Bill Bryant (politician)

William Lee Bryant Jr. (born 1957)[1][2] is an American businessman and politician from the state of Washington. A Republican, he served on the Seattle Port Commission from 2008 to 2016.[3] In the 2016 Washington gubernatorial election, as one of the top two finishers in the blanket primary, he participated in the general election, losing to incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee.[4]

Bill Bryant
Member of the Seattle Port Commission
Position 5
In office
January 1, 2008 – January 1, 2016
Preceded byAlec Fisken
Succeeded byFred Felleman
Personal details
Born
William Lee Bryant Jr.

1957 (age 65–66)
Morton, Washington, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Barbara Feasey
​
(m. 1989)​
EducationGeorgetown University (BS)

Early life and education

Bryant was born in Morton, Washington, and attended Capital High School in Olympia.[5][6] He earned a degree in trade and diplomacy from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.[6][7]

Political career

Bryant was first elected to the Port of Seattle Commission in 2007, narrowly defeating incumbent Alec Fisken.[8] He was reelected in 2011 against Democrat Dean Willard with over 60% of the vote, a remarkable share for a Republican in King County.[9]

Gubernatorial campaign
See also: 2016 Washington gubernatorial election

On May 14, 2015, Bryant announced his campaign for Governor of Washington in the 2016 election, running as a Republican. He has made reduction of traffic congestion and traffic noise on the 520 bridge as major goals of his campaign.[10] Bryant also supported same-sex marriage as well as abortion rights and opposed capital punishment, placing him in the socially liberal faction of the Republican Party, while opposing raising the statewide minimum wage, making him fiscally conservative.[11] On November 8, 2016, Bryant lost the election to incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee, receiving 45.5% of the vote to Inslee's 54.2%.[12] Bryant won 30 of 39 counties, with many of his greatest margins in Washington's most rural areas.[13] Inslee won 68% of the vote in King County, Washington's largest, which proved decisive.[13] Bryant remains the last Republican gubernatorial candidate in Washington to come within single digits of winning.[14]

References
  1. "Bill Bryant".
  2. "Inslee, Jay (b. 1951) - HistoryLink.org".
  3. "Bill Bryant". Port of Seattle. Archived from the original on 2015-12-07.
  4. Murray, Vance advance to general election for U.S. Senate; Inslee, Bryant move on in race for governor, Associated Press, August 2, 2016 – via KCPQ television
  5. "Governor Candidate Bill Bryant to Speak at Lincoln Day Dinner in Chehalis", The Chronicle, Centralia, Washington, February 22, 2016
  6. Speaker program: Bill Bryant, Rotary Club of Bellevue, March 11, 2016, retrieved 2016-08-18
  7. Jim Camden (July 4, 2016), "Bill Bryant faces major obstacles in bid to replace Washington Gov. Jay Inslee", Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington
  8. Young, Bob (November 20, 2007). "Fisken concedes defeat in Port Commission race". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  9. "November 8, 2011 General Election Results". King County Auditor. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  10. Brunner, Jim (May 14, 2015). "Port Commissioner Bill Bryant announces run for governor". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  11. "Bill Bryant speaks on homelessness, ballot measures". Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  12. "November 8, 2016 General Election Results (Washington)". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  13. "November 8, 2016 General Election Results (Washington)". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  14. Brunner, Jim (November 3, 2020). "Jay Inslee defeats Loren Culp, wins third term as Washington's governor". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 3, 2021.


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