Jay Inslee drops out of presidential race
David Boschwitz/Iowa State Daily
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks about climate change as part of his presidential campaign tour at a ISU College Democrats event at the Memorial Union on March 5. “This [climate change] is the most unifying thing in human history,” Inslee said.
August 21, 2019
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee became the latest Democrat to leave the race for his party’s nomination late Wednesday.
Inslee, whose campaign focused heavily on climate change, seemed unlikely to qualify for the September presidential debate. A candidate needs to receive at least 2% in four Democratic National Committee (DNC) approved polls along another criterion for a spot on the debate stage. Inslee had no DNC-approved polls in which he received that level of support.
The governor announced his campaign March 1, soon after making a trip to Iowa State where he discussed climate change with students. A super PAC supporting Inslee aired advertisements beginning in March in Iowa to support his candidacy. However, his campaign never took off in the state or nationally.
In an August Monmouth poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers, Inslee received zero support, and in a YouGov poll released Wednesday he received 1% support among likely Democratic primary voters nationwide.
Inslee ended his campaign just after 8 p.m. Wednesday on the Rachel Maddow Show. He said he believes “we are going to have a candidate” who will be able to “fight this battle” against climate change and defeat President Donald Trump.
Washington has no term-limits for governors, and Inslee is eligible to seek a third term in his current role. He told Maddow he would make an announcement Thursday about his intentions regarding his political future.
