America’s governor demonstrates virtue of knowing when to quit

Great way to go out:

Gov. Jay Inslee’s decision to forgo a fourth-term bid will bring Washington its first open-seat gubernatorial contest since he won his first term in 2012.

The long-awaited announcement clears a political jam that has — electorally speaking — stagnated the upper tier of state politics for years, opening the door for a new generation of elected leaders.

But whether 2024 reshuffles a deck of familiar names or brings in wild cards remains to be seen.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz are widely expected to duke it out in a Democratic primary contest to succeed Inslee, though neither announced their plans Monday.

Inslee has been an excellent governor, but there are other Democrats who can get elected and do a competent job, and it’s time to turn things over.

Shoutout to Ben Cardin, too. We need more of this.