Most of his initiatives failed, but Washington Republicans still call him a winner

Brian Heywood spent millions of dollars of his own money to get four initiatives on the ballot.

Three out of four of them were failing Tuesday night.

Even so, Republicans at the Let's Go Washington election night party say Heywood did something amazing by unifying a divided Washington State Republican Party.

“Everywhere I go, I say, 'Thank God for Brian Heywood,'” said Mathew Patrick Thomas, chair of the King County Republican Party.

Thomas says Heywood’s initiatives are just the beginning.

“Actually I yelled out, 'Brian Heywood for Governor!'" he said. "I was the one who yelled that out in the crowd.”

Voters rejected measures that would have hobbled the state’s long-term care program, and killed carbon markets and capital gains taxes.

The initiative that was ahead in early results protects the availability of natural gas in the state.