Appetite for passenger-only ferries is growing. Can candidates make it a reality?

A failed 2026 state bill called the Mosquito Fleet Act would have allowed ports and cities to create taxing districts for passenger-only ferries. Though the bill passed the Washington House, it died in the Senate after amendments required zero-emission vessels be built in-state and eliminated state funding after two years. The proposal sparked interest among Whatcom County candidates running for state Senate, House, and Port of Bellingham seats, who are now discussing potential ferry routes between Bellingham and the San Juan Islands, Blaine and Point Roberts, or Victoria, B.C.