2020 Washington Attorney General election

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2020 Washington Attorney General election
Flag of Washington.svg
  2016 November 3, 2020 (2020-11-03) 2024  
  Bob Ferguson at his 2023 Shrimp Feed 02 (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Bob Ferguson Matt Larkin
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote2,226,4181,714,927
Percentage56.43%43.47%

2020 Washington Attorney General election results map by county.svg
2020 Washington attorney general election results map by congressional district.svg
Ferguson:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Larkin:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Attorney General before election

Bob Ferguson
Democratic

Elected Attorney General

Bob Ferguson
Democratic

The 2020 Washington Attorney General election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the attorney general of Washington, concurrently with the 2020 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 Attorney General Bob Ferguson was re-elected to a third term in office. [1]

Contents

Background

Ferguson was first elected in 2012 against Republican King County Councilor Reagan Dunn, winning 53% of the vote to succeed Republican Rob McKenna. [2] He was re-elected over Libertarian Joshua Trumbull in 2016 with 67% of the vote and was expected to easily win a third term. [3] [4]

Candidates

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

Democratic Party

Advanced to general

Republican Party

Advanced to general

  • Matt Larkin, manufacturing executive and former Pierce County deputy prosecuting attorney [6]

Eliminated in primary

Primary election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Bob
Ferguson (D)
Matt
Larkin (R)
Brett
Rogers (R)
Mike
Vaska (R)
Undecided
SurveyUSA [8] July 22–27, 2020513 (LV)± 5.4%52%13%7%5%22%
SurveyUSA [9] May 16–19, 2020650 (LV)±  5.6%47%8%8%4%32%

Results

Blanket primary results by county
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Ferguson
30-40%
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
70-80%
Larkin
30-40%
Rogers
30-40% 2020 Washington Attorney General primary results map by county.svg
Blanket primary results by county
  Ferguson
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Larkin
  •   30–40%
  Rogers
  •   30–40%
Blanket primary election results [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Bob Ferguson (incumbent) 1,356,225 55.79%
Republican Matt Larkin 575,470 23.67%
Republican Brett Rogers296,84312.21%
Republican Mike Vaska199,8268.22%
Write-in 2,3720.10%
Total votes2,430,736 100.00%

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [4] Safe DJune 25, 2020

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Bob
Ferguson (D)
Matt
Larkin (R)
Undecided
Public Policy Polling (D) [11] [A] October 14–15, 2020610 (LV)± 4%53%39%8%
SurveyUSA [12] October 8–10, 2020591 (LV)± 5.2%49%38%13%

Results

2020 Washington Attorney General election [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Bob Ferguson (incumbent) 2,226,418 56.43%
Republican Matt Larkin1,714,92743.47%
Write-in 3,9680.10%
Total votes3,945,313 100.00%
Democratic hold

By county

County results
County [14] Bob Ferguson

Democratic

Matt Larkin

Republican

Write-in

Various

MarginTotal votes
#%#%#%#%
Adams 1,77231.34%3,87668.54%70.12%-2,104-37.21%5,655
Asotin 4,18236.52%7,25563.35%150.13%-3,073-26.83%11,452
Benton 37,12437.32%62,25762.58%1070.11%-25,133-25.26%99,488
Chelan 17,94342.90%23,83956.99%480.11%-5,896-14.10%41,830
Clallam 23,69649.66%23,97950.25%410.09%-283-0.59%47,716
Clark 132,24850.53%129,18449.36%2900.11%3,0641.17%261,722
Columbia 65627.37%1,74072.59%10.04%-1,084-45.22%2,397
Cowlitz 23,34640.32%34,50559.60%440.08%-11,159-19.27%57,895
Douglas 7,38635.85%13,19364.03%250.12%-5,807-28.18%20,604
Ferry 1,44034.26%2,75165.45%120.29%-1,311-31.19%4,203
Franklin 12,96440.97%18,65058.94%300.09%-5,686-17.97%31,644
Garfield 36926.19%1,03973.74%10.07%-670-47.55%1,409
Grant 11,46331.50%24,88568.37%480.13%-13,422-36.88%36,396
Grays Harbor 16,98345.57%20,23854.31%460.12%-3,255-8.73%37,267
Island 27,13951.95%25,05347.96%440.08%2,0863.99%52,236
Jefferson 16,56168.34%7,65831.60%140.06%8,90336.74%24,233
King 844,85872.37%321,55927.55%9300.08%523,29944.83%1,167,347
Kitsap 85,26255.50%68,17644.38%1770.12%17,08611.12%153,615
Kittitas 10,68942.03%14,71957.88%240.09%-4,030-15.85%25,432
Klickitat 5,75043.95%7,31255.89%210.16%-1,562-11.94%13,083
Lewis 14,02231.80%30,01068.05%650.15%-15,988-36.26%44,097
Lincoln 1,65424.15%5,18875.76%60.09%-3,534-51.61%6,848
Mason 16,40245.34%19,72154.51%550.15%-3,319-9.17%36,178
Okanogan 8,62541.91%11,91957.92%340.17%-3,294-16.01%20,578
Pacific 6,57048.17%7,04251.63%270.20%-472-3.46%13,639
Pend Oreille 2,65932.18%5,59367.68%120.15%-2,934-35.50%8,264
Pierce 233,65152.05%214,76847.84%5020.11%18,8834.21%448,921
San Juan 9,27672.60%3,49227.33%80.06%5,78445.27%12,776
Skagit 35,15950.05%35,00649.83%880.13%1530.22%70,253
Skamania 3,11244.10%3,92955.68%150.21%-817-11.58%7,056
Snohomish 236,33255.53%188,92144.39%3750.09%47,41111.14%425,628
Spokane 131,17146.20%152,38853.67%3780.13%-21,217-7.47%283,937
Stevens 7,64227.70%19,90272.15%410.15%-12,260-44.44%27,585
Thurston 91,64356.25%71,05343.61%2170.13%20,59012.64%162,913
Wahkiakum 1,12439.52%1,71760.37%30.11%-593-20.85%2,844
Walla Walla 13,27043.79%17,00556.12%280.09%-3,735-12.33%30,303
Whatcom 79,97559.42%54,51840.51%890.07%25,45718.92%134,582
Whitman 10,70352.63%9,61347.27%210.10%1,0905.36%20,337
Yakima 41,59744.75%51,27455.16%790.08%-9,677-10.41%92,950
Totals2,226,41856.43%1,714,92743.47%3,9680.10%511,49112.96%3,945,313

By congressional district

Ferguson won six of ten congressional districts, with the remaining four going to Larkin, including one that elected a Democrat. [15]

DistrictFergusonLarkinRepresentative
1st 55%45% Suzan DelBene
2nd 60%40% Rick Larsen
3rd 46%54% Jaime Herrera Beutler
4th 39%61% Dan Newhouse
5th 44%56% Cathy McMorris Rodgers
6th 56%44% Derek Kilmer
7th 83%17% Pramila Jayapal
8th 49%51% Kim Schrier
9th 71%29% Adam Smith
10th 54%45% Denny Heck (116th Congress)
Marilyn Strickland (117th Congress)

Notes

  1. 1 2 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

Partisan clients

  1. Poll sponsored by the Northwest Progressive Institute

References

  1. "Bob Ferguson defeats Matt Larkin in Washington state attorney general election results". The Seattle Times. November 3, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  2. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/ferguson-pulls-in-strong-support-over-dunn/
  3. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-state-attorney-general-bob-ferguson-joshua-trumbull/
  4. 1 2 "An Updated Look at Handicapping the 2020 Attorney General Elections". The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Cornfield, Jerry (October 9, 2019). "A boring election for state seats in 2020? Try nine of them". The Everett Herald . Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  6. https://www.kentreporter.com/northwest/woodinville-republican-to-run-for-state-attorney-general/
  7. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/attorney-and-mainstream-republicans-leader-mike-vaska-to-run-against-attorney-general-bob-ferguson/
  8. SurveyUSA
  9. SurveyUSA
  10. Wyman, Kim (August 21, 2020). "Canvass of the Returns of the Primary Held on August 4, 2020" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington . Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  11. Public Policy Polling (D)
  12. SurveyUSA
  13. Wyman, Kim (December 1, 2020). "Canvass of the Returns of the General Election Held on November 3, 2020" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington . Archived (PDF) from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  14. Wyman, Kim (November 3, 2020). "Attorney General - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington . Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  15. "2020Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2024.

Official campaign websites