Over the weekend, Washington State Republicans got together in Pasco for their state convention. The primary purpose: to select delegates to send to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this summer. You know, the convention where Republicans will officially pick Donald Trump as their nominee for president. But in Pasco, the man who is state Republicans' pick for the highest office in Washington again refused to say whether he'll vote for Trump, reports the Seattle Times' Jim Brunner.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Bryant has repeatedly refused to reveal how he plans to vote in Tuesday's primary or in November, arguing that the presidential race is unrelated to the governor's race. Setting aside the fact that federal and state policy decisions are obviously related, the problem for Bryant's argument is that he's trying to run as a moderate. Refusing to disavow a misogynist/racist is not a great look for a "moderate" trying to win in a state that hasn't had a Republican governor since 1985.

While avoiding Trump, Bryant used his speech at the convention to promise to fire state department heads and shrink government. Brunner:

Bryant said he’d fire top state managers and reach down as far as necessary into the management ranks in failing state agencies, saying “we’re going to have a culture change in Olympia where we focus on making government better, not bigger.”

“I will replace all ineffective leadership in every department,” Bryant said. “The days of musical chairs are over.”

Bryant said he’d launch a four-year plan to “rebuild the state budget from zero on up” and impose a moratorium on all new regulations until departments justify the ones they have now.