Gubernatorial candidate Bill Bryant’s latest campaign swing through Pullman brought a flurry of students out of the cold and into the CUE to hear him speak.

Bryant, the former Port of Seattle Commissioner, used the gathering to discuss a range of topics from climate change to reproductive rights.

Many of the students in the room held political allegiances themselves, as the gathering was organized by the WSU College Republicans. Nonetheless, Bryant handled questions from both sides of the aisle.

When asked if he supported gay marriage Bryant responded in the affirmative.

“I don’t think we need to tell a woman what to do with her body,” he said about reproductive rights.

Bryant also answered questions regarding his time as port commissioner and his support behind the Shell drilling rigs operating out of Seattle.

“When it came down to it, Shell would need a port on the west coast to keep its rigs and ships in the winter,” Bryant said. “We needed someone to take a lease at one of our terminals going through a remodel, without it we would have lost 400 family-wage jobs.”

Bryant also affirmed his commitment to the environment.

“On my bucket list is to make the Puget Sound cleaner then when I was born,” Bryant said.

Troy Clevenger, a freshman studying political science enjoyed hearing the candidate speak.

“I thought he seemed genuinely concerned with the problems our state faces and did not seem like the typical conservative republican,” Clevenger said, “He definitely seems like the candidate who represents the younger and future members of the Republican Party.”

Bryant stressed his commitment to Washington state and his roots here as a born and raised Washingtonian, while noting his international experience in helping frame his politics. Backpacking in Communist China, and living in a military controlled Brazil at a young age both contributed to Bryant’s understanding of the world.

Bryant has ties to WSU as well; both his brother and sister attended. The candidate says he always enjoys his time here.

“I can’t wait to come back, I really enjoyed coming to WSU,” he said.

Bryant said that the questions he gets at universities vary more than other places.

“Usually I’ll be at a business meeting being asked business questions or with parents talking about school, but on a college campus you can expect just about everything.”

While Bryant wouldn’t pick a side between WSU or UW, he admitted he’s conflicted.

“My wife’s a husky and one of my sisters went there too, and my other brother and sister went here, so I can’t pick a side, but I do love WSU,” Bryant said.

Bryant is the only Republican candidate to challenge incumbent democratic governor Jay Inslee, but despite this, he will face a steep battle in November. No Republican candidate has won the governor’s race since 1981, one of the longest single-party streaks in any office throughout the United States.

Reporting by Zach Anders