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Jay Inslee Bows Out Of The 2020 Democratic Primary

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday, August 21 that he is dropping out of 2020 Democratic presidential primary race.

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Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday, August 21 that he is dropping out of 2020 Democratic presidential primary race.

“It’s become clear that I’m not gonna be carrying the ball,” Inslee said on ‘The Rachel Maddow Show.” “I’m not gonna be the president, so I’m withdrawing tonight from the race.”

Inslee tweeted the clip, saying, “I know you agree that our mission to defeat climate change must continue to be central to our national discussion — and must be the top priority for our next president. But I’ve concluded that my role in that effort will not be as a candidate to be our next president.”

Inslee’s campaign focused on climate change and bringing the issue to the forefront of American politics. In his farewell address on MSNBC, Inslee said his 25-year fight against climate change was not over despite the end of his presidential bid.

Inslee had announced on August 19 that his campaign had reached the required 130,000 unique donors to appear on the September Democratic debate stage. However, his campaign was not polling at or above the required 2 percent. The cutoff date for achieving the polling and donors necessary to appear on the next debate stage in Houston is August 28.

With abysmal polling numbers and a short deadline, it comes as no surprise that Inslee has withdrawn from the race. Nonetheless, if a Democrat were to win the presidential election in 2020, Inslee would seem like a frontrunner choice for a cabinet position such as secretary of Interior or secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Many of the 2020 candidates who have qualified for the Houston debate stage tweeted their support and appreciation for the Inslee campaign and its effects on the climate change conversation.