Inside and outside of the laboratory, aspiring geologists Emily Ross and Anna Thompson keep a watchful eye on the cause-and-effect of climate change and it’s impending impact on the planet Earth.

So it’s no surprise that on a cloudy Sunday morning, they woke up bright and early to support Washington Governor and 2020 Democratic candidate Jay Inslee speak at the Nevada-based coffee shop Farm Grounds.

Climate change, and addressing the threat of it, has been the central message and rationale of the Inslee campaign since he announced his presidential bid on March 1.

“Climate change, at every conceivable level, is the biggest issue to tackle for any candidate in 2020,” said Ross, a native of Oregon who is familiar with Inslee’s gubernatorial record. “(Jay) Inslee has a track record of understanding the science behind climate change, and he is the leading voice on how we can best mitigate the effect of climate change in the next few years.”

The budding geologists were among roughly 35 people that were attendance for Inslee’s Sunday visit, and the Washington governor introduced himself as a “jack-hammering, concrete truck driving, bulldozer-operating, hay-raising Governor,” who can defeat President Donald Trump on the national stage, if given the chance.

“I’m here to say if you give me the high honor of being the nominee for president, I will go on the stage and beat Donald Trump like a two-dollar mule,” said an emphatic Inslee. “I say that with some confidence, having been the first candidate to correctly identify him as a white nationalist.”

The Washington governor pitched his electability, by touting his ability to beat Trump in his “weakest area”, the climate and environmental protection.

Inslee’s climate plan is extremely large, detailed, and self-admittedly, aggressive, and would seek to get the United States to 100 percent clean energy, commit to a 10-year, $9 trillion investment plan, a further plan for reshaping foreign policy around climate change and a plan to phase out U.S. fossil fuel production and transition into a clean economy.

“Everybody who has looked at (Inslee’s climate plan) and has identified my plan as the gold-standard, and the reason is because my plan actually answers the scientific themes and changes that we need to make today,” said Inslee. “There are people who say that my plan is too aggressive and too bold, and they aren’t arguing against me — they are arguing against science.”

While he’s garnered attention from a loaded Democratic field for his wide-ranging solutions for climate change, the Washington governor made sure to familiarize the Nevada crowd with his other policy achievements.

Before seeking a spot in the governor’s mansion in Washington state, Inslee was a state legislator and member of the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected governor in 2012 and successfully being reelected in 2016.

Inslee gained national attention in 2017 when Washington state successfully sued the Trump administration over its travel ban on visitors from several Muslim-majority countries; and also touted his state’s achievement in gender-equality pay gap as well as statewide minimum and living wage.

“We have to beat Donald Trump and that means we need to have a story on how to beat him,” said Inslee. “The story we have available is the governor of the state of Washington who has worked to create the best economy in the United States. I think there’s a lesson here. The lesson is if you embrace Democratic principles, if you embrace progressive policies … you get the best economy in the United States.”

In the question and answer portion of the event, Inslee promoted the idea of a “public option,” and recently implemented a unique Obamacare “public option” in Washington state as a part of the state’s new health care program.

The next two weeks will be a big test for Inslee and his campaign as they look to qualify for the selective Sept. 12-13 debates, that as of Sunday, only nine of the 25 candidates have successfully qualified for.

To qualify for the September debates, candidates need to have 2 percent support in four approved polls and have 130,000 unique donors.

August 28 is the deadline to reach both requirements, and Inslee is below both thresholds with 110,000 unique donors, and has yet to hit 2 percent in the nationwide or Iowa-based polls.

In an interview with the Tribune following the event, Inslee said that he plans to be on the September debate stage and continue to build off the momentum of his July debate appearance.

“In my basketball days when I took a jump shot I thought it was always going in,” said Inslee to the Tribune. “I’m thinking that we’re going to qualify for the debates and that’s direction we’re headed in. We’ve made great progress since the second debate, and we’re on a roll — but we need some more support as we head toward the end of August.”