Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he would make Washington State Ferries more directly answerable to the governor and would consider short-term diesel vessels to relieve an operating crisis while the state pursues long-term electrification.

Ferguson, a candidate for governor, told an interviewer that one of his campaign plans focuses on the ferry system, which he called "broken" and "in crisis." He said he would appoint "the person who runs our ferry system" to a cabinet-level position so that ferry leadership reports directly to the governor and can deliver faster results.

The interview included factual context about the system: long lines and wait times for millions of annual riders, an operating fleet described as the largest in the country, and an annual diesel consumption cited at about 19,000,000 gallons. The state has a multidecade plan to electrify the fleet by 2040 and expects a couple of hybrid-electric vessels around 2028, but those steps offer limited immediate relief, the interviewer said.

Asked whether the state should divert some near-term investment away from full electrification to get boats in the water sooner, Ferguson said the state should pursue clean energy but not at the cost of immediate service. "If it's faster to get boats on the water, the next two vessels, by going with diesel, then that's what we should do," he said. "When you have a crisis, you have to act like it's a crisis."

Ferguson also said he recently met with about 60 ferry workers to hear operational challenges and emphasized his broader campaign theme of cutting bureaucracy and making state government more accountable to residents.

The proposal to place ferry leadership in the governor’s cabinet and the suggestion to consider diesel vessels are campaign proposals; the interview did not present any formal plan language, funding sources, or legislative steps to enact those changes. Ferguson framed them as priorities he would pursue as governor.

The interview is part of a wider conversation about Ferguson's platform; no formal policy decisions were announced during the segment.