OLYMPIA, Wash. — Longtime initiative sponsor, Tim Eyman, is officially a first-time political candidate.
On Thursday, he stood outside the Governor’s Mansion to enter his information into the Secretary of State’s website. He had about 100 supporters by his side.
“For a lot of years, we've had candidates that were just a little too nice,” Eyman told KING 5 outside the Capitol. “I’m running against Jay Inslee, all the other guys that are running - they are good guys - I'm running against Jay Inslee, I've been doing it since last November. It's pedal to the medal.”
Eyman is running for office, buoyed by the passage of I-976 last year, which caps car tabs at $30. But his track record is filled with twenty plus years of successful ballot measures, theatrics, and more.
He’s been sued by the State Attorney General over campaign finance violations. He’s filed for bankruptcy and also was accused of stealing an office chair from a Thurston County store, before settling that charge with a fine.
Yet, despite the baggage, he leads all Republican challengers in the most recent statewide KING 5 Survey USA Poll, but still trailed Governor Jay Inslee by more than 30 percentage points.