have a Department of Corrections which is a mess”, Bryant said.
He said Washington had one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates at 5.8 percent, and noted the rate was higher in many rural counties. “And one of the reasons from that is having lived in central Washington for nearly two decades in Yakima, I focus on eastern Washington rural Washington as much as urban Washington”.
Bryant said Trump’s criticism of the Muslim family of a fallen USA soldier caused him to withhold his support. Pressed further by Inslee, Bryant said it was a hard situation.
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But Inslee pointed to billions of dollars in new spending for education, including teacher salary increases.
