OLYMPIA, Wash. — A poll of registered Washington voters shows that if the 2024 primary election was held today, Democrat candidate Bob Ferguson and Republican candidate Dave Reichert would advance to the November general election.
Though Ferguson and Reichert are well ahead in the poll, KING 5 political analyst and former Washington Governor Gary Locke said a candidate should "never feel comfortable, regardless of the size of the lead."
"A lot of things can happen between now and Election Day," Locke said.
The survey of 801 registered voters — 564 which were determined to likely vote in the Aug. 6 primary — shows Ferguson taking 42% of the vote, with Reichert trailing with 33%.
Republican Semi Bird, who was endorsed by the state GOP, would receive 7%. Democrat Sen. Mark Mullet would take 4% of the vote.
The two top vote-getters during the August primary advance to the November general election.
Ferguson was in Olympia July 16 for fundraising events. He said he wasn't surprised by the poll's results.
"It's going to be me against Dave Reichert in the general election," he said. "My job as a candidate is to articulate my message to the people of the state of Washington, but also contrast that with Dave Reichert's."
Reichert, speaking from his Bellevue campaign office, said he feels “good” about the numbers, despite trailing Ferguson by nine points.
"Bob Ferguson has been in elected office for the last 20 years," Reichert said. "He's been attorney general for 12 years. So, actually, he should feel a little bit nervous being at 42 percent."
Bird questioned the validity of the poll. He expects to get more than 7% in the primary based on the endorsement of the state’s Republican Party.
Bird thinks Washingtonians will vote for a change this year.
“Dave Reichert has no chance of beating Bob Ferguson. And the reason is, both of them represent establishment; more of the same no-change candidates, and the citizens of Washington state want something different,” said Bird.
In an emailed statement, Mullet said, "At this point nobody's voted. We continue to see voters frustrated by the extreme left and extreme right. When people read our voter guide statements, they'll see that I'm the only candidate who's endorsed by public safety organizations AND supports the important social values of reproductive rights and marriage equality that Washingtonians care about."
The poll was conducted in conjunction with The Seattle Times and University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public.