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 County results Ray: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Spellman: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington |
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The 1976 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976. This election was especially significant in that Washington elected its first female governor, Dixy Lee Ray. Wesley C. Uhlman and John Patric unsuccessfully ran in the blanket primary.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dixy Lee Ray | 205,232 | 24.09% | |
| Democratic | Wesley C. Uhlman | 198,336 | 23.28% | |
| Republican | John D. Spellman | 185,439 | 21.77% | |
| Democratic | Marvin Durning | 136,290 | 16.00% | |
| Republican | Harley Hoppe | 111,957 | 13.14% | |
| Democratic | Duke Stockton | 5,588 | 0.66% | |
| Republican | Emmett Watson | 4,798 | 0.56% | |
| Republican | Carl D. Ricketts | 2,636 | 0.31% | |
| Republican | John Patric | 1,654 | 0.19% | |
| Total votes | 851,930 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dixy Lee Ray | 821,797 | 53.14% | +10.32% | |
| Republican | John D. Spellman | 687,039 | 44.43% | −6.36% | |
| American Independent | Art Manning | 12,406 | 0.80% | ||
| OWL | Red Kelly | 12,400 | 0.80% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Henry Killman | 4,137 | 0.27% | +0.08% | |
| Libertarian | Maurice Willey | 4,133 | 0.27% | ||
| Socialist Workers | Patricia A. Bethard | 3,106 | 0.20% | −0.11% | |
| U.S. Labor | Evelyn Olafson | 1,364 | 0.09% | ||
| Majority | 134,758 | 8.71% | |||
| Total votes | 1,546,382 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | +16.67% | |||
Dixy Lee Ray was the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to carry Island County and Klickitat County since Clarence D. Martin in 1936. This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which a Democrat has carried Benton County and Franklin County.
| County [4] | Dixy Lee Ray Democratic | John D. Spellman Republican | Art Manning AIP | Red Kelly OWL | All Others Various | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,112 | 44.01% | 2,524 | 52.59% | 110 | 2.29% | 28 | 0.58% | 25 | 0.52% | -412 | -8.59% | 4,799 |
| Asotin | 2,493 | 42.63% | 3,231 | 55.25% | 66 | 1.13% | 24 | 0.41% | 34 | 0.58% | -738 | -12.62% | 5,848 |
| Benton | 23,006 | 65.98% | 11,367 | 32.60% | 220 | 0.63% | 133 | 0.38% | 141 | 0.40% | 11,639 | 33.38% | 34,867 |
| Chelan | 8,278 | 44.70% | 9,926 | 53.60% | 118 | 0.64% | 111 | 0.60% | 84 | 0.45% | -1,648 | -8.90% | 18,517 |
| Clallam | 10,234 | 55.58% | 7,514 | 40.81% | 294 | 1.60% | 201 | 1.09% | 171 | 0.93% | 2,720 | 14.77% | 18,414 |
| Clark | 32,038 | 52.64% | 27,222 | 44.73% | 678 | 1.11% | 507 | 0.83% | 418 | 0.69% | 4,816 | 7.91% | 60,863 |
| Columbia | 965 | 47.68% | 1,027 | 50.74% | 24 | 1.19% | 7 | 0.35% | 1 | 0.05% | -62 | -3.06% | 2,024 |
| Cowlitz | 14,930 | 54.70% | 11.504 | 42.14% | 534 | 1.96% | 154 | 0.56% | 176 | 0.64% | 3,429 | 12.56% | 27,295 |
| Douglas | 4,263 | 50.13% | 4,134 | 48.61% | 61 | 0.72% | 28 | 0.33% | 18 | 0.21% | 129 | 1.52% | 8,504 |
| Ferry | 805 | 48.85% | 773 | 46.91% | 43 | 2.61% | 11 | 0.67% | 16 | 0.97% | 32 | 1.94% | 1,648 |
| Franklin | 6,187 | 60.81% | 3,826 | 37.61% | 65 | 0.64% | 30 | 0.29% | 66 | 0.65% | 2,361 | 23.21% | 10,174 |
| Garfield | 579 | 37.43% | 951 | 61.47% | 13 | 0.84% | 1 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.19% | -372 | -24.05% | 1,547 |
| Grant | 8,148 | 47.37% | 8,589 | 49.93% | 201 | 1.17% | 92 | 0.53% | 171 | 0.99% | -441 | -2.56% | 17,201 |
| Grays Harbor | 13,567 | 55.60% | 10,072 | 41.28% | 240 | 0.98% | 301 | 1.23% | 220 | 0.90% | 3,495 | 14.32% | 24,400 |
| Island | 7,408 | 53.12% | 6,358 | 45.59% | 66 | 0.47% | 53 | 0.38% | 62 | 0.44% | 1,050 | 7.53% | 13,947 |
| Jefferson | 3,121 | 52.28% | 2,644 | 44.29% | 65 | 1.09% | 67 | 1.12% | 73 | 1.22% | 477 | 7.99% | 5,970 |
| King | 277,502 | 50.87% | 254,945 | 46.73% | 3,117 | 0.57% | 4,813 | 0.88% | 5,141 | 0.94% | 22,557 | 4.13% | 545,518 |
| Kitsap | 30,399 | 59.31% | 19,626 | 38.29% | 401 | 0.78% | 312 | 0.61% | 513 | 1.00% | 10,773 | 21.02% | 51,251 |
| Kittitas | 4,878 | 49.83% | 4,733 | 48.35% | 47 | 0.48% | 70 | 0.72% | 62 | 0.63% | 145 | 1.48% | 9,790 |
| Klickitat | 3,016 | 54.03% | 2,411 | 43.19% | 86 | 1.54% | 37 | 0.66% | 32 | 0.57% | 605 | 10.84% | 5,582 |
| Lewis | 13,109 | 61.43% | 7,633 | 35.77% | 352 | 1.65% | 138 | 0.65% | 107 | 0.50% | 5,476 | 25.66% | 21,339 |
| Lincoln | 2,153 | 41.73% | 2,907 | 56.35% | 49 | 0.95% | 29 | 0.56% | 21 | 0.41% | -754 | -14.62% | 5,159 |
| Mason | 6,984 | 61.57% | 4,052 | 35.72% | 126 | 1.11% | 104 | 0.92% | 77 | 0.68% | 2,932 | 25.85% | 11,343 |
| Okanogan | 5,543 | 48.67% | 5,462 | 47.96% | 212 | 1.86% | 93 | 0.82% | 79 | 0.69% | 81 | 0.71% | 11,389 |
| Pacific | 4,474 | 60.52% | 2,656 | 35.93% | 77 | 1.04% | 99 | 1.34% | 86 | 1.16% | 1,818 | 24.59% | 7,392 |
| Pend Oreille | 1,641 | 52.03% | 1,438 | 45.59% | 32 | 1.01% | 24 | 0.76% | 19 | 0.60% | 203 | 6.44% | 3,154 |
| Pierce | 99,527 | 63.27% | 54,543 | 34.67% | 884 | 0.56% | 835 | 0.53% | 1,523 | 0.97% | 44,984 | 28.60% | 157,312 |
| San Juan | 1,658 | 45.21% | 1,907 | 52.00% | 27 | 0.74% | 42 | 1.15% | 33 | 0.90% | -249 | -6.79% | 3,667 |
| Skagit | 14,750 | 54.74% | 11,486 | 42.62% | 286 | 1.06% | 224 | 0.83% | 201 | 0.75% | 3,264 | 12.11% | 26,947 |
| Skamania | 1,403 | 54.34% | 1,126 | 43.61% | 18 | 0.70% | 21 | 0.81% | 14 | 0.54% | 277 | 10.73% | 2,582 |
| Snohomish | 66,369 | 57.26% | 46,946 | 40.50% | 1,072 | 0.92% | 812 | 0.70% | 715 | 0.62% | 19,423 | 16.76% | 115,914 |
| Spokane | 61,494 | 47.67% | 64,044 | 49.65% | 1,374 | 1.07% | 1,336 | 1.04% | 750 | 0.58% | -2,550 | -1.98% | 128,998 |
| Stevens | 4,177 | 45.50% | 4,556 | 49.62% | 276 | 3.01% | 91 | 0.99% | 81 | 0.88% | -379 | -4.13% | 9,181 |
| Thurston | 23,957 | 54.11% | 18,984 | 42.88% | 297 | 0.67% | 686 | 1.55% | 348 | 0.79% | 4,973 | 11.23% | 44,272 |
| Wahkiakum | 938 | 56.13% | 692 | 41.41% | 23 | 1.38% | 9 | 0.54% | 9 | 0.54% | 246 | 14.72% | 1,671 |
| Walla Walla | 7,562 | 41.93% | 10,177 | 56.43% | 66 | 0.37% | 92 | 0.51% | 139 | 0.77% | -2,615 | -14.50% | 18,036 |
| Whatcom | 21,599 | 53.32% | 17,688 | 43.67% | 272 | 0.67% | 408 | 1.01% | 539 | 1.33% | 3,911 | 9.66% | 40,506 |
| Whitman | 5,875 | 38.99% | 8,679 | 57.60% | 163 | 1.08% | 202 | 1.34% | 150 | 1.00% | -2,804 | -18.61% | 15,069 |
| Yakima | 24,655 | 45.41% | 28,689 | 52.84% | 351 | 0.65% | 175 | 0.32% | 422 | 0.78% | -4,034 | -7.43% | 54,292 |
| Totals | 821,797 | 53.14% | 687,039 | 44.43% | 12,406 | 0.80% | 12,400 | 0.80% | 12,740 | 0.82% | 134,758 | 8.71% | 1,546,382 |
Dixy Lee Ray was an American academic, scientist, and politician who served as the 17th governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981. Variously described as idiosyncratic and "ridiculously smart," she was the state's first female governor and was in office during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. She was a supporter of atomic energy.
John Dennis Spellman was an American politician who served as the 18th governor of Washington U.S. state from 1981 to 1985 and as the first King County Executive from 1969 to 1981.
The 1992 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Democratic Governor Booth Gardner chose not to run for a third term. This resulted in an open race for Governor of Washington in which Democrat Mike Lowry narrowly defeated Republican Ken Eikenberry. This is the last time that a gubernatorial nominee and a lieutenant gubernatorial nominee of different political parties were elected governor and lieutenant governor of Washington.
The 1984 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1984. Incumbent Republican John Spellman ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Democrat Booth Gardner. This is the last time that the Washington Governor's office changed partisan control or that an incumbent Governor of Washington lost a general election.
The 1980 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dixy Lee Ray ran for a second term, but lost in the primary to State Representative Jim McDermott. McDermott was defeated in the general election by Republican candidate John Spellman, the King County Executive. As of 2024, this is the last time a Republican was elected Governor of Washington, thus beginning the longest streak for Democrats holding any of the 50 state governorships once Spellman left office.
The 1972 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Governor of Washington Daniel J. Evans, who was first elected eight years earlier, and then re-elected in 1968, was eligible for re-election, as Washington does not have gubernatorial term limits.
The 2000 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic governor Gary Locke defeated the Republican candidate John Carlson for his second term in a landslide.
The 1964 Washington gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1964, between incumbent Democratic governor Albert Rosellini and Republican nominee Daniel J. Evans.
The 1968 Washington gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1968, and resulted in the re-election of Republican incumbent Daniel J. Evans over state Attorney General John J. O'Connell. Martin Durkan, Albert F. Canwell, and John Patric unsuccessfully ran in the blanket primary.
The 1956 Washington gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1956, between Democratic state senator Albert Rosellini and Republican lieutenant governor Emmett T. Anderson.
The 1964 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 3, 1964, as part of the 1964 United States presidential election. State voters chose nine representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1948 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948. Republican nominee Arthur B. Langlie defeated incumbent Democrat Monrad Wallgren with 50.50% of the vote in a rematch of the 1944 contest.
The 1932 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 8, 1932, as part of the 1932 United States presidential election. State voters chose eight representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The 1944 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1944. Democratic nominee Monrad Wallgren defeated incumbent Republican Arthur B. Langlie with 51.51% of the vote.
The 1940 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Republican nominee Arthur B. Langlie narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Clarence Dill with 50.24% of the vote. Langlie's 0.74% margin of victory is the third-closest in state history. This is the only gubernatorial election in Washington in which King County has voted for the losing candidate.
The 1932 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. Democratic nominee Clarence D. Martin defeated Republican nominee John Arthur Gellatly with 57.29% of the vote.
The 1928 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1928. Incumbent Republican Roland H. Hartley defeated Democratic nominee A. Scott Bullitt with 56.22% of the vote. This was the last gubernatorial election until 1980 in which a Republican carried Franklin County, Mason County, and Pierce County.
The 1920 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1920. Incumbent Republican Louis F. Hart defeated Farmer–Labor nominee Robert Bridges with 52.74% of the vote.
The 1916 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1916. Incumbent Democrat Ernest Lister defeated Republican nominee Henry McBride with 48.10% of the vote.
The 1912 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912. Democratic nominee Ernest Lister defeated Republican incumbent Marion E. Hay with 30.55% of the vote. Lister was voted in with the smallest percentage of the vote in a gubernatorial election in the 1900s. This was the first election in Washington in which women had the right to vote.
