SEATTLE (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces bid for Democratic nomination for president in 2020. </s> Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is dropping out of the 2020 presidential race, he announced Wednesday night on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

Inslee had centered his campaign around climate change, calling it “the most urgent challenge of our time.”

“This is our moment to put the greatest threat to our existence, to our economy, to our health, at the very top of the nation’s agenda,” Inslee said in March at his campaign’s kickoff event in Seattle. </s> OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces he's ending 2020 Democratic presidential bid, saying it's become clear he won't win. </s> Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, who mounted a dogged presidential candidacy raising the alarm about climate change, dropped out of the 2020 race on Wednesday after struggling to earn a place in the next Democratic primary debate.

Mr. Inslee plans to compete for a different office instead — the one he already holds.

“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,” he said in an email to supporters on Thursday announcing his plan to run for a third term in 2020.

While his presidential campaign had “advanced the dialogue” on climate change, Mr. Inslee said, he had concluded that the electoral obstacles before him were insurmountable.

“I’m not going to be the president, so I’m withdrawing tonight from the race,” Mr. Inslee said in an interview Wednesday night on MSNBC, where he first revealed he was ending his campaign. </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. </s> Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces bid for Democratic nomination for president in 2020

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces bid for Democratic nomination for president in 2020. </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 announces he's ending 2020 Democratic presidential bid, saying it's become clear he won't win

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces he's ending 2020 Democratic presidential bid, saying it's become clear he won't win. </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.
Washington governor Jay Inslee drops out of the presidential primaries to focus on his re-election bid.