Republicans can repeat success of I-2066

I-2066, "Protect Energy Choice," was a light in the darkness for Washington state conservatives on election night last month.

It was one of the few victories claimed by Republicans in a state dominated by Democrats. But what picture does this win paint? What can we learn and how can we grow from this victory?

We believe the success of I-2066 establishes a numerical map toward victory that we can leverage to our advantage in future elections.

For background, Initiative 2066 gave voters the power to protect natural gas for heating, cooking and other uses. The initiative stopped state and local governments from banning, restricting or otherwise discouraging gas and gas appliances in homes and businesses.

These protections, in conjunction with several other measures the initiative includes, ensure that residents have easy access to natural gas and that government agencies and officials cannot conspire to force residents to use more expensive, less reliable energy sources.

Support for I-2066 was strongest among men, Republicans and independents. Interestingly, the measure was passed without much support from King County.

While this finding may seem insignificant, we believe it is the key to pushing the conservative movement forward in our state.

King County's far-left population easily defeats most conservative initiatives due to the sheer size of the area and how politically engaged the residents are. If conservatives can focus efforts on the surrounding communities that showed up in support of I-2066 and were responsible for its victory, successes could be seen in other areas.

"The No. 1 reason voters supported the measure was financial, specifically related to the cost burden on homeowners," the Seattle Times wrote. "Statewide, 44% of those who approved I-2066 said their primary reason was that it 'stops the state from forcing homeowners to spend tens of thousands of dollars to convert their homes to all-electric.'"

This analysis confirms what we already suspected - residents, sometimes regardless of political affiliation, prioritize their financial well-being over partisanship.

We know that the conservative policies put forward by Let's Go Washington, FPIW Action and other like-minded groups would best serve the financial interests of Washington residents. Spreading that message to independents and on-the-fence Democrats in future elections will be central to conservative success.

We hope conservative leaders around the state spend time analyzing the success of I-2066 as well as the defeats in other areas and use this as a pathway to success for future elections.

- The Family Policy Institute of Washington can be reached by emailing [email protected].