Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington, is a Democratic 2020 presidential candidate who plans to make climate change the key issue of his campaign. He released a $9 trillion plan in May largely centered on greening the economy with job incentives.
Key facts about Jay Inslee:
- Current position: Governor of Washington — 9 years served. Chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
- Age: 68
- Born: Seattle, Washington
- Undergraduate: Stanford University, University of Washington
- Date candidacy announced: March 1, 2019
- Previous roles: House of Representatives (1993-1995, 1999-2012), Washington House of Representatives (1989-1993)
Jay Inslee's stance on key issues:
- Climate change: In March at a renewable energy industry event, Inslee cited several measures enacted or proposed in his state and elsewhere around electric vehicle targets, a clean transportation fuels standard, "net-zero" buildings, and more.
- In early May, Inslee revealed his sweeping "100 Percent Clean Energy for American Plan," a $9 trillion collection of climate-change policies ranging from the closure of all coal-fired power plants within 10 years; requirement that all electricity be "carbon neutral" by 2030; mandates for all new car and light trucks to be "emissions-free by 2030"; and a "Zero-Carbon Building Standard," to be implemented by 2030.
- Green New Deal: Inslee places more emphasis on the role of the private sector than some GND advocates, although he praises the concept. Inslee told the Washington Post he "welcomes" the GND, but says it's not endorsable since it's not yet an actual policy.
- Capitalism: Inslee is signaling the ways in which he's closer to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's reformist view of capitalism than to the democratic socialism of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
- Gun control: In 1994, Inslee voted in favor of federal legislation that banned the manufacture, sale and possession of combat-style assault weapons, a stance that probably cost him his House seat in 1995, CNBC reports. Today, he still has strong views on gun control — touting that his state stands up for "common sense gun safety reforms."
- Senate filibuster: "I don't believe you can really be serious about saying you are going to defeat climate change unless you realize that we need to have the filibuster go the way of history,” he told reporters.
- Vaccinations: Inslee declared a state of emergency in January after the anti-vaccination wave contributed to cases of measles, causing what he called a "public disaster."
Key criticisms of Jay Inslee:
- Anonymity: Inslee isn't a nationally recognized name in a very crowded Democratic field. In his defense, he told the Seattle Times that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton "were pretty much unknown governors of small states" before they ran for president.
- Age: A recent poll found 43 of Iowa's 76 Democratic county party leaders say they want a young candidate to be their nominee.
1 fun thing about Jay Inslee:
- In 2009, Inslee played in a series of basketball games at the White House on a team with members of Congress against President Obama and members of his administration.
Go deeper: Everything you need to know about the other 2020 candidates
