In a tumultuous Republican Party convention in King County, Washington, leading candidate Dave Reichert made a stunning announcement, withdrawing his name from the convention's endorsement process. Reichert also strongly criticized the GOP party leadership, accusing them of manipulating the rules and favoring his opponent, Semi Bird.

Expressing his disappointment in the breakdown of the convention, Reichert stated, "It's very disappointing to see a process break down and disintegrate into chaos." He further commented on the continuous rule changes, rule-breaking, and manipulation of the process by the statewide GOP leaders to achieve their desired outcome.

Despite this setback, Reichert made it clear that he remains determined to run for governor and earn the votes of Republicans across Washington. "My purpose today is to run for governor and beat Bob Ferguson in the general election," he asserted.

Reichert raised serious allegations against the GOP party leaders, claiming that he and other delegates were deliberately misled regarding his opponent's background. In a surprising twist, it was revealed that Bird, Reichert's opponent, had a misdemeanor conviction for bank larceny in 1993. Reichert stated that party officials assured him Bird would be disqualified, but he was shocked to learn that Bird had ultimately secured a crucial endorsement from within the GOP party leadership. Reichert accused the party leadership of favoring Bird over him.

"This was not a fair process, it was not an honest process," Reichert emphasized, stressing his adherence to the established rules. "I go by the rules, and when the rules state 'this is the process,' then the rules need to be followed."

In response to Reichert's allegations, Bird took "full ownership" of his past legal troubles. However, he dismissed the controversy surrounding his possible endorsements as exaggerated, stating, "The story that people are trying to put out about me is that I'm some kind of tainted and tarnished, failed man. I think people are seeing the opposite."

KOMO News reached out to Democratic candidate Bob Ferguson and State GOP Chairman Jim Walsh for their comments. Ferguson, in a tweet, criticized Reichert, referring to him as an "anti-choice Republican" and stating that he opposes marriage equality, reproductive freedom, and has voted multiple times to repeal Obamacare. Chairman Walsh, on the other hand, highlighted the unscripted and unpredictable nature of the convention, asserting that the delegates have the power to set the rules, make decisions, and ultimately aim to win in November.

The chaotic Republican Convention in King County, marked by controversy and allegations of manipulation, has left a lasting impact on the gubernatorial race in Washington. With Reichert withdrawing from the endorsement process and condemning the party leadership, it remains to be seen how this will shape the upcoming general election and the political landscape of the state.