At first, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson appeared to cross the aisle. Lawmakers on the right were thrilled – until they weren’t.

Gov. Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address wasn’t what anyone expected from the new governor, and it set the tone for a challenging legislative session in which the new executive struggled to win over Democratic and Republican lawmakers, activists and voters.

The speech was a pleasant surprise to Republicans, who heard many of their own ideas reflected in the governor’s words. But by the end of the session, that enthusiasm faded as Ferguson approved hundreds of Democrat-backed laws, including the largest tax hike in state history.

In this episode, host Sara Bernard and Cascade PBS state politics reporter Laurel Demkovich sit down with Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, to talk about his optimism for the new governor — and how his hopes were dashed.

Despite multiple requests, Governor Ferguson’s office did not grant us an interview for this series. Read more about Governor Ferguson from reporter Laurel Demkovich here.

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Credits

Reporter: Laurel Demkovich

Host/Producer: Sara Bernard

Story editor: Ryan Famuliner

Executive producer: Sarah Menzies

Production Manager: Adam Brown

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Ferguson vs. Everyone: How WA's new governor surprised Republicans