Meet Loren Culp, the Republican gubernatorial candidate who wants to unseat Jay Inslee
Sep. 20, 2020, Updated Oct. 5, 2020By Jim Brunner
Seattle Times political reporter
A proud conservative who rose to prominence for refusing to enforce a voter-passed gun-control initiative, Republic Police Chief Loren Culp says government should be small and mostly butt out of people’s lives.
REPUBLIC, Ferry County — On the dusty, unpaved road leading to Loren Culp’s house, a no trespassing sign calls out a warning to “all public officials or agents thereof.”
Quoting the U.S. Constitution, the sign declares any officer or person who attempts to enter the property without a warrant “will be treated as any other intruder would” when attempting to “extort, injure, oppress, threaten, harass, intimidate …”
In case that isn’t clear enough, visitors may consider the message in the road’s name, which Culp picked himself: Goa Way.
The prickly pun fits with the platform of the small-town police chief running as the Republican challenger to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. A proud conservative who rose to prominence for refusing to enforce a voter-passed gun-control initiative, Culp says government should be small and mostly butt out of people’s lives.
That means few or no restrictions on firearms — Culp doesn’t support a ban on bump stock devices, which allow rifles to fire like machine guns. He’d end mandatory mask orders and shutdowns of businesses meant to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“I am not anti-government. I am anti big government. They need to stay in their lane and mind their business,” Culp said.
A no trespassing sign outside Loren Culp’s property in Republic, Ferry County. (Jim Brunner / The Seattle Times)