1980 Washington gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1980 United States gubernatorial elections.

1980 Washington gubernatorial election
November 4, 1980
 
Nominee John Spellman Jim McDermott
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 981,083 749,813
Percentage 56.68% 43.32%
County results
Spellman:      50–60%      60–70%
McDermott:      50–60%
Governor before election

Dixy Lee Ray
Democratic

Elected Governor

John Spellman
Republican

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 2026, this is the last time a Republican was elected Governor of Washington, thus beginning the longest Democratic streak in any of the 50 state governorships once Spellman left office.

Primary election

Candidates

Democratic

  • Robert L. Baldwin, Sr.
  • Douglas P. Bestle
  • Caroline "Hope" Diamond
  • Lloyd G. Isley
  • Jef Jaisun
  • Jim McDermott, psychiatrist, state senator, and candidate for governor in 1972
  • Dixy Lee Ray, incumbent governor of Washington

Republican

Results

Blanket primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim McDermott 321,256 33.04%
Democratic Dixy Lee Ray (incumbent) 234,252 24.09%
Republican John Spellman 162,426 16.70%
Republican Duane Berentson 154,724 15.91%
Republican Bruce Chapman 70,875 7.29%
Republican Patrick Sean McGowan 7,324 0.75%
Democratic Caroline Diamond 4,184 0.43%
Democratic Robert L. Baldwin Sr. 3,578 0.37%
Socialist Workers Mary Nell Bockman 2,833 0.29%
Democratic Lloyd G. Isley 2,723 0.28%
Republican Louise A. Saluteen 2,622 0.27%
Democratic Douglas P. Bestle 2,481 0.26%
Republican Rabbine Matthew Sutich 1,606 0.17%
Democratic Jef Jaisun 1,476 0.15%
Total votes 972,360 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Results

1980 Washington gubernatorial election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Spellman 981,083 56.68% +12.25%
Democratic Jim McDermott 749,813 43.32% −9.82%
Total votes 1,730,896 100.00% N/A
Republican gain from Democratic

By county

John Spellman was the first Republican to carry Franklin County, Mason County, and Pierce County since Roland H. Hartley in 1928. Franklin County has voted Republican in every subsequent gubernatorial election. Spellman is the most recent Republican to have won King County and Thurston County. Snohomish County and Whatcom County have voted Republican only once since this election.[a]

County results
County[2] Jim McDermott

Democratic

John Spellman

Republican

Margin Total votes
# % # % # %
Adams 1,528 31.92% 3,259 68.08% 1,731 36.16% 4,787
Asotin 2,859 42.83% 3,817 57.17% 958 14.35% 6,676
Benton 13,637 30.75% 30,710 69.25% 17,073 38.50% 44,347
Chelan 7,670 39.53% 11,734 60.47% 4,064 20.94% 19,404
Clallam 9,567 42.91% 12,729 57.09% 3,162 14.18% 22,296
Clark 32,364 45.21% 39,225 54.79% 6,861 9.58% 71,589
Columbia 670 33.14% 1,352 66.86% 682 33.73% 2,022
Cowlitz 13,910 49.55% 14,160 50.45% 250 0.89% 28,070
Douglas 3,462 39.75% 5,248 60.25% 1,786 20.51% 8,710
Ferry 1,067 52.74% 956 47.26% -111 -5.49% 2,023
Franklin 4,454 38.06% 7,249 61.94% 2,795 23.88% 11,703
Garfield 502 34.01% 974 65.99% 472 31.98% 1,476
Grant 6,989 39.22% 10,839 60.78% 3,840 21.55% 17,818
Grays Harbor 13,098 50.24% 12,971 49.76% -127 -0.49% 26,069
Island 6,998 38.28% 11,285 61.72% 4,287 23.45% 18,283
Jefferson 4,105 50.89% 3,961 49.11% -144 -1.79% 8,066
King 267,218 44.90% 327,941 55.10% 60,723 10.20% 595,159
Kitsap 24,150 39.90% 36,372 60.10% 12,222 20.19% 60,522
Kittitas 4,822 45.47% 5,783 54.53% 961 9.06% 10,605
Klickitat 3,152 51.71% 2,944 48.29% -208 -3.41% 6,096
Lewis 8,580 37.62% 14,230 62.38% 5,650 24.77% 22,810
Lincoln 1,909 35.48% 3,471 64.52% 1,562 29.03% 5,380
Mason 6,357 46.16% 7,414 53.84% 1,057 7.68% 13,771
Okanogan 5,741 46.11% 6,710 53.89% 969 7.78% 12,451
Pacific 4,650 57.92% 3,379 42.08% -1,271 -15.83% 8,029
Pend Oreille 1,688 45.22% 2,045 54.78% 357 9.56% 3,733
Pierce 75,305 43.38% 98,289 56.62% 22,984 13.24% 173,594
San Juan 2,315 47.23% 2,587 52.77% 272 5.55% 4,902
Skagit 13,683 44.59% 17,003 55.41% 3,320 10.82% 30,686
Skamania 1,603 54.08% 1,361 45.92% -242 -8.16% 2,964
Snohomish 60,587 44.62% 75,203 55.38% 14,616 10.76% 135,790
Spokane 56,827 40.24% 84,400 59.76% 27,573 19.52% 141,227
Stevens 4,322 37.58% 7,178 62.42% 2,856 24.83% 11,500
Thurston 23,122 42.10% 31,803 57.90% 8,681 15.81% 54,925
Wahkiakum 926 54.70% 767 45.30% -159 -9.39% 1,693
Walla Walla 6,954 36.70% 11,993 63.30% 5,039 26.60% 18,947
Whatcom 22,215 48.36% 23,722 51.64% 1,507 3.28% 45,937
Whitman 7,195 42.40% 9,773 57.60% 2,578 15.19% 16,968
Yakima 23,612 39.45% 36,246 60.55% 12,634 21.11% 59,858
Totals 749,813 43.32% 981,083 56.68% 231,270 13.36% 1,730,896

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. ^ In 2004 and 1992, respectively

References

  1. ^ "Elections Search Results September 1980 Primary". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Chapman, Bruce (November 4, 1980). "Elections Search Results November 1980 General Governor". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
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