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Chaytan Inman

Chaytan Inman for Governor – 2024 Campaign

️Giving Rights to the Earth

One of the cornerstone policies of my campaign was granting legal rights to nature. Inspired by successful environmental legal frameworks in Ecuador, New Zealand, and other places, this approach would:

  • Recognize ecosystems as legal entities with the ability to be defended in court.
  • Prevent corporate exploitation of natural resources by making environmental destruction legally actionable.
  • Create a statewide agency to allow everyday people to represent their local ecologies.
  • Shift environmental protections from reactive to proactive, prioritizing the health of Washington’s forests, rivers, and air.

Washington’s nature is a core part of our identity and values, and we need our legal system to reflect that.

Tech & AI for People

As someone with deep experience in AI, I wanted Washington to lead in ethical AI development by:

  • Regulating AI in data ownership, policing, and surveillance.
  • Preventing new AI corporate monopolies from forming.
  • Bridging the digital divide by expanding access to tech education.

Technology should serve the people, not profit-driven corporations.

Final Thoughts

My campaign ended after the results of the August 2024 primary advanced candidates Bob Ferguson and Dave Reichert to the September general election. There were ups and downs, but in the end this is one of the proudest journies of my life! We didn’t win, but the effects are still rippling through Washington. Around election day, I received countless emails from supporters like this:

Hi Chaytan. It was nice to finally read a candidate statement from a Democrat that actually mentions the environment. So many Democrats don’t even bother to mention protecting the envoronment anymore. Even Jay Insley [sic] failed to mention the environment in his last run for Governor.

In response to your strong pro environment statement my wife and I happily voted for you. Good luck.

The campaign wasn’t just about winning an election — it was about shifting the conversation and a starting point for more powerful direct action. We earned about 6,500 votes statewide, and each one is an honor to me. While I didn’t take office, the ideas are still reverberating and I hope they will inspire others. Now, I plan to build on the desire for environmental rights through deeper community organizing. I hope to see others take up the mantle or join me. Until then, I’ll keep myself busy. And do reach out if you’re working on something and need a hand :)

More

You can view the full campaign site below: