2020 Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election

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2020 Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election
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  Denny Heck official photo (cropped).jpg Marko Liias 2011.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Denny Heck Marko Liias Write–in [a]
Party Democratic Democratic
Popular vote1,658,4051,218,548759,076
Percentage45.6%33.5%20.9%
2020 Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
WA-20-ltg-districts.svg
WA Lieutenant Governor 2020.svg
Heck:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Liias:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Write-in:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Tie:     30–40%     40–50%     50%     No data
Lieutenant Governor before election

Cyrus Habib
Democratic

Elected Lieutenant Governor

Denny Heck
Democratic

The 2020 Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the lieutenant governor of Washington concurrently with the 2020 Washington elections. The top-two primary was held on August 4, and Democrats Denny Heck and Marko Liias advanced to the general election, which Heck won. [1]

Contents

Incumbent Cyrus Habib surprised the state by announcing he was foregoing a run for re-election in order to join the Society of Jesus. [2] The position was of special importance due to speculation that the incumbent governor, Jay Inslee, could have been appointed to a position in a Democratic presidential cabinet after winning his third term. [3]

Background

Habib's retirement came after Gov. Inslee dropped out of the presidential election, [4] [5] which caused many potential statewide candidates in Washington to change their plans and drop exploratory bids.

At the time of Habib's announcement former Seattle City Council candidate Ann Davison Sattler and former US House candidate Joseph Brumbles had already been running as Republicans. [6] [7] On the day of his retirement, State Senator Steve Hobbs announced his second campaign for the office of lieutenant governor, [7] after losing in the 2016 primary to then-State Senator Habib. [8]

Nonpartisan blanket primary

Democratic Party candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

Denny Heck

State politicians

Steve Hobbs (withdrawn)

State politicians

Republican Party candidates

Minor party candidates

Declared

  • Jared Frerichs (Libertarian), former Candidate for Walla Walla County Commission, consultant [18]
  • Mark Greene (Revived Citizens Party), perennial candidate [19]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Joseph
Brumbles (R)		Ann
Sattler (R)		Denny
Heck (D)		Steve
Hobbs (D)		Marko
Liias (D)		Other / undecided
SurveyUSA/KING 5 [20] July 22–27, 2020513 (LV)± 5.4%14%10%34%–14%29% [c]
SurveyUSA/KING 5 [21] May 16–19, 2020650 (LV)± 5.6%10%9%15%10%6%50% [d]

Results

A top-two primary took place on August 4. All candidates were listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two advanced to the general election in November.

2020 Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Denny Heck 596,289 25.01
Democratic Marko Liias 441,791 18.53
Republican Ann Davison Sattler 285,59711.98
Republican Marty McClendon271,99511.41
Republican Dick Muri 241,93910.15
Democratic Michelle Jasmer212,3878.91
Republican Joseph Brumbles174,8237.33
Democratic James R. Rafferty57,4052.41
Republican Bill Penor49,2252.06
Libertarian Matt Seymour27,1251.14
Libertarian Jared Frerichs20,8470.87
Write-in 5,2050.22
Total votes2,384,628 100

General election

After being eliminated in the August 4th gubernatorial primary, Joshua Freed announced that he would be running for lieutenant governor as a write-in candidate. [23] [24] A debate between Heck and Liias was held on October 22. [25]

Candidates

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Denny
Heck (D)		Marko
Liias (D)		Undecided
PPP/NPI [26] October 14–15, 2020610 (LV)± 4%32%16%52%
SurveyUSA/KING-TV [27] October 8–10, 2020591 (LV)± 5.2%31%18%52%

Results

2020 Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Denny Heck 1,658,405 45.61%
Democratic Marko Liias 1,218,54833.51%
Write-in 759,07620.88%
Total votes3,636,029 100.00%
Democratic hold

By county

County results
County [29] Denny Heck

Democratic

Marko Liias

Democratic

Write-in

Various

MarginTotal votes
#%#%#%#%
Adams 1,74535.47%1,76325.67%1,91238.86%-167-3.39%4,920
Asotin 4,78749.87%3,02431.50%1,78818.63%1,76318.37%9,599
Benton 31,96635.60%25,82428.76%32,00635.64%-40-0.04%89,796
Chelan 14,44238.00%9,60925.28%13,95936.72%4831.27%38,010
Clallam 21,01849.31%12,01828.19%9,58922.50%9,00021.11%42,625
Clark 104,47744.29%77,84833.00%53,59422.72%26,62911.29%235,919
Columbia 73736.63%44522.12%83041.25%-93-4.62%2,012
Cowlitz 21,89641.68%12,86224.49%17,77233.83%4,1247.85%52,530
Douglas 6,54034.55%4,01321.20%8,37844.26%-1,838-9.71%18,931
Ferry 1,41739.42%87624.37%1,30236.22%1153.20%3,595
Franklin 9,99134.80%8,44429.41%10,27535.79%-284-0.99%28,710
Garfield 45038.07%27022.84%46239.09%-12-1.02%1,182
Grant 11,20834.65%7,74523.94%13,39441.41%-2,186-6.76%32,347
Grays Harbor 17,54051.93%8,18424.23%8,05323.84%9,35627.70%33,777
Island 21,80145.87%14,52730.57%11,19723.56%7,27415.31%47,525
Jefferson 12,40555.12%6,57529.22%3,52415.66%5,83025.91%22,504
King 528,35048.48%450,92041.37%110,64910.15%77,4307.10%1,089,919
Kitsap 67,71448.33%45,17632.25%27,21119.42%22,53816.09%140,101
Kittitas 8,72138.33%6,27127.56%7,76134.11%9604.22%22,753
Klickitat 4,48940.31%3,32629.87%3,32129.82%1,16310.44%11,136
Lewis 14,87136.97%7,88619.60%17,46943.43%-2,598-6.46%40,226
Lincoln 1,79129.12%93315.17%3,42755.71%-1,636-26.60%6,151
Mason 16,79950.58%7,84723.62%8,56925.80%8,23024.78%33,215
Okanogan 7,06038.68%4,70625.78%6,48635.54%5743.14%18,252
Pacific 6,58254.16%2,98424.55%2,58821.29%3,59829.60%12,154
Pend Oreille 2,69139.46%1,85927.26%2,26933.27%4226.19%6,819
Pierce 208,74449.35%116,05527.44%98,20223.22%92,68921.91%423,001
San Juan 4,66440.07%5,44446.77%1,53213.16%-780-6.70%11,640
Skagit 27,86044.59%18,35429.37%16,27026.04%9,50615.21%62,484
Skamania 2,66443.13%1,70127.54%1,81229.33%85213.79%6,177
Snohomish 170,58542.82%137,23334.45%90,57122.73%33,3528.37%398,389
Spokane 105,85941.56%83,45832.76%65,40125.68%22,4018.79%254,718
Stevens 8,20734.60%5,19121.88%10,32243.52%-2,115-8.92%23,720
Thurston 82,29153.83%41,86727.39%28,72318.79%40,42426.44%152,881
Wahkiakum 1,07642.97%59823.88%83033.15%2469.82%2,504
Walla Walla 11,05341.80%8,39031.73%6,99726.46%2,66310.07%26,440
Whatcom 51,32840.28%42,31833.21%33,79726.52%9,0107.07%127,443
Whitman 7,70742.44%6,57236.19%3,88221.38%1,1356.25%18,161
Yakima 34,87941.64%25,93230.96%22,95227.40%8,94710.68%83,763
Totals1,658,40545.61%1,218,54833.51%759,07620.88%439,85712.10%3,636,029

By congressional district

Heck won nine of ten congressional districts, including three that elected Republicans. [30]

DistrictHeckLiiasWrite-inRepresentative
1st 43%33%24% Suzan DelBene
2nd 44%36%20% Rick Larsen
3rd 43%30%27% Jaime Herrera Beutler
4th 37%28%34% Dan Newhouse
5th 41%32%27% Cathy McMorris Rodgers
6th 51%30%19% Derek Kilmer
7th 47%48%5% Pramila Jayapal
8th 45%29%26% Kim Schrier
9th 51%39%10% Adam Smith
10th 52%27%21% Denny Heck
Marilyn Strickland

Notes

  1. ↑ Most Write-ins are thought to be for Joshua Freed, who ran a write-in campaign. However, the election report does not separate the write-in votes by candidate.
  2. 1 2 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  3. ↑ "Some other candidate" with 5%; Undecided with 24%
  4. ↑ Undecided with 50%

References

  1. ↑ "Denny Heck defeats Marko Liias in Washington state lieutenant governor election results". Seattle Times. November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib: Why I am giving up elected office and joining the Jesuits". America Magazine. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Opinion | A 'Team of Rivals' for the Democrats?". The New York Times. February 27, 2020. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Inslee to seek third term as WA governor after dropping longshot presidential bid | Crosscut". crosscut.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Gov. Inslee's re-election bid cools other Democrats' ambitions — for now | Crosscut". crosscut.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Former Seattle council candidate switching parties, running for lieutenant governor". MyNorthwest.com. January 31, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib will not run for reelection, says he plans to join Jesuit religious order". The Seattle Times. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  8. ↑ "It'll be Jay Inslee vs. Bill Bryant in Washington governor race | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  9. ↑ Drew, James (April 3, 2020). "U.S. Rep. Heck files paperwork to run for state Lieutenant Governor". The News Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Camden, Jim (July 9, 2020). "11 candidates compete to be next Washington's lieutenant governor". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  11. ↑ Cornfield, Jerry (March 24, 2020). "Sen. Marko Liias to launch campaign for lieutenant governor". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 Cornfield, Jerry (May 18, 2020). "Hobbs withdraws from crowded race for lieutenant governor". HeraldNet.com.
  13. 1 2 Mar 20, Rich Smith •; Am, 2020 at 11:28. "As Cyrus Habib Joins the Priesthood, a Handful of People Say They're Running for Lt. Gov". The Stranger. Retrieved March 21, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ "Congressman Denny Heck to run for Washington lieutenant governor". The Seattle Times. April 9, 2020.
  15. ↑ Cornfield, Jerry (October 9, 2019). "A boring election for state seats in 2020? Try nine of them". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Homelessness, pragmatism at issue in Seattle City Council race pitting incumbent Juarez against challenger Sattler". The Seattle Times. October 17, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Roegner, Bob (June 15, 2020). "Democrats have the edge in WA's 2020 elections". Kent Reporter. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  18. ↑ "public". apollo.pdc.wa.gov. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  19. ↑ "public". apollo.pdc.wa.gov. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  20. ↑ SurveyUSA/KING 5
  21. ↑ SurveyUSA/KING 5
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. 1 2 "Former Bothell Mayor Joshua Freed announces write-in campaign for lieutenant governor". www.seattletimes.com. Seattle Times. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  24. 1 2 "Joshua Freed official write-in candidate for WA state Lt. Governor race". www.lynnwoodtimes.com. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Washington Gov. Inslee, Republican challenger Culp agree to televised debate Oct.7". www.opb.org. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  26. ↑ PPP/NPI
  27. ↑ SurveyUSA/KING-TV
  28. ↑ 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.
  29. ↑ Wyman, Kim (November 3, 2020). "Lt. Governor - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington . Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  30. ↑ "2020Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2024.

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