Bob Ferguson (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Ferguson
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Ferguson in 2023
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| 24th Governor of Washington | |
| Assumed office January 15, 2025 |
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| Lieutenant | Denny Heck |
| Preceded by | Jay Inslee |
| 18th Attorney General of Washington | |
| In office January 16, 2013 – January 15, 2025 |
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| Governor | Jay Inslee |
| Preceded by | Rob McKenna |
| Succeeded by | Nick Brown |
| Chair of the King County Council | |
| In office November 24, 2009 – January 16, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Dow Constantine |
| Succeeded by | Larry Gossett |
| Member of the King County Council | |
| In office January 1, 2004 – January 16, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Cynthia Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Rod Dembowski |
| Constituency | 2nd district (2004–2006) 1st district (2006–2013) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Watson Ferguson
February 23, 1965 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Colleen Ferguson |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion |
| Education | University of Washington (BA) New York University (JD) |
Robert Watson Ferguson (born February 23, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician. He became the 24th governor of Washington in 2025. Before that, he was the 18th Attorney General of Washington from 2013 to 2025. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
From 2004 to 2013, he was a member of the King County Council. He also served as the council's chair from 2009 to 2013. In 2024, Ferguson was elected governor of Washington. He won against Republican candidate Dave Reichert.
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Early Life and School
Ferguson was born in Seattle in 1965. His family has lived in Washington for many generations. His great-grandparents settled near the Skagit River a long time ago. He finished high school in 1983. Then he went to the University of Washington, where he was elected student body president.
After college, Ferguson joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest. He worked for a year helping people in an emergency services office. He later earned a law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from New York University School of Law. While studying law, he received a special grant. This allowed him to help the Yaqui tribe with legal issues in Guadalupe, Arizona.
Career as a Lawyer
After law school, Ferguson started his legal career in Spokane. He worked for judges in federal courts. He then returned to Seattle and became a lawyer at a firm called Preston Gates & Ellis. He represented many different people and groups.
Ferguson worked on cases to protect taxpayers. For example, he helped defend taxpayers from paying extra costs for building Safeco Field. He also worked on cases involving software piracy. This meant suing companies that stole ideas from Washington businesses. He also gave free legal help to many nonprofit organizations. One example is helping the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden become a public park.
After working as a lawyer for four years, Ferguson decided to run for the King County Council.
King County Council Work
Ferguson was elected to the King County Council in 2003. He won by a small number of votes. He worked hard during his campaign, knocking on thousands of doors. In 2006, he won reelection.
What He Did on the Council
Ferguson represented an area that included parts of Seattle, Shoreline, and Kirkland. He led committees that dealt with laws and human services.
- In 2005, he helped create a plan to get money for health services for veterans. Voters approved this plan.
- He saved taxpayers money by pushing the county to buy used furniture instead of new for a new office building. This saved over $1 million.
- Ferguson worked to raise $50 million each year to help people with mental illness. He received an award for this work.
- He also helped get $5 million to keep public health clinics open.
- He supported civilian oversight of the King County Sheriff's office.
- He helped create the Open Space Preservation Act. This law protects 100,000 acres of natural land.
- He wrote a law to stop King County from working with companies that often break wage theft laws.
- He helped pass a sales tax increase to expand mental health programs.
- Ferguson worked to make county government more efficient. He also helped make it easier for citizens to get public records.
Attorney General of Washington
In 2012, Ferguson was elected the 18th Attorney General of Washington State. He won against another King County Council member, Reagan Dunn. He visited all 39 counties in Washington during his campaign.
He was reelected in 2016 and 2020. In 2016, he won with a large number of votes. In 2020, he won against Matt Larkin.
His Work as Attorney General
As Attorney General, Ferguson's office sued the Trump administration many times. He led 36 of these cases and won 22 of them.
Becoming Governor of Washington
Ferguson announced he would run for governor in September 2023. He won the general election in November 2024.
First Actions as Governor
Ferguson became governor on January 15, 2025. On his first day, he signed three important orders:
- One order looked at rules that affect housing.
- Another order focused on reproductive freedom.
- The third order aimed to make it easier to get permits.
In May 2025, Ferguson signed a package of tax increases. This package was worth $9 billion.
Personal Life
Ferguson enjoys being outdoors. He is a big fan of mountain climbing, backpacking, and bird watching. He has hiked many miles of trails and climbed many high peaks in Washington. He also traveled across the country to see a baseball game in every major league stadium.
Ferguson is also a skilled chess player. He has won the Washington State Chess Championship twice. His chess games have even been shown in national and international chess magazines.
Ferguson and his wife, Colleen, live in the Washington Governor's Mansion in Olympia. They have two children. Ferguson is Catholic. In 2017, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
