[9] Inslee cited climate change as his primary motivation for running, strongly criticizing the Trump Administration's policies.

[9][11] Inslee has pointed to former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, saying that they were once "pretty much unknown governors of small states" and adding, "this is a wide-open field.

[12] On March 1, 2019, Inslee announced his presidential campaign bid at a solar panel provider's warehouse on Mount Baker in Seattle.

[13] On March 11, 2019, Inslee toured homes destroyed by the November 2018 Woolsey Fire, mocking President Donald Trump for suggesting that California could prevent wildfires by raking its forests.

[17] As of May 24, 2019, Inslee secured a place in the Democratic Presidential Debates by reaching the threshold of financial contributions from 65,000 individual donors and 1% support in DNC-approved polls needed for inclusion.

In addition to rejecting the proposal, the Democratic National Committee reminded him that attempts to organize a debate privately would violate the exclusivity contract for candidates.

[22] Inslee made climate change the primary issue of his campaign, saying that it poses a "clear and present danger" to the country and comparing it to a terrorist threat.

Inslee also called for the retrofitting and upgrade of every U.S. school building within ten years, both to improve overall education infrastructure, and to prepare for the effects of climate change.