Larkin Talks AG Campaign

Matt Larkin spoke at the March 9 meeting of the 37th District Republicans about his 2020 campaign for Washington state Attorney General.

Ten people attended the meeting, including Larkin and Peyton LaFerla, Acting-Political Director for the Washington State Republican Party. LaFerla had previously been employed as Larkin’s campaign manager. Four people attended via Zoom.

Larkin talked about how he conducted his AG campaign and why he ran. Larkin stated that much of his campaign’s promotion was done with TV advertisements, to which he attributed his success in the primary election.

His campaign wanted to do advertising on social media, but were prevented from doing so by Washington state laws which make it illegal for non-federal political campaigns to advertise on social media.

He also said that he had intended to speak to local civic groups and chambers of commerce throughout the state in order to raise money and support for his campaign, but that the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow him to do so.

Larkin said that he decided to run for AG after he became aware of Seattle’s problems with crime and homelessness. He talked about how he grew up in Magnolia, and how that neighborhood has become increasingly unsafe in recent times.

He stated that he and his wife as newlyweds were motivated to move from Greenlake to Woodinville after the former neighborhood began to have problems with petty crime. The father of three children, Larkin noted that he would not be comfortable taking his family into downtown Seattle today.

LaFerla stated that Larkin’s campaign was unsuccessful largely because they were unable to obtain a sufficient amount of support in King County. LaFerla said that a successful state-wide campaign in Washington state requires a candidate to obtain some 40% of the vote in King County. Larkin’s campaign only received about 28% of that county’s vote.

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