Bill Bryant, the only declared GOP candidate for governor next year, is lining up more establishment support within his party.
Former Washington Senator Slade Gorton (1989-2001) endorsed Bryant Friday.
"Bill Bryant will be a far more effective leader than an incumbent who is simply the creature of a California billionaire, constantly calling for more regulations and higher taxes," Gorton said. "We desperately need new leadership in Olympia. Bill Bryant is the person who can provide that leadership."
Bryant, currently serving as a Port of Seattle commissioner, was also endorsed this week by former three-term Republican Gov. Dan Evans. Both Evans and Gorton stressed messages of bipartisanship in their endorsements, calling Bryant a "unifying leader."
The Evans and Gorton endorsements come a week after state Sen. Andy Hill, R-Redmond, announced he will not seek the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Hill, the top budget writer in the Republican-controlled state Senate, was urged by many in the party to run. His 45th Legislative District lies in King County where statement GOP candidates need to run well in order to offset liberal-leaning voters in Seattle.
Congressman Dave Reichert, R-Wash, whose 8th District also includes large parts of King County, is still said to be considering a run.
Meanwhile, Bryant continues to campaign across the state. Next month, he launches a "Beers with Bill" Octoberfest Tour. He is crowdsourcing the tour by inviting people to vote for locations on his Facebook page.
"So far from the votes, Leavenworth, Spokane, Issaquah, Maple Valley, Tacoma and Mountlake Terrace are topping out the voting," said campaign manager Justin Matheson.
Meanwhile, in a fundraising email blast Friday, Gov. Jay Inslee's campaign called Bryant "a former registered lobbyist and staunch partisan Republican" who "spent nearly $50,000 of his own money to get politicians like George W. Bush and Mitch McConnell elected to office, propping up failed Republican policies all across the country."
