Election results from yesterday’s primary indicate that both Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna will advance to the final round in the race for Governor.

Washington Filmworks is pleased to share with the film community that gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee published a statement in support of the film industry on his blog yesterday.  The entry reads:

For the next four years, everything Washington does needs to be viewed through the lens of job creation. As governor, that will be my focus.

That means real investment in new industries. It means closing tax loopholes that don’t create jobs and protecting programs that do.

The film and television industry employs nearly 10,000 people in our state, an important number on its own. Even more valuable are all the people who benefit indirectly. Film and TV production means jobs for small businesses across Washington – caterers, florists, truck drivers, hotel operators and countless more middle-class jobs made possible or made better by money spent making movies, television and commercials in our state.

It’s always fun to see a familiar location in a movie, but it is more important to see the impact production spending has on our communities. Our state should continue to encourage film and TV production, and when I’m governor I will.

This is not the first time Jay Inslee has come out in support of the film industry.  As some of you may recall, he spoke at a Seattle Film + Music + Interactive networking event last fall where he met with many film industry professionals.

Washington Filmworks’ goal is to keep the film community informed about issues that impact their career.  The race for Governor continues to be vitally important to the long-term sustainability of filmmaking in Washington State. As always, we encourage the industry to follow this campaign closely, and to make knowledgeable decisions about which candidate will best support production over the next four years.