Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee was absent from one of the biggest grand opening events in Snohomish County in recent years.
As people prepared to board the first flights out of the new passenger terminal at Paine Field in Everett, Inslee was represented by Joe Timmons, the northwest regional representative for the governor's office during a press conference following a dedication ceremony. Scroll down to see a full video of the press conference.
Propeller Airports CEO Brett Smith pointed out that Inslee has visited the site before and is a supporter of the commercial flight service out of Everett.
Where was Inslee? He is preparing to head to Iowa for a series of stops focused on climate change solutions as he kicks off his presidential campaign. He's expected in Iowa on Tuesday.
On Monday morning, he appeared on a national talk show where he was once again telling the public the country needs a leader who is committed to climate change.
The two-term governor announced his 2020 presidential bid on Friday, March 1. He became the first person from Washington state to run for president in more than 40 years.
An advocate for fighting climate change, he has pushed for a switch to a clean energy economy.
In a campaign video released Friday morning, Inslee said, "I'm running for president because I'm the only candidate that will make defeating climate change our nation's number one priority."
He continued that message later in the day, saying the country has a "short period of time to act," and that this is the "eleventh hour."