Candidate pledges immediate ferry focus, cabinet-level accountability and workforce steps
Summary
The candidate said he would visit island communities, pursue staffing and training to keep boats running, and make the head of ferries a cabinet-level position reporting to the governor to improve accountability.
Pressed on how to fix the ferry system before new vessels arrive in 2028, the attorney general and gubernatorial candidate said he would begin work "day 1" of his administration. He pledged to meet with island communities and businesses, and to focus on short-term steps such as staffing, training and pay to ensure that boats ready for service can be operated. "For example, when there is a boat there ready to go, but there's not the staff to support that boat to move," he said, pointing to workforce shortages as a solvable short-term issue.
He proposed elevating the head of ferries to a cabinet-level position who would report to him weekly, increasing direct accountability: "I pledge to take the head of ferries and make that person a cabinet level position...so they're sitting in meetings with me every single week." He acknowledged that building new boats takes time and that fixes will not be immediate, but said staffing and accountability changes can produce faster improvements in service reliability.
The candidate did not provide a timeline for adding new vessels, funding specifics, or legislative steps to make the organizational change permanent.
