Bob Ferguson is the Democratic governor of Washington, in office since January 2025. He previously held office as Washington attorney general and on the King County Council. Ferguson earned a political science degree at the University of Washington in 1989 and a law degree at New York University in 1995. He clerked for federal judges W. Fremming Nielsen and Myron Bright before working as a litigator at Preston, Gates and Ellis. He is also a chess master and two-time Washington state chess champion.
Case
Networked automated license-plate cameras can assemble searchable records of vehicle movements. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to ban the systems, keep them with limits, or defend them as investigative tools. This tracker separates outright bans from narrower restrictions.
Role at the time: Bob Ferguson, sitting state governor
Statement summary
Ferguson described Washington's new license plate reader restrictions as a balance between police use and privacy.
“strikes a balance”
Ferguson supports continued use under concrete statutory restrictions. His endorsement covers the qualified use authorized by the law rather than unrestricted surveillance.
Statement dates: March 30, 2026
Statement dates: March 30, 2026
Statement dates: March 30, 2026
Statement dates: March 30, 2026
