Washington State Republicans chart a path forward: The factions [Part 1]
Michael Goldberg
February 23, 2021
Loren Culp’s loss in 2020 marked the tenth consecutive for Republican gubernatorial candidates in Washington State. At the national level, former President Donald Trump’s tempestuous exit from the White House continues to ignite conversations among Republicans about the future of their party.
State Republican Party Chair Caleb Heimlich promised after the election that the party would overhaul its entire strategy and “look at all options.”
In press conferences following the election and over the course of Trump’s second impeachment, leading elected Republicans in Washington State avoided talk of “the other Washington” and attempted to stay focused on local issues. But for those who embarked on ill-fated campaigns to join the ranks of elected Republicans, the party’s inability to narrow Democratic majorities in the Legislature and break through in statewide races has renewed calls for a change of course.