1992 Washington Secretary of State election
November 3, 1992
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County results Munro: 50–60% 60–70% Dixon: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1992 Washington Secretary of State election took place on November 3, 1992. Incumbent secretary of state Ralph Munro was re-elected.
Primary election
The primary election took place in September, with Republican incumbent Ralph Munro running unopposed. Libertarian candidate Maurice Willey also secured his party's nomination by acclamation.
In the Democratic primary, first-time candidate Jeanne Dixon - who had spent less than $1,000 on her campaign[1] - soundly defeated the party-backed Juanita Garrison by more than 100,000 votes. The shock outcome was widely ascribed to the fact that Dixon's name was very similar to that of the well-known astrologer Jeane Dixon. Dixon rejected the theory, instead claiming voters were aware of her due to the many garden club meetings she frequently attended. An unemployed former real estate agent who lived on disability insurance due to a glandular condition that left her unable to work, Dixon had never before held public office, though had run for Governor of Washington in 1988 (a race in which she was described by the Seattle Times as a "throwaway candidate"[2]). Garrison, meanwhile - the stepdaughter of Warren Magnuson - had been recruited and supported by the Democratic Party in an effort to break a longtime Republican lock on the secretary of state's office.[3]
Contacted by the Associated Press for reaction to the election results, astrologer Jeane Dixon - a resident of Washington, D.C. - said "I hope my name brings her luck." Washington State Democratic Party executive-director Jeff Smith, meanwhile, described the outcome of the Democratic primary as "a tragedy for voters."[3]
General election
In the general election, Ralph Munro was easily re-elected secretary of state.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Munro (incumbent) | 1,206,414 | 56.14% | –6.52% | |
| Democratic | Jeanne Dixon | 875,653 | 40.75% | +3.41% | |
| Libertarian | Maurice Willey | 66,953 | 3.12% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 2,281,219 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
| County[4] | Ralph Munro
Republican |
Jeanne Dixon
Democratic |
Maurice Willey
Libertarian |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,790 | 64.94% | 1,377 | 32.05% | 129 | 3.00% | 1,413 | 32.89% | 4,296 |
| Asotin | 3,218 | 45.65% | 3,561 | 50.52% | 270 | 3.83% | -343 | -4.87% | 7,049 |
| Benton | 33,000 | 66.80% | 14,870 | 30.10% | 1,532 | 3.10% | 18,130 | 36.70% | 49,402 |
| Chelan | 14,276 | 66.32% | 6,757 | 31.39% | 492 | 2.29% | 7,519 | 34.93% | 21,525 |
| Clallam | 15,537 | 58.00% | 10,233 | 38.20% | 1,017 | 3.80% | 5,304 | 19.80% | 26,787 |
| Clark | 54,856 | 55.08% | 40,987 | 41.15% | 3,751 | 3.77% | 13,869 | 13.93% | 99,594 |
| Columbia | 1,145 | 62.74% | 635 | 34.79% | 45 | 2.47% | 510 | 27.95% | 1,825 |
| Cowlitz | 14,851 | 46.23% | 16,338 | 50.86% | 933 | 2.90% | -1,487 | -4.63% | 32,122 |
| Douglas | 6,515 | 63.12% | 3,549 | 34.38% | 258 | 2.50% | 2,966 | 28.73% | 10,322 |
| Ferry | 1,206 | 50.78% | 1,044 | 43.96% | 125 | 5.26% | 162 | 6.82% | 2,375 |
| Franklin | 7,419 | 63.63% | 3,945 | 33.83% | 296 | 2.54% | 3,474 | 29.79% | 11,660 |
| Garfield | 790 | 63.86% | 418 | 33.79% | 29 | 2.34% | 372 | 30.07% | 1,237 |
| Grant | 12,561 | 60.73% | 7,532 | 36.42% | 589 | 2.85% | 5,029 | 24.32% | 20,682 |
| Grays Harbor | 13,263 | 51.79% | 11,521 | 44.99% | 825 | 3.22% | 1,742 | 6.80% | 25,609 |
| Island | 15,120 | 58.84% | 9,790 | 38.10% | 787 | 3.06% | 5,330 | 20.74% | 25,697 |
| Jefferson | 6,214 | 51.06% | 5,482 | 45.04% | 475 | 3.90% | 732 | 6.01% | 12,171 |
| King | 399,991 | 55.33% | 301,137 | 41.65% | 21,844 | 3.02% | 98,854 | 13.67% | 722,972 |
| Kitsap | 47,763 | 57.25% | 33,273 | 39.88% | 2,388 | 2.86% | 14,490 | 17.37% | 83,424 |
| Kittitas | 6,500 | 55.86% | 4,794 | 41.20% | 343 | 2.95% | 1,706 | 14.66% | 11,637 |
| Klickitat | 3,175 | 51.09% | 2,811 | 45.23% | 229 | 3.68% | 364 | 5.86% | 6,215 |
| Lewis | 15,252 | 59.91% | 9,408 | 36.95% | 799 | 3.14% | 5,844 | 22.95% | 25,459 |
| Lincoln | 2,989 | 63.70% | 1,589 | 33.87% | 114 | 2.43% | 1,400 | 29.84% | 4,692 |
| Mason | 9,882 | 52.48% | 8,364 | 44.42% | 584 | 3.10% | 1,518 | 8.06% | 18,830 |
| Okanogan | 6,343 | 52.96% | 5,092 | 42.52% | 541 | 4.52% | 1,251 | 10.45% | 11,976 |
| Pacific | 4,110 | 47.48% | 4,261 | 49.22% | 286 | 3.30% | -151 | -1.74% | 8,657 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,387 | 53.91% | 1,869 | 42.21% | 172 | 3.88% | 518 | 11.70% | 4,428 |
| Pierce | 119,545 | 52.59% | 101,497 | 44.65% | 6,257 | 2.75% | 18,048 | 7.94% | 227,299 |
| San Juan | 3,521 | 53.15% | 2,807 | 42.37% | 297 | 4.48% | 714 | 10.78% | 6,625 |
| Skagit | 21,121 | 55.36% | 15,678 | 41.10% | 1,350 | 3.54% | 5,443 | 14.27% | 38,149 |
| Skamania | 1,550 | 46.45% | 1,551 | 46.48% | 236 | 7.07% | -1 | -0.03% | 3,337 |
| Snohomish | 114,920 | 54.56% | 88,646 | 42.09% | 7,056 | 3.35% | 26,274 | 12.47% | 210,622 |
| Spokane | 94,044 | 58.07% | 62,684 | 38.71% | 5,224 | 3.23% | 31,360 | 19.36% | 161,952 |
| Stevens | 8,133 | 59.19% | 5,077 | 36.95% | 530 | 3.86% | 3,056 | 22.24% | 13,740 |
| Thurston | 50,332 | 62.82% | 27,059 | 33.77% | 2,731 | 3.41% | 23,273 | 29.05% | 80,122 |
| Wahkiakum | 834 | 51.20% | 740 | 45.43% | 55 | 3.38% | 94 | 5.77% | 1,629 |
| Walla Walla | 11,438 | 61.76% | 6,547 | 35.35% | 534 | 2.88% | 4,891 | 26.41% | 18,519 |
| Whatcom | 33,651 | 57.22% | 23,302 | 39.63% | 1,853 | 3.15% | 10,349 | 17.60% | 58,806 |
| Whitman | 9,815 | 60.91% | 5,694 | 35.34% | 605 | 3.75% | 4,121 | 25.57% | 16,114 |
| Yakima | 36,357 | 59.15% | 23,734 | 38.62% | 1,372 | 2.23% | 12,623 | 20.54% | 61,463 |
| Totals | 1,206,414 | 56.14% | 875,653 | 40.75% | 66,953 | 3.12% | 330,761 | 15.39% | 2,149,020 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Grays Harbor (largest city: Aberdeen)
- Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
References
- ^ Simon, Jim (September 16, 1992). "State Races -- Known Names Take State Spots". Seattle Times. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- ^ "Secretary Of State -- Ralph Munro Is The Only Choice". Seattle Times. October 22, 1992. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- ^ a b "Other Jeanne Dixon Throws Seers Off Track". Ellensburg Daily Record. September 26, 1992.
- ^ a b Munro, Ralph (November 3, 1992). "Elections Search Results November 1992 General Secretary of State". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 23, 2026.