With No Path To Victory, Culp Refuses To Concede

WASHINGTON — In a state that hasn't had a republican governor since 1985, Loren Culp's campaign was always a long shot, but there were some reasons for optimism in conservative circles. Jay Inslee's protracted cornavirus lockdowns and safety regulations had irked some voters, as had his failed presidential bid, and there was a sense he may be pushing his luck running for a third term— no Washington governor has won a third consecutive term since the 70s.

But that optimism evaporated late Nov 3. with the first ballot drop. The first batch of results showed Inslee up by 20 points, and The Associated Press called the race for the incumbent governor at 8 p.m. just as the polls were closing.

Now, days after the race was called, Culp continues to insist that the race is on, refusing to concede and repeatedly citing 'irregularities' in the vote tally when there has been no proof that the vote was tampered with or altered in any way.

Inslee declared victory Tuesday evening, with a statement thanking voters and reflecting on the challenges Washington faces in the coming months and years:

I cannot express the honor I feel to be elected to a third term as governor. The people of Washington have given my administration a unique place in history, and I will work hard for you every day, just as I have for the past eight years.

"COVID-19 has put our health and our economy through a crucible. We will continue to fight for Washingtonians' health and economic well-being. I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to continue this crucial work.

But at Culp's "Victory Rally" in Tenino that same night, the mood had not dulled. Footage from Q13 News of the event shows Culp refusing to accept the results of the vote, and citing unsubstantiated "irregularities" in the vote count.

“We are not conceding. We are going to let everyone’s voice be heard and every vote be counted," Culp tells the crowd. "We're seeing some irregularities as well, some things that make you go, 'huh, really'?"

Culp then goes on to cite the results of Referendum Measure No 90, a sexual education mandate he believed would fail, but which passed with nearly 60 percent approval.

But even as more votes were tallied over the coming days, Culp still refused to concede. On Wednesday, Culp posted a video on his campaign's Facebook page, again citing 'irregularities' in the vote tally. In the video, Culp also confirms he has lost his job as the police chief of Republic.

“Not even a letter or thank you. Not a plaque for 10 years of service,” said Culp. "Not hey Loren, thanks, but we don't need you anymore."

As The Seattle Times reports, Republic has been facing declining tax revenue and had recently cut the police department down to one member: Loren Culp.

Though Culp's campaign has since gone dark over social media, several reports confirm that, as of Thursday, Culp still has refused to concede to Gov. Inslee.

So, with Culp refusing to concede, where does that put us? Pretty much where we would have been if he had.

Gov. Inslee has declared victory and dismissed Culp's claims of irregularities during a news conference Wednesday.

"To my knowledge there is not a single reported incident to suggest that any of those things are untoward or irregular," Inslee said. "My opponents assertion is totally without any evidence whatsoever that I'm aware of."

Representative Rick Larsen, who just won reelection to represent Washington's 2nd District in Congress, was even more curt in his dismissal of Culp's actions.

Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman has also weighed in, defending the way her office has handled the election tabulation, saying Culp's comments were "sending off a little bit of red flags".

"I will probably invite Loren Culp to come and have a chat because I don't know what his issues are, and I don't know of any irregularities, so I would love to just share with him what we've done," Wyman told KUOW.

As the votes stand now, there is no path for Culp to regain enough ground to defeat Inslee, even though many ballots will still be counted over the coming days. Under Washington state law, any ballot that has been left in a drop box or mailed and postmarked before the 8 p.m. deadline on Nov 3. must be counted. In rare cases, or in the case of military members voting from overseas, ballots that have been postmarked on time will take several days to get to election officials, meaning some percentages will shift and close races can be decided well after Election Day. Under federal law, the election isn't certified and over until at least three weeks have passed since the deadline, meaning Washington's vote will not be officially certified and done until Nov. 24.

Related: Inslee Calls For Continued Ballot Counting As Trump Cries Foul