SEATTLE — Dr. Raul Garcia is expected to withdraw Friday morning from the Washington state governor's race and announce he is instead running for U.S. Senate in 2024.
Garcia, who announced his gubernatorial campaign in May, is endorsing former Congressman Dave Reichert for governor.
”Not often in life do you have the chance to do something for the benefit of the whole,” Garcia said. “And I look at the future and I think this decision is for that benefit of the whole.”
Garcia, a Republican emergency room doctor from Yakima, said polls listed him as the Republican frontrunner before Reichert filed for the governor's race last week.
Garcia said he and Reichert would make a good team for the state and should not go head-to-head in a campaign leading up to the August 2024 primary.
”I think it would be fiscally irresponsible… for all my donors and for all of Dave’s donors for that matter to get in a 12-round heavyweight dog fight with him… when we share so many ideals and so many values of the same,” Garcia said.
When Garcia ran for governor in 2020, he got the endorsement of several prominent Republicans, including former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, former Washington Gov. Dan Evans and former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna.
In the Senate race, Garcia will run for the seat currently held by Sen. Maria Cantwell, who’s serving her fourth term in Congress.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced at the beginning of May that he does not intend to seek reelection for a fourth term.
The race has already drawn a few high-profile names, including Public Land Commissioner Hilary Franz and state Sen. Mark Mullet. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he's exploring a possible run.