WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Ken Jennings is backing Washington’s NO on 645 coalition against a proposed repeal of the state’s millionaires tax.
  • The 9.9% tax applies to annual individual income above $1 million and affects roughly 25,000 wealthy residents.
  • Jennings argues Initiative 645 would deliver a major tax break while causing cuts to public schools and other services.
  • NW Progressive identified Snohomish County as a potentially crucial battleground in deciding the initiative’s outcome.

Ken Jennings, the longtime host of Jeopardy! and a record-setting champion on the game show, is backing the NO on 645 coalition in Washington State. The coalition is campaigning against Initiative 645 and its attempt to repeal a tax on high earners, as reported by Breitbart.

Initiative 645 targets Washington’s 9.9% “millionaires tax,” which applies to annual individual income above $1 million. The tax, also described as a tax on million-dollar earners, was enacted in 2026.

The tax affects roughly 25,000 of Washington’s wealthiest residents. Jennings is not the only recognizable supporter of the coalition, as travel expert Rick Steves has also backed the effort.

Jennings makes his case in a 30-second advertisement focused on the initiative and its potential effect on public services. In the advertisement, he argues that Initiative 645 would produce funding cuts for public schools and other services.

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The Jeopardy! host begins by presenting voters with a question about the financial scope of the proposed repeal. He also describes Washington’s tax system as unfair to working families.

“Did you know Initiative 645 would give millionaires and billionaires a thirteen-billion-dollar tax break, making Washington’s unfair tax system, where working families pay two times more than the wealthiest, even worse?” Jennings says in the ad.

Jennings then shifts directly to public schools and the groups opposing the measure. His message uses his association with quiz shows to deliver the coalition’s position on Initiative 645.

“Or that 645 would mean huge cuts to public schools?” he continues. “Or that teachers, nurses and small businesses all oppose 645? It doesn’t take a quiz show host to know that 645 is wrong for Washington.”

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The advertisement places Jennings at the center of the coalition’s argument that repealing the tax would benefit millionaires and billionaires while reducing money available for public schools. His appearance also connects the campaign with one of television’s best-known quiz show personalities.

NW Progressive noted Jennings’ connections to Washington and to a county that could be important in the vote. The outlet said he lives in Seattle and was born in Snohomish County.

According to NW Progressive, Snohomish County is Washington’s bellwether swing county. The outlet emphasized that its voters could have a major role in determining whether Initiative 645 succeeds or fails.

“Snohomish voters will play a crucial role in deciding whether Heywood’s 645 is defeated or not,” it said. “If Snohomish sides with its neighbor King County, which is expected to vote down 645, the measure will likely fail.”

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NW Progressive also described Snohomish County as home to the third largest bloc of voters in Washington State. Its voting behavior, the outlet said, can vary depending on the candidates and issues appearing on the ballot.

“The county, home to the third largest bloc of voters in the state, usually votes for Democratic candidates for statewide and federal office, but sometimes votes for right-wing ballot measure positions and Republicans at the local level. It’s therefore an important county to both sides,” it added.

That assessment makes Snohomish County a central part of the political picture surrounding Initiative 645. NW Progressive’s analysis presents the county as potentially decisive because of its size and its history of supporting different positions in different races.

Jennings’ advertisement, meanwhile, remains tightly focused on the coalition’s central claims. He warns of a large tax break for wealthy residents, predicts major cuts to public schools, and cites opposition from teachers, nurses, and small businesses.

The campaign over Initiative 645 therefore combines a debate over Washington’s 9.9% tax with arguments about education, public services, and the broader fairness of the state’s tax system. Jennings closes his pitch by declaring the measure wrong for Washington.

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