SEATTLE- Longtime Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is hoping to keep the governor's mansion in Democratic hands, while former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is trying to become the state's first Republican governor in 40 years.

The two want to replace three-term governor Jay Inslee, who declined re-election.

Ferguson, 59, has been the state's attorney general since 2013. He gained national prominence by repeatedly suing former President Donald Trump's administration, including filing the lawsuit that blocked Trump's initial travel ban on citizens of several Muslim-majority nations.

Reichert, 74, served two terms as the elected sheriff of King County, which includes Seattle, before serving seven terms in Congress. Reichert highlighted his 33 years with the sheriff's office, including helping track down Green River serial killer Gary Ridgway.

Reichert faced an uphill battle in a state that was considered a Democratic stronghold. Ferguson received about 45% of the vote in the August primary to qualify for the general election, compared to about 27% for Reichert. Another Republican in that race, military veteran Semi Bird, received about 11% of the primary vote.

Reichert spent much of the campaign fending off Ferguson's accusations that he would not protect abortion rights. Ferguson's team often pointed to Reichert's history of voting for a statewide ban on abortion starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy as evidence that he was “completely out of touch with the majority of Washingtonians.”

Abortions have long been legal in Washington until they are feasible, a decision left to the judgment of a health care provider, and thereafter in cases where the pregnant person's health or life is at risk. Reichert promised to enforce state law: “I will protect your rights, ladies,” he said during a debate.

Public safety was also a central theme of the campaign, as the state has seen an increase in violent crime and has ranked last in the nation in the number of law enforcement officers per capita for more than 12 consecutive years, according to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Both candidates promised to hire more police officers.

Ferguson's plan calls for $100 million to help local jurisdictions bring more officers on board, including through hiring bonuses. Reichert argued that elected officials need to show they support law enforcement, including by protecting qualified immunity laws, to hire more officers.

Ferguson has prosecuted three Tacoma police officers in connection with the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who was handcuffed facedown on a sidewalk and said he couldn't breathe. A jury acquitted her of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges last year.