Eyman’s Governor Run Switches from Independent to GOP

To some, it may not seem like a big deal, but it will have interesting implications come election time.

Wednesday noted Initiative "king" Tim Eyman announced he is formally registering himself in the Governor's race as a Republican, leaving behind his former Independent status.

Last November, Eyman announced he would seek to unseat controversial Governor Jay inslee, initially saying he was running as an independent.

But now by declaring himself on the Republican platform, that will make the August 4 primary rather interesting. There hasn't been much, if any, official polling done, but the two likely GOP contenders will now be Eyman, and Loren Culp, who is the Chief of Police from Republic, WA .

Culp got attention for being an outspoken opponent of I-1639, the semi-automatic gun bill, but has been overshadowed of late by Eyman. Eyman's battle with WA State Attorney General over I-976 has gotten him a lot of attention.

This could create a very interesting primary, as Eyman is a polarizing figure. He, by far, has the most name recognition, and voters have generally supported his anti-tax initiatives in a big way. He's also perceived as a 'maverick,' or the 'anti-politician' which appeals to many voters.

Some have even gone as far as to suggest Eyman is the 'Donald Trump' of Washington state, an out-of-the-box figure who garners a lot of attention and is disliked by the political "establishment."  It's no secret about AG Ferguson and Gov. Inslee's dislike for Eyman.

What the GOP doesn't want is a significantly divided party, which would make it easier for Gov. Inslee to win a third term. Most in the Republican party believe Inslee is ripe for defeat especially due to him being rated the worst governor in the U.S. (again) by the Cato Institute.

Inslee is coming off a disastrous run for President, during which he took tons of flak for spending taxpayer dollars for his WSP security detail while he traveled outside the state.  It's Constitutionally mandated he use the security, but his side stepping of the question as to whether he would 'repay' the funds has raised eyebrows.

Plus, recent battles of tax increases have put him hot water as well.

For more on Eyman's announcement, click on the button below.