Bob Ferguson (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bob Ferguson
Ferguson in 2025
24th Governor of Washington
Incumbent
Assumed office January 15, 2025
Lieutenant	Denny Heck
Preceded by	Jay Inslee
18th Attorney General of Washington
In office January 16, 2013 – January 15, 2025
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
Preceded by	Dow Constantine
Succeeded by	Larry Gossett
Member of the King County Council
In office January 1, 2004 – January 16, 2013
Preceded by	Cynthia Sullivan
Succeeded by	Rod Dembowski
Constituency	2nd district (2004–2006) 1st district (2006–2013)
Personal details
Born	Robert Watson Ferguson (1965-02-23) February 23, 1965 (age 60) 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 served as the 18th attorney general of Washington from 2013 to 2025. He was also a member of the King County Council from 2004 to 2013.

Ferguson is a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected governor of Washington in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Ferguson was born in Seattle in 1965. His family has lived in Washington for many generations. His great-grandparents settled near the Skagit River in the 1800s.

He went to Bishop Blanchet High School and graduated in 1983. Then, he attended the University of Washington. While there, he was elected student body president. After college, Ferguson worked for a year helping people in need through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest.

Ferguson later earned a law degree from New York University School of Law. During his law studies, he received a special grant. This allowed him to provide legal help to the Yaqui tribe in Guadalupe, Arizona. He lived in Guadalupe for a while, assisting community members with various legal issues.

Career Highlights

After law school, Ferguson started his legal career in Spokane. He worked for two different judges, learning about the legal system.

He then moved back to Seattle and became a litigator. This means he represented people and businesses in court. He helped protect taxpayers from extra costs for building Safeco Field. He also worked on cases that challenged certain public initiatives.

Ferguson also helped stop software piracy. He sued companies that stole ideas from Washington businesses. He gave many hours of free legal advice to nonprofit organizations. For example, he helped 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.

Serving on the King County Council

Council Elections

Ferguson was first elected to the King County Council in 2003. He won by a small number of votes against a long-time council member. He worked hard during his campaign, knocking on many doors to meet voters.

Later, due to changes in council districts, he ran against another Democratic council member. He won that election and then defeated a Republican challenger with a large majority of the votes.

Key Achievements on the Council

On the King County Council, Ferguson represented areas including northeast Seattle, Shoreline, and Kirkland. He led committees focused on law, justice, and regional policy.

He helped save taxpayers money by pushing the county to buy used furniture instead of new for a new office building. This saved over $1 million. Ferguson also worked to get $50 million each year to help people with mental health and substance use challenges. He received an award for this work. He also helped fund public health clinics that were at risk of closing.

Ferguson supported civilian oversight of the King County Sheriff's office. He also sponsored the Open Space Preservation Act, which protects 100,000 acres of natural land. He created a law to prevent the county from working with companies that repeatedly break wage theft laws.

He worked to make county government more efficient. He helped connect workers' wages to the economy. He also supported small businesses in getting county contracts. Ferguson chose not to take a pay raise during tough economic times. He also pushed for an independent review of the county's election office.

For his public service, Ferguson received the Landmark Deeds Award. He also received the Dorrit Pealy Award for Outstanding Community Service and a Special Appreciation Award from Food Lifeline. In 2010, he was chosen for a program that brings together promising political leaders.

Attorney General of Washington

Attorney General Elections

In 2012, Ferguson was elected the 18th attorney general of Washington State. He won against another King County Council member. He visited all 39 counties in Washington during his campaign.

He was reelected in 2016 with a large majority of the votes. He won in 37 of the state's 39 counties. In 2020, he was reelected again, winning against a new political challenger.

Important Cases and Actions

As Attorney General, Ferguson filed many lawsuits against the Trump administration. He led 36 of these cases and won 22 times.

Arlene's Flowers Lawsuit

In 2013, Ferguson filed a lawsuit against a flower shop called Arlene's Flowers. The shop owner refused to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding, saying it was against her religious beliefs. Ferguson argued this violated Washington's consumer protection law.

The case went through several courts. The Washington Supreme Court ruled against the flower shop owner twice. The U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back for another look, but the Washington Supreme Court again ruled against the shop owner.

Comcast Lawsuit

In 2016, Ferguson announced that Washington state would sue the company Comcast. The lawsuit claimed Comcast used unfair practices against its customers. The court ordered Comcast to pay $9.1 million in penalties and give money back to customers.

Travel Ban Challenge

In 2017, President Donald Trump signed an order that limited people from certain countries from entering the U.S. Ferguson and Governor Jay Inslee quickly filed a lawsuit to challenge this order. They argued it was religious discrimination.

A U.S. District Judge ruled in Ferguson's favor, temporarily stopping the travel ban across the country. Companies like Amazon and Microsoft supported Ferguson's legal challenge.

Gun Safety Measures

Ferguson supported a bill to ban certain types of assault weapons. This bill passed the House in March 2023.

He also worked to ban "large capacity" ammunition magazines. His office settled a case with a local gun shop for $3 million after the shop continued to sell these magazines.

Consumer Protection Cases

Ferguson sued Providence Health & Services for not following charity care laws. In 2024, this led to a settlement where the healthcare system refunded nearly $21 million and canceled $137 million in medical debt.

Ferguson also took action against companies for allegedly fixing prices for chicken and tuna. These cases resulted in millions of dollars recovered for consumers.

2024 Washington Gubernatorial Campaign

Ferguson announced he would run for governor in September 2023. He focused his campaign on issues like reproductive freedom. In November 2024, Ferguson won the general election and became the next governor.

Governor of Washington

Ferguson was sworn in as governor on January 15, 2025. On his first day, he signed three executive orders. These orders aimed to review housing rules, protect reproductive freedom, and make it easier to get permits.

In May 2025, Governor Ferguson signed a $9 billion package of tax increases. He acknowledged that these increases were different from statements he had made earlier about taxes.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Ferguson and his wife Colleen

Bob Ferguson enjoys being outdoors. He is a big mountain climber, backpacker, and birder. He has hiked many miles of trails in Washington and climbed many of the state's highest mountains. After college, he traveled across the country to watch a baseball game in every major league stadium.

Ferguson is also a skilled chess player. He is a chess master and has won the Washington State Chess Championship twice. His chess games have been featured in publications around the world.

Ferguson lives in the Washington Governor's Mansion in Olympia with his wife, Colleen, and their two children. He is Catholic.

In 2017, Time magazine included Ferguson on its annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Bob Ferguson para niños