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Candidate #34: Loren Culp. Republican Party.

Overall impression: I come in with a previous bias because this guy has been in the news before. Police chief in tiny Republic says he won’t enforce new gun law “The police chief of Republic, a tiny town in northeastern Washington, doesn’t think much of I-1639, the strict gun law state voters approved Nov. 6. Loren Culp won’t enforce it, and wants the City Council to pass an ordinance making Republic a “sanctuary city” against such laws.” Seattle Times. This isn’t how laws work. You don’t get to pick and choose how you enforce them, especially as Chief of Police. More so for a voter’s initiative which was voted into law. This is the will of the voters of Washington. This year, “Loren Culp, the Republican gubernatorial candidate and police chief of Republic, Ferry County, is accused in a lawsuit of botching a child sexual-abuse investigation and intimidating the victim with threats of a false-claims charge.” The victim, said this about him: “

“the way she was treated by Culp and other officers still leaves her with major distrust of police. Lately, she’s seen “Culp for Governor” signs sprouting in her neighbors’ yards, and his campaign rhetoric that emphasizes protecting individual rights. “I am like, are you kidding me? If you can’t defend a 17-year-old, how do you defend Washington?” she said.” Source.

I have a hard time believing him when he ends his statement with this: “His platform advocates a return to respecting citizen rights and accountability for state government.” What about our Washington citizen rights to vote laws in by initiative? What about accountability for your actions as a representative of the state government as Police Chief? You know what…