2016 Washington Insurance Commissioner election

For related races, see 2016 Washington elections.

2016 Washington Insurance Commissioner election

←  2012 November 8, 2016 2020  →

Candidate Mike Kreidler Richard Schrock Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,763,134 1,258,827 Percentage 58.34% 41.66%

County results Congressional district results Kreidler:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Schrock:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Insurance Commissioner before election Mike Kreidler Democratic Elected Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler Democratic

The 2016 Washington Insurance Commissioner election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the insurance commissioner of Washington, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington. Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler was re-elected to a fifth term in a landslide. ^[1]

Background

Incumbent Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, first elected in 2000 and re-elected three times, most recently in 2012, ran for re-election to a fifth term in office. ^[2]

Primary election

Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two advance to the general election.

Democratic candidates

Advanced to general

• Mike Kreidler, incumbent Insurance Commissioner (2001–2025) ^[2]

Republican candidates

Advanced to general

• Richard Schrock, Snohomish County Fire District 1 commissioner ^[3]

Libertarian candidates

Eliminated in primary

• Justin Murta ^[3]

Endorsements

Mike Kreidler (D)

Newspapers

• The Seattle Times ^[4]

Results

Blanket primary results by county

  Kreidler

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

  Shrock

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%

Blanket primary election results ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mike Kreidler (incumbent)	772,569	58.41
	Republican	Richard Schrock	450,830	34.09
	Libertarian	Justin Murta	99,181	7.50
Total votes			1,322,580	100.00

General election

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mike Kreidler (D)	Richard Schrock (R)	Undecided
Elway Poll [6]	October 20–22, 2016	502 (RV)	± 4.5%	44%	28%	28%

Results

2016 Washington Insurance Commissioner election ^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mike Kreidler (incumbent)	1,763,134	58.34	+0.04
	Republican	Richard Schrock	1,258,827	41.66	–0.04
Total votes			3,021,961	100.00	N/A
	Democratic hold

By county

County results

County [8]	Mike Kreidler Democratic		Richard Schrock Republican		Margin		Total votes
	#	%	#	%	#	%
Adams	1,512	34.27%	2,900	65.73%	-1,388	-31.46%	4,412
Asotin	3,627	39.64%	5,522	60.36%	-1,895	-20.71%	9,149
Benton	30,142	39.43%	46,296	60.57%	-16,154	-21.13%	76,438
Chelan	13,562	43.51%	17,608	56.49%	-4,046	-12.98%	31,170
Clallam	19,364	52.21%	17,726	47.79%	1,638	4.42%	37,090
Clark	94,558	50.16%	93,973	49.84%	585	0.31%	188,531
Columbia	622	31.10%	1,378	68.90%	-756	-37.80%	2,000
Cowlitz	20,282	47.59%	22,332	52.41%	-2,050	-4.81%	42,614
Douglas	5,592	38.22%	9,040	61.78%	-3,448	-23.56%	14,632
Ferry	1,297	38.69%	2,055	61.31%	-758	-22.61%	3,352
Franklin	9,491	41.67%	13,288	58.33%	-3,797	-16.67%	22,779
Garfield	365	31.71%	786	68.29%	-421	-36.58%	1,151
Grant	9,021	33.69%	17,755	66.31%	-8,734	-32.62%	26,776
Grays Harbor	14,621	54.13%	12,392	45.87%	2,229	8.25%	27,013
Island	22,136	54.35%	18,595	45.65%	3,541	8.69%	40,731
Jefferson	13,204	68.33%	6,119	31.67%	7,085	36.67%	19,323
King	672,924	73.01%	248,804	26.99%	424,120	46.01%	921,728
Kitsap	67,397	56.61%	51,657	43.39%	15,740	13.22%	119,054
Kittitas	7,901	44.92%	9,688	55.08%	-1,787	-10.16%	17,589
Klickitat	4,431	44.19%	5,597	55.81%	-1,166	-11.63%	10,028
Lewis	12,134	37.62%	20,123	62.38%	-7,989	-24.77%	32,257
Lincoln	1,601	29.48%	3,830	70.52%	-2,229	-41.04%	5,431
Mason	13,984	52.43%	12,688	47.57%	1,296	4.86%	26,672
Okanogan	7,020	43.59%	9,084	56.41%	-2,064	-12.82%	16,104
Pacific	5,261	52.75%	4,713	47.25%	548	5.49%	9,974
Pend Oreille	2,380	36.95%	4,062	63.05%	-1,682	-26.11%	6,442
Pierce	184,148	55.71%	146,390	44.29%	37,758	11.42%	330,538
San Juan	7,085	70.02%	3,033	29.98%	4,052	40.05%	10,118
Skagit	28,230	53.31%	24,727	46.69%	3,503	6.61%	52,957
Skamania	2,379	45.57%	2,842	54.43%	-463	-8.87%	5,221
Snohomish	187,135	57.24%	139,785	42.76%	47,350	14.48%	326,920
Spokane	100,839	46.46%	116,194	53.54%	-15,355	-7.07%	217,033
Stevens	6,770	31.37%	14,808	68.63%	-8,038	-37.25%	21,578
Thurston	77,425	62.15%	47,146	37.85%	30,279	24.31%	124,571
Wahkiakum	932	43.90%	1,191	56.10%	-259	-12.20%	2,123
Walla Walla	10,313	43.19%	13,564	56.81%	-3,251	-13.62%	23,877
Whatcom	61,275	58.89%	42,783	41.11%	18,492	17.77%	104,058
Whitman	8,314	51.15%	7,941	48.85%	373	2.29%	16,255
Yakima	33,860	45.59%	40,412	54.41%	-6,552	-8.82%	74,272
Totals	1,763,134	58.34%	1,258,827	41.66%	504,307	16.69%	3,021,961

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Cowlitz (largest city: Longview)
• Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Whitman (largest city: Pullman)

Swing by county

Legend

•   Democratic — +2.5–5%
•   Democratic — +0–2.5%
•   Republican — +0-2.5%
•   Republican — +2.5-5%
•   Republican — +5-7.5%
•   Republican — +7.5-10%
•   Republican — +10-12.5%
•   Republican — +>15%

Trend relative to the state by county

Legend

•   Democratic — +2.5–5%
•   Democratic — +0–2.5%
•   Republican — +0-2.5%
•   Republican — +2.5-5%
•   Republican — +5-7.5%
•   Republican — +7.5-10%
•   Republican — +10-12.5%
•   Republican — +>15%

County flips

Legend

• Democratic   Hold   Gain from Republican

  Republican   Hold   Gain from Democratic

By congressional district

Kreidler won seven of ten congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican. ^[7]

District	Kreidler	Schrock	Representative
1st	56%	44%	Suzan DelBene
2nd	61%	39%	Rick Larsen
3rd	48%	52%	Jaime Herrera Beutler
4th	41%	59%	Dan Newhouse
5th	45%	55%	Cathy McMorris Rodgers
6th	58%	42%	Derek Kilmer
7th	83%	17%	Jim McDermott
			Pramila Jayapal
8th	51%	49%	Dave Reichert
9th	72%	28%	Adam Smith
10th	59%	41%	Denny Heck

References

1. Young, Bob (November 8, 2016). "Mike Kreidler wins fifth term as state insurance commissioner". The Seattle Times . Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
2. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/health-care-inc/2015/09/insurance-commissioner-kreidler-will-seek-re.html
3. "2016 Primary Candidates Who Have Filed". eledataweb.votewa.gov. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
4. Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (July 5, 2016). "The Times recommends: Mike Kreidler for insurance commissioner". The Seattle Times . Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
5. Wyman, Kim (August 2, 2016). "Insurance Commissioner". Secretary of State of Washington . Archived from the original on July 15, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
6. Elway Poll
7. "2016 General Data". sos.wa.gov. Archived from the original on March 15, 2025.
8. Wyman, Kim (November 8, 2016). "Insurance Commissioner - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington . Archived from the original on June 27, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.