Governor Bob Ferguson
@GovBobFerguson

Governor of the State of Washington

 Olympia, WA
governor.wa.gov
Joined January 2013
3,583 Photos and videos
Central and Eastern Washington experienced some of the most destructive fires we've ever seen in Washington state history. Today, I sent this video to the Trump Administration. We're asking them to grant a Major Disaster Declaration to help these communities recover.
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Governor Bob Ferguson retweeted
WA Emergency Management
@waEMD
Oct 16
DEADLINE WARNING: Only 2 weeks left to apply for the WA State Individual Assistance - Household Needs Grant! Direct cash grants are available if your home was destroyed or severely damaged by the Central/Eastern WA fires (on/after June 14). (1/2)
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Companies are choosing Washington state.
Image of Gov from visit to Tri-Cities holding component from Avalanche Energy. Text reading: "Fusion energy developer plans to manufacture in Tri-Cities, create 100s of jobs" Tri-City Herald Oct. 8 "Hashi Market to open first WA store in former North Seattle Amazon Fresh" The Seattle Times Oct. 9 "Defense tech powerhouse Shield AI is establishing a massive advanced manufacturing hub in Washington state" GeekWire Sept. 30

ALT Image of Gov from visit to Tri-Cities holding component from Avalanche Energy. Text reading: "Fusion energy developer plans to manufacture in Tri-Cities, create 100s of jobs" Tri-City Herald Oct. 8 "Hashi Market to open first WA store in former North Seattle Amazon Fresh" The Seattle Times Oct. 9 "Defense tech powerhouse Shield AI is establishing a massive advanced manufacturing hub in Washington state" GeekWire Sept. 30

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$3.5 billion in a single quarter — that's the new record set in venture capital investment in the Seattle area. That's while funding declined nationally. Washington state is proud to lead in these cutting-edge industries. geekwire.com/2026/rocket-fue…

Rocket fuel: Seattle-area startups raise a record $3.5B as national VC funding cools

Big rounds for Stoke Space, Temporal and Helion pushed Seattle-area venture funding to $3.5 billion in the third quarter, the most in at least a decade, even as U.S. funding fell 40% from the prior...

geekwire.com
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Terrorizing our elections officials is unacceptable. I’m grateful to law enforcement for their work to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Washington Office of the Secretary of State
@secstatewa
Oct 15
Thursday afternoon, we learned that law enforcement intercepted a letter containing white powder addressed to the Washington Secretary of State's elections division. We are working closely with law enforcement to keep Washington election workers and voters safe and informed.
A graphic with a quote on a colorful background. The quote reads: "An attack on election officials or candidates is an attack on our democracy. I thank our federal partners who are doing everything they can to investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice." Below the quote, the name "Steve Hobbs, Secretary of State" is displayed.

ALT A graphic with a quote on a colorful background. The quote reads: "An attack on election officials or candidates is an attack on our democracy. I thank our federal partners who are doing everything they can to investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice." Below the quote, the name "Steve Hobbs, Secretary of State" is displayed.

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Breaking ground today on a transformational project at Mount Baker — more than 400 units of housing and a new early learning center, right next to the light rail station. We need more housing in Washington state, and we're excited to be a partner in making it happen.
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Today marks one year of the Governors Public Health Alliance. Washington state is proud to work with other states to safeguard public health and strengthen preparedness. Our alliance represents one-third of the U.S. population across 15 states. The federal government has seen an exodus of scientific experts and alarming shifts in policy that place Washingtonians’ health at risk. In Washington state, science still matters.
Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA)@govsforhealth
Oct 15
1 year of Governors working together for healthier communities through PHA. PHA connects Governors with trusted public health expertise, practical resources, and one another to take action. 1/
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A new record! Washington’s aerospace industry is a global leader. seattletimes.com/business/bo…

Boeing MAX deliveries in first three quarters hit record high, again

Boeing has recorded its highest number of 737 MAX deliveries for the year's first three quarters for the second year in a row.

seattletimes.com
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Join millions of people across Washington state at 10:15 a.m. for the Great Washington ShakeOut! This is a statewide opportunity to practice how to be safer during big earthquakes.
WA Emergency Management
@waEMD
Oct 15
TODAY is the Great Washington ShakeOut! It’s the World’s Largest Earthquake Drill. Who’s ready to practice with us? 10:15 a.m. Still time to join us. 1.5 million strong so far. Shakeout.org/washington
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Few things frustrate me more than bureaucracy that creates extra hurdles. So I'm proud of our team at the Department of Enterprise Services for setting a standard for the rest of the country in procurement. They created a first-of-its-kind Bidder Contracting Guide, clarifying contract changes and providing clear guidance to vendors. It's especially helpful to small businesses who may not have the staff or experience to navigate all the requirements. Congratulations to our DES team on their national recognition for Innovation in State Government.
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I’m committed to building new opportunities for Washington & deepening ties with our partners. That’s why I signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding with Finland's Ambassador to the US, Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, @thenordicmuseum. Washington state and Finland are global leaders in developing cutting-edge innovations. This agreement strengthens our ties and helps build connections to create business opportunities, share expertise, and expand academic partnerships with our world-class universities.
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Grateful to our entire bipartisan congressional delegation for their recent letter supporting my request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the fires in Central and Eastern Washington. Whole neighborhoods are gone, and communities have been changed forever. Federal financial assistance is critical to help these communities recover and rebuild.
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I was honored to speak with Ramona Bennett Bill today. She is a former Puyallup Tribal Chair and a truly historic figure in our state as an advocate for fishing rights, education, and health for Native Americans. On Indigenous Peoples' Day, Ramona's story reminds us of the importance of defending Tribal sovereignty.
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It was meaningful today to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day as we began the 2026 Centennial Accord meeting, hosted by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe. During these annual meetings, Washington's Tribal Nations come together with state leaders for days of work to strengthen the partnership between Washington state and sovereign Tribal Nations. Last year, I signed an Executive Order setting a new foundation for our state’s relationships with Washington’s Tribal Nations. Since that time, we have improved state communications with Tribes, strengthened Tribal consultation policies, improved the contracting process, and included Tribes on state budget updates. Indigenous Peoples' Day is a fitting time to continue this important work to build and strengthen our government-to-government relationship with Tribes.
Gov leaning forward to speak, seated alongside staff and Tribal leaders

ALT Gov leaning forward to speak, seated alongside staff and Tribal leaders

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To all the chess players out there, happy National Chess Day. Chess has been with me my whole life. For those just getting started, I hope you learn some of the same lessons I did — the importance of having a plan, taking risks if you want to win, and learning to be objective.  Some advice: Study the old masters and play through their games — if you do that, your game will improve — and never forget that pawns are the soul of chess.
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Companies like Avalanche Energy can go anywhere to build and invest. They're choosing Washington state because we're a leader, not just nationally, but all around the world. More on today's announcement in the Tri-City Herald: "Fusion energy developer plans to manufacture in Tri-Cities, create 100s of jobs" amp.tri-cityherald.com/news/…
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Avalanche Energy is advancing plans for its new global manufacturing facility built here in the Tri-Cities. I'm proud of our state's partnership with our fusion ecosystem. We have one of the strongest concentrations of fusion companies and talent anywhere in the world.
Gov and group of people standing behind individuals from Avalanche and TRIDEC signing papers

ALT Gov and group of people standing behind individuals from Avalanche and TRIDEC signing papers

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Following the fires in Central and Eastern Washington, I'm urging the Washington State Building Code Council to allow homeowners the option to rebuild their home to an earlier version of the energy code. This will make it more affordable for individuals to rebuild their homes.
Letter to Building Code Council chair from Gov. Excerpt: As you know, Washington state is facing a housing crisis and the devastating wildfires of 2026 have made that crisis even more urgent in Eastern and Central Washington. Fast-moving fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced families across our state, many of whom escaped with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. This places additional pressure on already-constrained housing markets and on the local governments responsible for helping affected communities recover. A preliminary damage assessment conducted by the Washington State Emergency Management Division found that nearly 1,000 primary residences have been destroyed by wildfires in 2026. These fires have devastated communities and overwhelmed state and local response capabilities. While the monetary cost of this destruction is significant, the damage goes far beyond the numbers.

ALT Letter to Building Code Council chair from Gov. Excerpt: As you know, Washington state is facing a housing crisis and the devastating wildfires of 2026 have made that crisis even more urgent in Eastern and Central Washington. Fast-moving fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced families across our state, many of whom escaped with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. This places additional pressure on already-constrained housing markets and on the local governments responsible for helping affected communities recover. A preliminary damage assessment conducted by the Washington State Emergency Management Division found that nearly 1,000 primary residences have been destroyed by wildfires in 2026. These fires have devastated communities and overwhelmed state and local response capabilities. While the monetary cost of this destruction is significant, the damage goes far beyond the numbers.

Specifically, I encourage the Council to adopt an emergency rule that provides affected homeowners the option to rebuild under an earlier version of the state residential energy code, as follows: • Homes originally built prior to 2015: allow the homeowner to rebuild to the 2015 Washington State Energy Code; and • Homes originally built after 2015: allow the homeowner to rebuild to the energy code that was in effect when the original home was constructed. This flexibility should be narrowly tailored to homeowners who owned the property at the time it was damaged or destroyed by the wildfires and it should not transfer to a subsequent purchaser. If the property is sold and the new owner chooses to rebuild, the new owner should be required to comply with the energy code that is otherwise applicable to the rebuilt home.

ALT Specifically, I encourage the Council to adopt an emergency rule that provides affected homeowners the option to rebuild under an earlier version of the state residential energy code, as follows: • Homes originally built prior to 2015: allow the homeowner to rebuild to the 2015 Washington State Energy Code; and • Homes originally built after 2015: allow the homeowner to rebuild to the energy code that was in effect when the original home was constructed. This flexibility should be narrowly tailored to homeowners who owned the property at the time it was damaged or destroyed by the wildfires and it should not transfer to a subsequent purchaser. If the property is sold and the new owner chooses to rebuild, the new owner should be required to comply with the energy code that is otherwise applicable to the rebuilt home.

I urge the Council to give this request prompt consideration and to work with my administration, affected local governments and other stakeholders to develop an emergency rulemaking that provides meaningful relief to wildfire survivors. Thank you for your service to the people of Washington and for your partnership in helping our communities recover. Sincerely, Bob Ferguson Governor

ALT I urge the Council to give this request prompt consideration and to work with my administration, affected local governments and other stakeholders to develop an emergency rulemaking that provides meaningful relief to wildfire survivors. Thank you for your service to the people of Washington and for your partnership in helping our communities recover. Sincerely, Bob Ferguson Governor

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Washington state has been awarded the #1 ranking in the country for Workforce Planning from the Center for Digital Government. Grateful to our state employees for their creative and dedicated work to build on our nation-leading skilled technology workforce.
Washington took first place in Workforce Planning in the 2026 Digital States Survey! 🏆 The award was presented at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) annual conference in San Diego. The Center for Digital Government recognized Washington’s work to build a skilled technology workforce for today and the future. Congratulations to the teams across Washington state government whose planning, collaboration and commitment to growing our workforce made this possible. See the full results: https://lnkd.in/gteTVvGh hashtag#DigitalStates hashtag#WorkforceDevelopment hashtag#WashingtonState

ALT Washington took first place in Workforce Planning in the 2026 Digital States Survey! 🏆 The award was presented at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) annual conference in San Diego. The Center for Digital Government recognized Washington’s work to build a skilled technology workforce for today and the future. Congratulations to the teams across Washington state government whose planning, collaboration and commitment to growing our workforce made this possible. See the full results: https://lnkd.in/gteTVvGh hashtag#DigitalStates hashtag#WorkforceDevelopment hashtag#WashingtonState

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