The top two candidates in the governor's race are taking their battle to the airwaves.
This comes as last minute voters in tomorrow's primary fill out their ballots.
The state Republican Party wants voters to look at Governor Inslee's record at Western State Hospital.
But one claim in the TV commercial is drawing criticism from both Inslee and the Seattle Times.
“The Seattle Times called his negligence “criminal,” the ad asserts.
It refers to a judge threatening to jail the CEO of Western State if patients who need help are not admitted more quickly.
To make a point, a Times editorial columnist suggested that the judge should have focused the jail threat on Inslee himself.
But we didn't find the word, "criminal" in that column.
Asked if there is there anything she’d be willing to change about the ad, Washington Republican Party Chairman Susan Hutchison replied, “No, I think we stand by the ad, the ad was vetted very carefully.”
Inslee says he's already adding more staff to Western State.
But does Inslee go too far when his new ad says Republican Bill Bryant supports Donald Trump?
“We all know who Bill Bryant is supporting for President,” the Inslee ad asserts.
But Bryant has refused to say whether he endorses or disavows Trump.
Asked if the ad is fair, Inslee responded, “You bet, he has had months and months to disavow Donald Trump it is high time to act. Look if you are watching a house fire for six months and you don't call the fire department, it's pretty sure you are not against fire.”
Late Monday, the Washington Democratic Party said Bill Bryant is benefiting from a major Trump supporter. They said the founder of a Trump super-PAC has given $25,000 to the Washington Republican Party. Democrats say that’s part of the $500,000 the state GOP is now spending to support Bryant.
Cox Media Group
