Ferguson and Reichert Emerge in the Washington Primary for Governor

Washington State’s closely watched race for governor will be a contest between two candidates known for their backgrounds in law enforcement.

Bob Ferguson, the state’s Democratic attorney general, and Dave Reichert, a former sheriff who served as a Republican in Congress, emerged as the top two vote-getters in the state’s open primary election Tuesday night. Though the state’s vote-by-mail system means many ballots remain to be counted, the overall outcome was not expected to change.

Democrats have won every race for governor in the past four decades, including Gov. Jay Inslee, who is not seeking re-election after three consecutive terms in office. But this year, though the polls suggest that Mr. Ferguson is favored, the race is expected to be one of the most competitive in the country.

With drug overdoses soaring across the state and a sharp rise in homicides in Seattle, the two top candidates spent much of the primary campaign emphasizing public safety. Mr. Reichert has spoken of his former work as the sheriff of King County who hunted down the Green River Killer. Mr. Ferguson has run ads saying he wants to hire more law enforcement officers. “Public safety is my top priority,” he says in one of them.

Mr. Ferguson has criticized Mr. Reichert’s record on abortion, including his votes in Congress in favor of banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Mr. Reichert has sought to distance himself from those votes, saying he would not change Washington State law on the issue, which permits abortions up until the point of viability or to protect the health of the mother.

In Washington, all candidates for governor compete in a single open primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election, regardless