SPOKANE, Wash. — The GOP endorsed Semi Bird as the party's candidate for Washington governor.
The GOP announced the endorsement on Saturday afternoon during the GOP convention in Spokane. Misipati Semi Bird was a Richland School Board member and announced his candidacy back in November 2023.
“It’s an honor, it’s humbling, it represents the citizens, and that means most to me," Bird said in a press conference. “We’re going to do it together. Now they’re going to be side by side with me, so I tell them to get ready.”
Bird said in his announcement video that he is running for "safe communities, quality in education and economic opportunity for all." Bird received 72% of the votes from the delegates at the convention.
KREM spoke to Semi Bird, who says he pleaded guilty to a bank larceny charge in 1993. "It's embarrassing, it's true," said Bird.
Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh said the party discussed disqualifying Bird from the endorsement for "not being forthcoming to the Candidate Committee in disclosing info that could be damaging to the party."
Bird said he didn't disclose the plea for the 1991 misdemeanor because he was asked if he had been convicted of any felonies within the last 15 years, and he had not.
Walsh spoke about the endorsement shortly after it was announced.
“It’s going to be a very intense election season all the way through November. And this is going to be a key step,” said Walsh.
David Reichert, the former front-runner for the nomination, withdrew from the endorsement process on Friday, citing his own frustrations with the GOP. Reichert is still running for governor.
Bird will help lead the GOP's efforts to be Washington's next governor. Washington Democrats have not formally endorsed any Democrats currently running for governor.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson released this statement following the endorsement.
"Anti-choice Republican Dave Reichert is a self-described ‘conservative’ who opposes marriage equality and reproductive freedom and voted 37 times to repeal Obamacare. His opponent Semi Bird is just as radical. No matter who the chaotic Republican Convention endorses doesn't change the fact that both Congressman Reichert and Bird are deeply out of touch with Washingtonians, and will put our fundamental freedoms in jeopardy. Unlike anti-choice Republican Dave Reichert, I will never quit when things get tough."
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