Thirteen years ago, hedge fund manager Brian Heywood fled California and the progressive politics he opposed. Where he took refuge—Washington—might seem like an odd choice, given it’s been 40 years since the state had a Republican governor.
Despite Washington’s blue leanings, he viewed the state as “libertarian-left,” which aligned with his own values and lifestyle. An Arizonan, and formerly a Mormon missionary, Heywood has a ranch reportedly named for a character in Atlas Shrugged. At the ranch, he’s held a Summer Freedom Fest, a conservative-themed cookout with live music and political speeches.
But in recent years, he says the state’s increasingly progressive policies are reminding him of the state he left behind. Particularly a flurry of landmark bills in 2021: a capital gains tax aiming to alleviate the burden on lower-income households; and a climate bill that caps carbon and is fueling the green economy.
For progressives, those represented triumphant wins. For Heywood, they were underhanded means to implement an income tax and a gas tax. This year, he vows to kill them. “Someone had to stand up and push back,” he says.
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