Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz boosts Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, rebukes Trump's Somali slurs at Seattle fundraiser

Jim Brunner, The Seattle Times on Dec 10, 2025

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SEATTLE — He's not up for reelection for three years, but Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is raising a big early stash of campaign money — and he got help this week from the Democratic Party's most-recent vice presidential contender.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who lost the 2024 race along with Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, headlined Ferguson's big annual fundraiser, which drew more than a thousand people Tuesday to the Seattle Convention Center.

Both governors vowed to defend immigrant and refugee communities in their states, including Somalis who have been targeted with slurs and threats of deportation from President Donald Trump.

Walz said Minnesota is incredibly proud" to have more immigrants and refugees per capita than any other state. "And right now, our neighbors are being demonized. Our neighbors are being terrorized. Our neighbors are being picked up off the streets," he said.

Walz has been under scrutiny and attack from Trump and other Republicans over schemes involving some Somalis in Minnesota who defrauded social service programs of more than $1 billion, according to federal prosecutors.

Trump, who has a history of making racist comments about Somali immigrants, last week called them "garbage" and said he doesn't want them in the country. On Thanksgiving, the president ranted on social media about Somalis in Minnesota, calling Walz "seriously retarded."

Walz recalled hearing the president's insults while he was playing Yahtzee with his family.

"What kind of place have we gotten to when on Thanksgiving, the president of the United States is apparently sequestered in a room ranting and calling random governors the 'R word'?"

Walz said he won't back down, and that in Minnesota, "instead of demonizing our Somali community, we're going to do more to welcome more in."

Trump's attacks on the Somali community in Minnesota also harm Washington, which also has a history of welcoming refugees, said Ferguson.

"We will not give in to the division and darkness of this White House. Not today. Not ever," Ferguson said.

He rebuked Trump's aggressive and controversial efforts to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement squads in cities across the country. "Nothing is more outrageous to me than the conduct of ICE individuals with masks getting out of unmarked cars, raiding workplaces, plucking people off the streets," Ferguson said.

A campaign video that played on big screens at the convention hall showcased Ferguson's national and local TV appearances criticizing Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine crusade.

Those lines played well in the room packed with Democrats, and the vibe was in keeping with Ferguson's 2024 campaign for governor against Republican Dave Reichert, which overwhelmingly emphasized fighting Trump and protecting abortion rights.

Ferguson said comparatively less about his other plans for state government, offering few hints about his upcoming budget proposal, due out in a week.

He said his budget plan will focus on growing the economy and affordability for Washingtonians, with major investments in affordable housing.

Ferguson recently signaled he won't push new taxes in his budget proposal, and he pointed Tuesday to an announcement with Ballmer Group Philanthropy, which is pledging $170 million annually for 10 years to add 10,000 slots to the state's free preschool program for low-income children.

"That's how you address the budget crisis. You get creative," Ferguson said. "So we're going to lean into partnerships like that.

Ferguson has already raised more than $1.3 million for his 2028 reelection campaign, according to Public Disclosure Commission filings. Tuesday's event will add to those totals.

Ferguson boasts frequently that he doesn't take any money from corporate PACs. His campaign account, though, has benefited from big checks sent by a slew of corporate honchos, with executives at Microsoft and at several banks among his top donors, according to Public Disclosure Commission filings.

Ferguson faces no obvious Republican challengers this far ahead of the 2028 election, but there have been rumblings about Democratic primary challengers among some progressives dissatisfied with Ferguson's reluctance to back more taxes on the wealthy.

Roughly 1,200 people attended the convention center fundraiser Tuesday, scanning QR codes on donation cards to give to the governor's reelection campaign.

The crowd was a mix of political activists, lobbyists, Ferguson's friends and family members and elected officials — including Seattle Mayor Elect Katie Wilson and newly elected King County Executive Girmay Zahilay.