Washington state Governor Jay Inslee announced Friday that he is running for president of the United States, CNN reports.

“I’m Jay Inslee and I’m running for president because I am the only candidate who will make defeating climate change our nation’s number one priority,” the governor said in a video announcing his bid for the White House, indicating that policies meant to combat climate change will be the core of his platform.

“Our moment” appears to be Governor Inslee’s official slogan. Throughout the video, Inslee’s supporters can be heard repeating the phrase, and so can popular television host and science communicator Bill Nye, aka the “Science Guy.”

According to Inslee, he is set to hold a news conference in Seattle in which he will attempt to demonstrate how his policies have helped the state of Washington. The governor’s campaign will be headquartered in Seattle, which makes it the first campaign so far based on the West Coast.

A veteran legislator, Inslee was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1989, and to the United States House of Representatives in 1992. He assumed the governor’s office in Washington in 2013, dedicating himself to enacting a slew of progressive policies, and raising the minimum wage in the state to $15.

Known as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump – who has been known for his denials of climate science – Inslee has criticized the president’s agenda and policy on numerous occasions, suing him in 2017 over the so-called Muslim ban.

Although focused on climate change, Inslee has not yet come out in support of the Green New Deal, according to CNN, but he has praised the progressive initiative, arguing that it is “raising people’s ambitions” and “making what might seem impossible within the realm of the possible.”

While combating climate change is evidently Inslee’s primary focus, it remains to be seen whether the Washington governor will manage to stand out in the already crowded Democratic field, given that the vast majority of candidates has made environmental advocacy a part of their platform.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, prominent Democrats Corey Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, and Kamala Harris, and independent candidate Bernie Sanders have all officially launched their presidential campaigns. Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke and former Vice President Joe Biden are expected to announce soon.

Vermont Senator Sanders is considered to be the Democratic front-runner, according to The Atlantic. Sanders is the most popular U.S. senator, according to a Morning Consult poll, and 53 percent of Americans view him favorably, according to Gallup research. </s> WASHINGTON -- Gov. Jay Inslee has announced he will seek a third term as governor of the state of Washington just a day after leaving the Democratic primary race for president.

Inslee, whose main platform for the presidency was combating climate change, tweeted Thursday “I want to continue to stand with you in opposing Donald Trump and rejecting his hurtful and divisive agenda, while strengthening and enhancing Washington state’s role as a progressive beacon for the nation.”

“That’s why, today, I’m announcing my intention to run for a third term as Washington's governor. Join me,” he continued.

He ended his White House bid because, he said, it had "become clear" that he would not receive the Democratic presidential nomination.

Inslee has been Washington's governor since 2013, and is currently the only Democrat running for that office.

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson had said he was waiting for Inslee to make a decision on his political future before announcing whether he would consider running for governor, according to the Spokesman-Review. Ferguson said Thursday that he will support Inslee’s bid and seek re-election as attorney general. It would also be his third term as the state's top law enforcement officer if Ferguson wins.

A few Republicans will also vie for Inslee’s office in a state that hasn’t seen a Republican governor since the last one left office in 1985.

Inslee said in his announcement that he intends to continue working to fight climate change: "The state of Washington has provided the nation a roadmap for climate action, innovation, and economic growth. And we’re not done yet."

This year, the state passed a 100%-clean energy bill that requires Washington's energy to come entirely from renewable sources by 2045. </s> Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday that he is running for President, launching a bid in which he intends to make combating climate change the central rationale for his campaign.

Inslee announced the bid in a video made public on Friday. He is slated to hold a news conference in Seattle at a solar panel installer to expand upon his presidential announcement. He will be surrounded by friends, family and business owners who the campaign says have benefited from his climate policies in the state.

“I’m Jay Inslee and I’m running for president because I am the only candidate who will make defeating climate change our nation’s number one priority,” the governor says in a more-than-a-minute-long video that highlights his decades-long focus on climate change and compares tackling the issue to President John F. Kennedy’s focus on going to the moon.

“We’re the first generation to feel the sting of climate change. And we’re the last that can do something about it,” Inslee adds. “We can do this. Join our movement. This is our moment.”

The video ends with a string of straight-to-camera videos from voters and supporters saying, “Our moment.” Among those featured is Bill Nye, the popular television star known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” who often talks about climate change.

Inslee has been upfront about the fact that he has been exploring a presidential run for months. He now enters a crowded presidential field that boasts 12 other Democrats, including six senators, and could grow to more than 15 Democratic candidates in the coming months.

He will headquarter his campaign in Seattle, making his campaign the only 2020 operation to date to be based on the West Coast. He will follow up Friday’s announcement with a trip to Iowa and Nevada in the coming days, an adviser added.

Inslee, who served as head of the Democratic Governors Association in 2018, traveled the country stumping for Democrats running for governor that year, but also used the trips to talk to Democrats about his platform focused on climate change. Inslee has told reporters and people close to him that he has been emboldened by what he has heard from those Democrats and believes there is a hunger in the country for someone with a singular focus on climate change.

“We know we have to have a candidate who will make climate change and building a clean energy economy a central focus, an organizing principle for the American people and we need a president who will do the same,” Inslee told CNN in February.

“I am excited about this because, as I have traveled the country, I hear people waiting for the bugle call from the White House,” Inslee continued. “We heard it from Kennedy when he said we are going to go to the moon. We need a similar bugle call to the American people on this.”

Inslee has been in elected office for much of the last three decades. He was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1989 and was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1992. Inslee, though, lost his re-election bid in 1994, an election cycle called the “Republican Revolution” after the party picked up 54 seats in the House.

After a failed 1996 gubernatorial election, he successfully ran for Congress again in 1998, a job he held until he successfully ran for governor in 2012.

Inslee, by raising the minimum wage in Washington state, helping to pass a statewide paid family leave law and enacting a moratorium on the death penalty, has been an outspoken progressive executive since he became governor in 2013. But his profile truly rose after the election of President Donald Trump. After the President’s inauguration in 2017, Inslee became a vocal opponent of the Republican leader, including by suing him after Trump tried to ban immigration from several Muslim majority countries.

Although Inslee has looked to make Washington state more carbon neutral during his time in office — including by investing in a statewide fund that looks to help business go green in Washington — the governor failed to enact a statewide carbon tax in 2018, delivering a stinging defeat for environmentalists after years of attempts to curb climate change through economic incentives. The proposal, which voters rejected by 13 percentage points, would have levied a tax of $15 per metric ton of carbon emissions, making Washington the first state in the nation to raise the cost of fossil-fuel-intensive activities.

Inslee’s time as chair of the Democratic Governors Association during the 2018 cycle helped raise his profile, too. The year saw Democrats pick up seven governorships across the country, a fact that the governor has touted in the wake of the midterm elections.

He faces a significant level of skepticism from Republicans on climate change. Trump, as President, has left the Paris Climate Accord and has said he does not believe government reports that cast grave warnings about the impact of climate change. Republicans now hope to make Democrats’ focus on the issue, namely through the newly proposed Green New Deal, central in their attacks against the party in 2020.

Inslee largely dismisses Trump’s comments on climate change, arguing that the President doesn’t understand where the American people are on the issue, especially young people.

“Donald Trump, fundamentally, is just fearful and pessimistic,” he told CNN. “He doesn’t think we are smart enough to do this. He is just wrong about the American people.”

Inslee has praised the Green New Deal, saying it is “raising people’s ambitions” and “making what might seem impossible within the realm of the possible,” but the governor has not outright said he would support the entire package. </s> WASHINGTON _ Rep. Seth Moulton is dropping out of the presidential race, his campaign spokesman said Friday, after a brief campaign that never left the ground.

Moulton plans to formally announce his departure from the crowded field at the Democratic National Committee meeting in San Francisco on Friday. Campaign spokesman Matt Corridoni confirmed Moulton was leaving the race.

"Although it might not have been Seth's year, he leaves the race with an enhanced national profile, having proved himself to be a next-generation foreign policy leader in the Democratic Party who has broad appeal," Corridoni said.

The Massachusetts congressman failed to qualify for any of the three Democratic presidential debates based on polling and fund-raising numbers.

Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Washington Governor Jay Inslee both dropped out this week. Their departures were preceded by Representative Eric Swalwell of California. Hickenlooper is pursuing a Senate seat, while Inslee and Swalwell are seeking re-election.

Moulton is an Iraq War veteran and focused his campaign on national security issues. That earned him the endorsement of retired General Stanley McChrystal, who led U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

But his lack of national name recognition, having only been in the House since 2015, and focus on foreign policy made it difficult for him to ever consistently poll at 1%.

Moulton, 40, raised $1.2 million in the second quarter. He officially entered the race in April.

On Aug. 7, the Washington Post reported Moulton was laying off at least half of his staff of 30. The move came a day after a Boston Globe poll found he had 0% support in New Hampshire, an important primary state and neighbor to his home of Massachusetts.

PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): </s> OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who made fighting climate change the central theme of his presidential campaign, announced Wednesday night that he is ending his bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Inslee said that he was confident that Democrats would select a nominee who would champion climate change issues but that it had become clear that he wouldn't be the person selected. Inslee said he was not endorsing anyone but would support whoever is the nominee.

"I believe we're going to have a candidate to fight this battle," he said on MSNBC. "I'm inspired by the people I've met across the country. I'm not going to carry the ball but we're going to make sure somebody is."

He has kept the option of running for a third gubernatorial term open throughout his presidential campaign and said he would discuss his political plans Thursday.

"I need to go back to the state of Washington and talk about what I'm going to do in my future political career," Inslee said.

Inslee, 68, became the third Democrat to end his presidential bid after U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California pulled out of the primary last month followed by former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper last week.

While Inslee had qualified for the first two presidential debates this summer, he struggled to gain traction in the crowded Democratic field and was falling short of the requirements needed to appear on two high-profile stages next month: the third DNC debate in Houston and a CNN town hall focused on climate change, Inslee's key issue.

He had recently hit one of the markers — 130,000 unique donors. But he had yet to reach 2% in any poll and would have needed to hit that level of support in four qualifying polls.

Inslee is a former congressman and served as Democratic Governors Association chairman in 2018, when the party flipped seven Republican-held gubernatorial seats. He kicked off his campaign in March in Seattle, standing in front of a blue-and-green campaign logo with an arc of the Earth, declaring climate change the nation's most pressing issue.

Inslee was a champion for the clean energy industry in Congress and wrote a book on the topic. And he's pushed for state policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. On the day he announced his presidential bid, the state Senate passed a key piece of his legislative climate agenda, a measure that seeks to eliminate fossil fuels like natural gas and coal from the state's electricity supply by 2045. The measure, later passed by the House and signed by Inslee in May, made Washington the fourth in the nation to establish a mandate to provide carbon-free electricity by a targeted date. A few additional states have enacted legislation related to clean energy requirements since May, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In addition to pushing for a dedicated debate on climate change, Inslee's campaign has been rolling out climate proposals, including calling for the nation's entire electrical grid and all new vehicles and buildings to be carbon pollution free by 2030. He's also proposed a clean break between the federal government and the fossil fuel industry, ending tax breaks for oil companies and banning all drilling and extraction on federal lands and beneath federal waters.

Inslee released his sixth and final climate proposal, a plan focused on agriculture and farmers, hours before he announced he was dropping out of the race.

In a video released Tuesday on Twitter, Inslee thanked supporters for helping him pass the 130,000 individual donor mark.

"Together we have put the climate crisis front and center in the 2020 race," he said. "And thanks to you, every candidate knows they have to have a robust plan to defeat the climate crisis."

While Inslee hasn't yet said whether he plans to seek a third term as governor, governors in Washington state aren't subject to term limits, though most haven't served more than two terms. The last three-term governor in Washington was Republican Gov. Dan Evans, who served from 1965 until 1977.

While the filing deadline for the state's 2020 elections isn't until next May, three Democrats have already signaled they will run for governor if Inslee doesn't: Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and King County Executive Dow Constantine. The political dominos continue with Democratic candidates lining up to run for attorney general and lands commissioner if Ferguson and Franz end up not seeking reelection to their posts.

A few Republicans have already announced plans to run for governor, including Phil Fortunato, a state senator, and Loren Culp, the police chief of Republic, in eastern Washington. A Republican has not occupied the governor’s office in more than three decades. </s> WASHINGTON D.C. (CBS) — Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who made fighting climate change the central theme of his presidential campaign, announced Wednesday night that he is ending his bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Inslee announced his decision on MSNBC, saying it’s become clear that he won’t win. He has kept the option of running for a third term as governor open throughout his presidential campaign but didn’t immediately say what his political plans were.

“This is sort of the bookends of my campaign,” Inslee said on MSNBC. “We started seeing that climate change had to be the number one job of the United States. I felt very good saying that the first days of my campaign. I feel very good saying that now. And the reason is this has just become more urgent – a billion tons of ice melted in Greenland uh the other day. But we also have had so many people that I have met who are inspiring, who want us to act, who have helped me. We have had 130,000 people help me in this campaign.”

“But it has become clear that I am not going to be carrying the ball, I am not going to be the president, so I’m withdrawing tonight from the race,” he added.

Inslee, 68, became the third Democrat to end his presidential bid after U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California pulled out of the primary last month followed by former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper last week.

While Inslee had qualified for the first two presidential debates this summer, he struggled to gain traction in the crowded Democratic field and was falling short of the requirements needed to appear on two high-profile stages next month: the third DNC debate in Houston and a CNN town hall focused on climate change, Inslee’s key issue.

He had recently hit one of the markers – 130,000 unique donors. But he had yet to reach 2% in any poll and would have needed to hit that level of support in four qualifying polls.

Inslee is a former congressman and served as Democratic Governors Association chairman in 2018 when the party flipped seven Republican-held gubernatorial seats. He kicked off his campaign in March in Seattle, standing in front of a blue-and-green campaign logo with an arc of the Earth, declaring climate change the nation’s most pressing issue.

Inslee was a champion for the clean energy industry in Congress and wrote a book on the topic. And he’s pushed for state policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. On the day he announced his presidential bid, the state Senate passed a key piece of his legislative climate agenda, a measure that seeks to eliminate fossil fuels like natural gas and coal from the state’s electricity supply by 2045. The measure, later passed by the House and signed by Inslee in May, made Washington the fourth in the nation to establish a mandate to provide carbon-free electricity by a targeted date. A few additional states have enacted legislation related to clean energy requirements since May, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In addition to pushing for a dedicated debate on climate change, Inslee’s campaign has been rolling out climate proposals, including calling for the nation’s entire electrical grid and all new vehicles and buildings to be carbon pollution free by 2030. He’s also proposed a clean break between the federal government and the fossil fuel industry, ending tax breaks for oil companies and banning all drilling and extraction on federal lands and beneath federal waters.

Inslee released his sixth and final climate proposal, a plan focused on agriculture and farmers, hours before he announced he was dropping out of the race.

In a video released Tuesday on Twitter, Inslee thanked supporters for helping him pass the 130,000 individual donor mark.

“Together we have put the climate crisis front and center in the 2020 race,” he said. “And thanks to you, every candidate knows they have to have a robust plan to defeat the climate crisis.”

Inslee didn’t say whether he planned to seek a third term as governor.

Governors in Washington state aren’t subject to term limits, though most haven’t served more than two terms. The last three-term governor in Washington was Republican Governor Dan Evans, who served from 1965 until 1977.

While the filing deadline for the state’s 2020 elections isn’t until next May, three Democrats have already signaled they will run for governor if Inslee doesn’t: Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and King County Executive Dow Constantine. The political dominos continue with Democratic candidates lining up to run for attorney general and lands commissioner if Ferguson and Franz end up not seeking reelection to their posts.

A few Republicans have already announced plans to run for governor, including Phil Fortunato, a state senator, and Loren Culp, the police chief of Republic, in eastern Washington. A Republican has not occupied the governor’s office in more than three decades. </s> Jay Inslee in for third bid for governor

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced his bid for a third term as governor in an email to supporters, saying that while it was an honor to run for president, he wants to continue his work leading the state.

Inslee sent the email detailing his plans Thursday morning, hours before he was to appear at a news conference at Planned Parenthood in Seattle regarding the Title X family planning program. He wrote that Washington state "shows the economic power of progressive action."

Inslee ended his 2020 presidential bid Wednesday night after nearly six months. He had made fighting climate change the central theme of his campaign, and said he was confident that Democrats would select a nominee who would champion climate change issues.

Governors in Washington state aren't subject to term limits, though most haven't served more than two terms. The last three-term governor in Washington was Republican Gov. Dan Evans, who served from 1965 until 1977. </s> Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who made fighting climate change the central theme of his presidential campaign, announced Wednesday night that he is ending his bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Inslee said that he was confident that Democrats would select a nominee who would champion climate change issues but that it had become clear that he wouldn't be the person selected. Inslee said he was not endorsing anyone but would support whoever is the nominee.

"I believe we're going to have a candidate to fight this battle," he said on MSNBC. "I'm inspired by the people I've met across the country. I'm not going to carry the ball but we're going to make sure somebody is."

Two people close to Inslee told The Associated Press that he planned to announce in an email to supporters Thursday that he would be seeking a third term as governor. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the announcement publicly.

Inslee, who had previously been scheduled to visit New Hampshire on Thursday, will now be back in Washington state for a morning news conference at Planned Parenthood in Seattle regarding the Title X family planning program.

Inslee, 68, became the third Democrat to end his presidential bid after U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California pulled out of the primary last month followed by former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper last week.

While Inslee had qualified for the first two presidential debates this summer, he struggled to gain traction in the crowded Democratic field and was falling short of the requirements needed to appear on two high-profile stages next month: the third DNC debate in Houston and a CNN town hall focused on climate change, Inslee's key issue.

He had recently hit one of the markers — 130,000 unique donors. But he had yet to reach 2% in any poll and would have needed to hit that level of support in four qualifying polls.

Inslee is a former congressman and served as Democratic Governors Association chairman in 2018, when the party flipped seven Republican-held gubernatorial seats. He kicked off his campaign in March in Seattle, standing in front of a blue-and-green campaign logo with an arc of the Earth, declaring climate change the nation's most pressing issue.

Inslee was a champion for the clean energy industry in Congress and wrote a book on the topic. And he's pushed for state policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. On the day he announced his presidential bid, the state Senate passed a key piece of his legislative climate agenda, a measure that seeks to eliminate fossil fuels like natural gas and coal from the state's electricity supply by 2045. The measure, later passed by the House and signed by Inslee in May, made Washington the fourth in the nation to establish a mandate to provide carbon-free electricity by a targeted date. A few additional states have enacted legislation related to clean energy requirements since May, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In addition to pushing for a dedicated debate on climate change, Inslee's campaign has been rolling out climate proposals, including calling for the nation's entire electrical grid and all new vehicles and buildings to be carbon pollution free by 2030. He's also proposed a clean break between the federal government and the fossil fuel industry, ending tax breaks for oil companies and banning all drilling and extraction on federal lands and beneath federal waters.

Inslee released his sixth and final climate proposal, a plan focused on agriculture and farmers, hours before he announced he was dropping out of the race.

In a video released Tuesday on Twitter, Inslee thanked supporters for helping him pass the 130,000 individual donor mark.

"Together we have put the climate crisis front and center in the 2020 race," he said. "And thanks to you, every candidate knows they have to have a robust plan to defeat the climate crisis."

Talking to reporters after a campaign event in Los Angeles, 2020 candidate Elizabeth Warren credited Inslee with bringing climate change to the center of the presidential debate.

"I really appreciate what he added to this campaign, and I hope he's going to stay in the fight for what he believes," she said.

While the filing deadline for the state's 2020 elections isn't until next May, three Democrats had already signaled they would run for governor if Inslee didn't: Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and King County Executive Dow Constantine. The political dominos continued with Democratic candidates lining up to run for attorney general and lands commissioner if Ferguson and Franz end up not seeking reelection to their posts.

Franz said Wednesday night that she's not disappointed that she won't be entering the governor's race, saying that she loved her current job and has "a lot of work to do."

State Republican Party Chairman Caleb Heimlich said he thinks Inslee could be vulnerable in a reelection bid.

"Getting elected to a third term is a tough task," he said. "And doing so on the heels of a failed presidential campaign where you sent a message to voters that you want a different job, that doesn't sit very well."

A few Republicans have already announced plans to run for governor, including Phil Fortunato, a state senator, and Loren Culp, the police chief of Republic, in eastern Washington. A Republican has not occupied the governor's office in more than three decades.

Governors in Washington state aren't subject to term limits, though most haven't served more than two terms. The last three-term governor in Washington was Republican Gov. Dan Evans, who served from 1965 until 1977.

Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood contributed to this report from Los Angeles. </s> Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is out of presidential race. Will he run for a third term as governor?

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has dropped out of the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, facing his inability to garner enough support to qualify for the third round of candidate debates and the upcoming CNN town hall on climate change.

"It's become clear that I'm not going to be carrying the ball," Inslee said on the Rachel Maddow Show. "I'm not going to be the President, so I'm withdrawing tonight from the race."

Inslee was the first high-profile presidential hopeful to run on the issue of the world's climate crisis. The candidate's latest policy proposal, a program for planet-friendly American agriculture, came out his 24 hours before his withdrawal.

"Thank you to my Governor Jay Inslee for bringing such a powerful and passionate focus on climate change to the 2020 debate," tweeted U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. "His leadership has shaped the debate."

RELATED: Connelly: Inslee unlikely to make stage for Dems' climate town hall, third debate

The withdrawal poses a question likely to be answered soon. Will Inslee try to become the second Washington governor -- Dan Evans was the first -- to serve three consecutive terms?

Already, two state officials -- Attorney General Bob Ferguson and State Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz -- were informally building support. In turn, at least four leading Democrats were mapping out campaigns for Attorney General, including state Solicitor General Noah Purcell, a top Ferguson deputy.

"We're not done: Proud of you boss," Inslee's communications director Jaime Smith wrote on Facebook.

Inslee was being coy, tweeting: "As we turn to the future, I will have more to say about what comes next for me in the days ahead."

RELATED: Inslee executive communications director: Leaving one life to savor another

But a well-placed (and generous) Democratic donor, who asked not to be named, commented: "Knowing Jay and especially Tracy, I expect the emails will be flying within hours." (He was referring to ubiquitous Inslee fundraiser Tracy Newman.)

The Associated Press, citing its own unnamed sources, predicted that Inslee will announce almost at once.

State Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, an architect of the state's climate legislation, wrote in Facebook: "Jay Inslee elevated our nation's civic discourse and boldly placed the issue of climate action on the front burner of the 2020 presidential agenda. He has done our state proud. We welcome him home with respect and pride."

Inslee announced for President on March 1. He made a strong initial impression on such programs as "The View," wowing host Joy Behar. He cited Washington's record of enacting progressive climate legislation, e.g. phaseout of coal energy. He was praised by such publications as The Atlantic as having the most comprehensive climate policy proposals in the crowded Democratic field.

But a record in a Western state did not resonate in debates and joint appearances. Inslee never registered higher than 2% in any poll, and was at a flat-out zero in recent surveys nationally and in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Initial Republican reaction was tacky. "Will he reimburse the taxpayers for the $millions we were forced to spend on security during the vanity run?" tweeted state Republican Chairman Caleb Heimlich.

In contrast, Andrea Mitchell of NBC News tweeted: "Exiting with a powerful message. Class act." University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce thanked Inslee for moving the climate crisis "front and center."

Rival candidate Cory Booker tweeted: "Thank you Jay Inslee for advancing the conversation about the urgent threat of climate change our country is better off for it. I know you will continue to be a powerful voice and move the needle on this issue."

The Washington governor's office has been in Democratic hands for 35 years. The Evergreen State has run through five consecutive Democratic governors. Three -- Chris Gregoire, Gary Locke and Booth Gardner -- quit after two terms.

A Puget Sound expatriate, Ryan Morden, displayed "Jay Inslee for President" buttons on Twitter, and wrote: "Shucks, it's back to Cascadia for Inslee. I bought a pack of these in hopes of getting him on the next debate stage."

The Democrats' presidential race moves on, with a big crowd expected when Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., comes to town Sunday for an afternoon town hall.
Washington governor Jay Inslee drops out of the presidential primaries to focus on his re-election bid.