Why a respected conservative retired police chief endorsed a Democrat for WA governor
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Which candidate for governor has the better plan for public safety? If you ask a former long-time police chief from the Tri-Cities, the answer might surprise you.
A new TV advertisement out this past week from Democrat Bob Ferguson’s campaign prominently features Ken Hohenberg, the retired Kennewick police chief who served the Tri-Cities for 44 years.
He left his position in 2022 as “one of the most respected police chiefs in the state,” and is now throwing his support behind the current attorney general. It’s a rare endorsement for the 67 year old, who in 2022 endorsed Republican Dan Newhouse for U.S. House.
“I spent my career in law enforcement, the last years as police chief,” Hohenberg says over a dramatic piano melody. “When it comes to keeping Washington safe, I trust Bob Ferguson.”
This year’s race for Washington governor pits Ferguson against Republican Dave Reichert — a lawyer versus a sheriff — at a time when crime, policing and community safety are top of mind for both candidates and voters.
Hohenberg — who appears in the ad alongside Whatcom Sheriff Donnell Tanksley and Washington firefighter Matt Burtle — says Ferguson will take the “billion dollars” the state won in opioid settlements and invest them into treatment programs.
Speaking to the Tri-City Herald, Hohenberg says he made the decision to endorse Ferguson based on their decade-long professional relationship.
“Even though I’m conservative, I’ve always been independent in voting for who I think is the best person,” says the current Port of Kennewick commissioner. “(Ferguson) was very, very helpful during my tenure as police chief.”
“He has just a really holistic view of what’s going on in the state of Washington,” Hohenberg continued.
He also gave a nod to Ferguson’s stance on improving public education — something he sees as a “key crime prevention tool” for communities of all sizes and demographics.
To contrast, Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond and Benton County Sheriff Tom Croskrey — two of the top Tri-City law enforcement officials currently serving — have opted to endorse Reichert for governor.
Raymond, a cop of 33 years who’s served the last decade as sheriff, says Reichert has a “wide variety” of political experience, as well as an “outstanding” record as a police officer.
“His career in law enforcement speaks for itself,” Raymond said in a statement.
“More importantly, he supports public safety endeavors without question. I trust him and he avails himself to law enforcement officials without hesitation or deceit. I believe he is the best option for our communities, families and local businesses. Certainly he will be there for our state, but let people live their lives and not be intrusive in our lives,” he continued.
Reichert’s safety plans
Both Ferguson and Reichert see public safety as a key issue — they just don’t agree on how to approach the issue. It’s a top issue for both campaigns, displayed prominently atop their websites —“Crime and Safety” on Reichert’s as opposed to “Public Safety” on Ferguson’s.
But as an office, the governorship has little sway over public policy that drives the state’s priorities on public safety. Instead, that role lies with prosecutors, sheriffs, county governments and the Legislature, which writes state laws.
Compared with other states of its size, Washington is particularly safe. But it has struggled in recent years with rising rates of crime as well as property crime and larceny rates that put it among the highest in the nation.
According to an FBI crime report, between 2020 and 2022, rates of violent crime declined nationwide but increased in Washington state. The 2022 U.S. rate was 381 incidents per 100,000 people, while Washington saw 376 incidents per 100,000. Notably, the study ranked Washington as the eighth most dangerous state in the country.
Both candidates have also acknowledged a rattling statistic from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs: That the Evergreen State for more than a decade has ranked 51st in the nation in number of police officers per capita.
Reichert — the former King County sheriff who helped apprehend the infamous Green River Killer, and who later served as a U.S. representative — lists his public safety priorities in his “9-1-1” blueprint plan.
He says he would crack down on crime of all kinds — “from assaults and carjackings, to retail theft and smash and grabs” — and would utilize drug task forces to identify, arrest and prosecute cartels and gangs trafficking fentanyl.
Reichert also wants to strengthen relationships between social services and policing agencies to combat domestic violence and human trafficking, hire more corrections officers while funding more alternate programs, and overhaul the parole board system to “stop easy parole for hardened criminals.”
He also believes police should be able to question juveniles — a practice already allowed under the state’s 1977 Juvenile Justice Act in most circumstances, as long as the youth has access to an attorney — and wants to work with communities to “bolster diversion programs, provide job training opportunities and family assistance to prevent juvenile crime.”
The former congressman also says the state should send undocumented immigrants who commit crimes back to their home country, unless they commit a “serious offense” that requires prosecution in Washington state.
Reichert also includes a separate document for addressing homelessness and rare crimes caused by unhoused individuals, which includes appointing the state’s first-ever Director for the Homeless.
Ferguson’s safety plan
Ferguson’s approach to public safety, if elected, stands similarly rigorous to Reichert’s.
His plan, in brief, includes increasing the number of police across the state, implementing a crisis response plan to combat fentanyl, combating gun violence and mass shootings, pursuing at-large offenders, improving law enforcement data and technology, and implementing several preventative measures to proactively address crime.
The attorney general says he will ask the Legislature for $100 million for a grant program that helps local governments hire police. Cities that employ less than 2.33 cops per 1,000 residents will qualify for the funds, which can be used for things like hiring bonuses.
Ferguson says he’s also focused on hiring more Washington State Patrol troopers, mostly to target auto thefts and child sex predators, as well as to establish new units investigating hate crimes and cold cases.
He also wants to expand resources for car thefts and hire more scientists to decrease test times at the state crime lab and toxicology lab.
On the fentanyl crisis, which killed at least 1,000 Washingtonians in 2023, Ferguson says he will deploy an “interdepartmental crisis response unit” to tackle the issue plaguing communities, as well as improve treatment, increase first responder support and cut off drug trafficking.
Ferguson’s plan also includes an oath to pursue “common sense gun reforms to save lives and improve community safety,” which includes investments in youth intervention and suicide prevention programs, establishing a firearm buy-back program and overseeing the beginning of Washington’s centralized background check system.
He also wants to see the universal adoption of body cameras across all Washington law enforcement agencies, expand pretrial services to reduce court case backlogs, and fund violence intervention and community-based trauma centers.
This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Why a respected conservative retired police chief endorsed a Democrat for WA governor."
