2004 Washington State Auditor election
November 2, 2004
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Sonntag: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Baker: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington (state) |
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The 2004 Washington State Auditor election was held on November 2, 2004, to elect the Washington State Auditor, concurrently with the 2004 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. Primary elections took place on September 14.[1]
Four-term incumbent Democratic State Auditor Brian Sonntag was re-elected to his fourth term in office, defeating Republican perennial candidate Will Baker with 64% of the vote.[2]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Brian Sonntag, incumbent state auditor (1993–2013)[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian Sonntag (incumbent) | 617,233 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 617,233 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Will Baker | 410,710 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 410,710 | 100.00% | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jason G. Bush[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian | Jason G. Bush | 12,577 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 12,577 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Endorsements
Brian Sonntag (D)
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian Sonntag (incumbent) | 1,668,575 | 63.89 | ||
| Republican | Will Baker | 841,772 | 32.23 | ||
| Libertarian | Jason G. Bush | 101,161 | 3.87 | ||
| Total votes | 2,611,508 | 100.00 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County[7] | Brian Sonntag Democratic |
Will Baker Republican |
Jason G. Bush Libertarian |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,102 | 45.17% | 2,379 | 51.12% | 173 | 3.72% | -277 | -5.95% | 4,654 |
| Asotin | 4,016 | 49.99% | 3,699 | 46.04% | 319 | 3.97% | 317 | 3.95% | 8,034 |
| Benton | 28,170 | 46.63% | 29,785 | 49.31% | 2,453 | 4.06% | -1,615 | -2.67% | 60,408 |
| Chelan | 13,865 | 51.41% | 12,169 | 45.12% | 938 | 3.48% | 1,696 | 6.29% | 26,972 |
| Clallam | 18,914 | 58.02% | 12,218 | 37.48% | 1,465 | 4.49% | 6,696 | 20.54% | 32,597 |
| Clark | 86,794 | 55.97% | 61,999 | 39.98% | 6,279 | 4.05% | 24,795 | 15.99% | 155,072 |
| Columbia | 960 | 50.05% | 878 | 45.78% | 80 | 4.17% | 82 | 4.28% | 1,918 |
| Cowlitz | 24,685 | 62.81% | 13,098 | 33.33% | 1,515 | 3.86% | 11,587 | 29.48% | 39,298 |
| Douglas | 6,099 | 49.11% | 5,897 | 47.48% | 423 | 3.41% | 202 | 1.63% | 12,419 |
| Ferry | 1,519 | 50.30% | 1,345 | 44.54% | 156 | 5.17% | 174 | 5.76% | 3,020 |
| Franklin | 7,149 | 47.18% | 7,408 | 48.89% | 595 | 3.93% | -259 | -1.71% | 15,152 |
| Garfield | 554 | 47.76% | 555 | 47.84% | 51 | 4.40% | -1 | -0.09% | 1,160 |
| Grant | 10,738 | 44.77% | 12,264 | 51.13% | 983 | 4.10% | -1,526 | -6.36% | 23,985 |
| Grays Harbor | 17,459 | 67.46% | 7,424 | 28.68% | 999 | 3.86% | 10,035 | 38.77% | 25,882 |
| Island | 20,141 | 57.87% | 13,444 | 38.63% | 1,217 | 3.50% | 6,697 | 19.24% | 34,802 |
| Jefferson | 12,007 | 69.34% | 4,600 | 26.56% | 710 | 4.10% | 7,407 | 42.77% | 17,317 |
| King | 585,916 | 73.01% | 186,960 | 23.30% | 29,584 | 3.69% | 398,956 | 49.72% | 802,460 |
| Kitsap | 69,496 | 62.89% | 36,774 | 33.28% | 4,230 | 3.83% | 32,722 | 29.61% | 110,500 |
| Kittitas | 8,286 | 56.33% | 5,849 | 39.76% | 574 | 3.90% | 2,437 | 16.57% | 14,709 |
| Klickitat | 4,446 | 53.33% | 3,458 | 41.48% | 433 | 5.19% | 988 | 11.85% | 8,337 |
| Lewis | 14,839 | 51.02% | 13,008 | 44.73% | 1,235 | 4.25% | 1,831 | 6.30% | 29,082 |
| Lincoln | 2,425 | 46.85% | 2,538 | 49.03% | 213 | 4.12% | -113 | -2.18% | 5,176 |
| Mason | 14,822 | 63.78% | 7,403 | 31.85% | 1,016 | 4.37% | 7,419 | 31.92% | 23,241 |
| Okanogan | 7,808 | 53.10% | 6,169 | 41.95% | 727 | 4.94% | 1,639 | 11.15% | 14,704 |
| Pacific | 6,400 | 67.11% | 2,795 | 29.31% | 342 | 3.59% | 3,605 | 37.80% | 9,537 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,975 | 52.10% | 2,429 | 42.54% | 306 | 5.36% | 546 | 9.56% | 5,710 |
| Pierce | 196,761 | 66.63% | 88,129 | 29.84% | 10,417 | 3.53% | 108,632 | 36.79% | 295,307 |
| San Juan | 6,303 | 69.22% | 2,334 | 25.63% | 469 | 5.15% | 3,969 | 43.59% | 9,106 |
| Skagit | 29,033 | 59.87% | 17,607 | 36.31% | 1,855 | 3.83% | 11,426 | 23.56% | 48,495 |
| Skamania | 2,660 | 56.97% | 1,725 | 36.95% | 284 | 6.08% | 935 | 20.03% | 4,669 |
| Snohomish | 171,867 | 63.33% | 89,152 | 32.85% | 10,359 | 3.82% | 82,715 | 30.48% | 271,378 |
| Spokane | 103,382 | 55.39% | 75,486 | 40.44% | 7,780 | 4.17% | 27,896 | 14.95% | 186,648 |
| Stevens | 8,389 | 45.97% | 8,866 | 48.59% | 993 | 5.44% | -477 | -2.61% | 18,248 |
| Thurston | 71,374 | 68.72% | 28,267 | 27.21% | 4,228 | 4.07% | 43,107 | 41.50% | 103,869 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,197 | 59.88% | 704 | 35.22% | 98 | 4.90% | 493 | 24.66% | 1,999 |
| Walla Walla | 10,836 | 51.82% | 9,258 | 44.27% | 817 | 3.91% | 1,578 | 7.55% | 20,911 |
| Whatcom | 48,451 | 60.44% | 28,462 | 35.51% | 3,250 | 4.05% | 19,989 | 24.94% | 80,163 |
| Whitman | 9,129 | 56.36% | 6,355 | 39.24% | 713 | 4.40% | 2,774 | 17.13% | 16,197 |
| Yakima | 36,608 | 53.54% | 28,882 | 42.24% | 2,882 | 4.22% | 7,726 | 11.30% | 68,372 |
| Totals | 1,668,575 | 63.89% | 841,772 | 32.23% | 101,161 | 3.87% | 826,803 | 31.66% | 2,611,508 |
References
- ^ "Reed asks voters to participate in state primaries". September 8, 2004.
- ^ "State offices". November 3, 2004.
- ^ a b "GOP regrets its state auditor candidate". August 8, 2004.
- ^ a b c Reed, Sam (September 14, 2004). "Elections Search Results September 2004 Primary". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "This Will Has a Way". October 9, 2006.
- ^ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (October 31, 2004). "The Seattle Times endorses ..." The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ a b Reed, Sam (November 2, 2004). "Elections Search Results November 2004 General State Auditor". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 30, 2026.