Ferguson's conservative-sounding inaugural

Democratic governor opens with a Republican-sounding speech

Gov. Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address was far more interesting than we expected, which is why we’re in your inbox with the special edition on a Thursday morning. The most interesting part of it was how Republican it sounded. 

Ferguson, whose distinctly Democratic political brand is firmly rooted in fervent progressive opposition to the first Trump Administration, opened with a quotation from the inaugural address of Washington’s first governor, Republican Elisha P. Ferry.¹ And he closed with an excerpt from the 1965 inaugural of three-term Gov. Dan Evans, a moderate GOP icon:²

“This administration is not frightened by the word liberal, nor is it ashamed of the word conservative. It does not believe that the words ‘fiscal responsibility’ are old fashioned nor will it ever fear to spend money if money needs to be spent.”

To name-check Evans, who died last year, is to invoke bipartisan yearning in folks of a certain age—and like-minded history buffs—for sober, evenhanded governance with a minimum of partisan rancor. 

We couldn’t resist this handout from the governor’s office because of the side-eye Katie Ferguson is giving Chief Justice Debra Stephens.