Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is joining the growing Democratic primary field, making climate change a top issue as he vies to challenge President Trump next year.
"We're the first generation to feel the sting of climate change. And we're the last who can do something about it," Inslee says in his announcement video. "We went to the moon and created technologies that have changed the world. Our country's next mission must be to rise up to the most urgent challenge of our time — defeating climate change."
Amid clips of him repeating warnings about global warming for years, Inslee argues that the crisis can't be ignored any longer, saying that it "isn't just a chart or graph anymore. The impacts are being felt everywhere." He closes by saying he's "the only candidate who will make defeating climate change our nation's number one priority."
While governors are frequently dominant figures in presidential primaries, Inslee is the first sitting or former governor to join the race for the Democratic nomination. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe are considering 2020 bids.
