2020 Washington State Auditor election
November 3, 2020
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McCarthy: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Leyba: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2020 Washington State Auditor election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the Washington State Auditor, 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. 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.
Incumbent Democratic State Auditor Pat McCarthy was re-elected to a second term in office.[1]
The top-two primary was held on August 4.[2]
Primary election
Democratic Party
Advanced to general
- Pat McCarthy, incumbent state auditor (2017–present)[3]
Eliminated in primary
Republican Party
Advanced to general
- Chris Leyba, King County Sheriff's Office detective[5]
Endorsements
Pat McCarthy (D)
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pat McCarthy (incumbent) | 1,134,077 | 47.41% | |
| Republican | Chris Leyba | 982,411 | 41.07% | |
| Democratic | Joshua Casey | 273,198 | 11.42% | |
| Write-in | 2,278 | 0.10% | ||
| Total votes | 2,391,964 | 100.00% | ||
By county
| County[8] | Pat McCarthy
Democratic |
Chris Leyba
Republican |
Joshua Casey
Democratic |
Write-in
Various |
Margin | Total votes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 610 | 18.15% | 2,536 | 75.45% | 211 | 6.28% | 4 | 0.12% | -1,926 | -57.30% | 3,361 |
| Asotin | 1,903 | 28.40% | 4,183 | 62.43% | 601 | 8.97% | 13 | 0.19% | -2,280 | -34.03% | 6,700 |
| Benton | 16,211 | 26.91% | 38,209 | 63.42% | 5,743 | 9.53% | 81 | 0.13% | -21,998 | -36.51% | 60,244 |
| Chelan | 8,513 | 31.63% | 16,189 | 60.16% | 2,172 | 8.07% | 37 | 0.14% | -7,676 | -28.52% | 26,911 |
| Clallam | 12,920 | 41.48% | 15,164 | 48.69% | 3,041 | 9.76% | 21 | 0.07% | -2,244 | -7.20% | 31,146 |
| Clark | 62,467 | 42.31% | 69,297 | 46.94% | 15,699 | 10.63% | 172 | 0.12% | -6,830 | -4.63% | 147,635 |
| Columbia | 349 | 21.45% | 1,177 | 72.34% | 98 | 6.02% | 3 | 0.18% | -828 | -50.89% | 1,627 |
| Cowlitz | 11,237 | 31.58% | 21,067 | 59.21% | 3,228 | 9.07% | 47 | 0.13% | -9,830 | -27.63% | 35,579 |
| Douglas | 3,247 | 24.77% | 8,923 | 68.06% | 918 | 7.00% | 22 | 0.17% | -5,676 | -43.30% | 13,110 |
| Ferry | 807 | 26.10% | 2,054 | 66.43% | 228 | 7.37% | 3 | 0.10% | -1,247 | -40.33% | 3,092 |
| Franklin | 4,736 | 26.18% | 11,561 | 63.92% | 1,772 | 9.80% | 18 | 0.10% | -6,825 | -37.73% | 18,087 |
| Garfield | 176 | 18.31% | 724 | 75.34% | 59 | 6.14% | 2 | 0.21% | -548 | -57.02% | 961 |
| Grant | 4,271 | 19.69% | 15,756 | 72.64% | 1,643 | 7.57% | 22 | 0.10% | -11,485 | -52.95% | 21,692 |
| Grays Harbor | 8,263 | 35.20% | 12,419 | 52.90% | 2,772 | 11.81% | 23 | 0.10% | -4,156 | -17.70% | 23,477 |
| Island | 15,489 | 44.63% | 15,771 | 45.44% | 3,401 | 9.80% | 47 | 0.14% | -282 | -0.81% | 34,708 |
| Jefferson | 9,918 | 59.59% | 4,924 | 29.58% | 1,762 | 10.59% | 40 | 0.24% | 4,994 | 30.00% | 16,644 |
| King | 458,048 | 63.82% | 164,890 | 22.98% | 94,187 | 13.12% | 550 | 0.08% | 293,158 | 40.85% | 717,675 |
| Kitsap | 45,033 | 47.90% | 38,567 | 41.02% | 10,353 | 11.01% | 71 | 0.08% | 6,466 | 6.88% | 94,024 |
| Kittitas | 4,932 | 31.90% | 9,222 | 59.65% | 1,290 | 8.34% | 15 | 0.10% | -4,290 | -27.75% | 15,459 |
| Klickitat | 2,784 | 34.17% | 4,741 | 58.19% | 618 | 7.59% | 4 | 0.05% | -1,957 | -24.02% | 8,147 |
| Lewis | 6,616 | 22.51% | 20,500 | 69.75% | 2,244 | 7.64% | 30 | 0.10% | -13,884 | -47.24% | 29,390 |
| Lincoln | 758 | 16.13% | 3,655 | 77.78% | 284 | 6.04% | 2 | 0.04% | -2,897 | -61.65% | 4,699 |
| Mason | 8,624 | 37.29% | 12,245 | 52.95% | 2,225 | 9.62% | 32 | 0.14% | -3,621 | -15.66% | 23,126 |
| Okanogan | 4,264 | 32.06% | 8,044 | 60.49% | 974 | 7.32% | 16 | 0.12% | -3,780 | -28.43% | 13,298 |
| Pacific | 3,576 | 39.88% | 4,477 | 49.93% | 900 | 10.04% | 13 | 0.14% | -901 | -10.05% | 8,966 |
| Pend Oreille | 1,317 | 25.22% | 3,498 | 66.97% | 403 | 7.72% | 5 | 0.10% | -2,181 | -41.76% | 5,223 |
| Pierce | 119,485 | 45.09% | 116,827 | 44.09% | 28,404 | 10.72% | 258 | 0.10% | 2,658 | 1.00% | 264,974 |
| San Juan | 5,325 | 63.36% | 2,066 | 24.58% | 1,006 | 11.97% | 7 | 0.08% | 3,259 | 38.78% | 8,404 |
| Skagit | 17,921 | 40.16% | 22,033 | 49.37% | 4,639 | 10.39% | 36 | 0.08% | -4,112 | -9.21% | 44,629 |
| Skamania | 1,452 | 35.17% | 2,298 | 55.67% | 376 | 9.11% | 2 | 0.05% | -846 | -20.49% | 4,128 |
| Snohomish | 111,646 | 44.54% | 103,858 | 41.43% | 34,990 | 13.96% | 192 | 0.08% | 7,788 | 3.11% | 250,686 |
| Spokane | 57,234 | 35.48% | 86,731 | 53.76% | 17,163 | 10.64% | 198 | 0.12% | -29,497 | -18.28% | 161,326 |
| Stevens | 3,743 | 20.72% | 13,132 | 72.68% | 1,157 | 6.40% | 36 | 0.20% | -9,389 | -51.96% | 18,068 |
| Thurston | 51,119 | 49.66% | 40,688 | 39.52% | 11,029 | 10.71% | 108 | 0.10% | 10,431 | 10.13% | 102,944 |
| Wahkiakum | 609 | 31.29% | 1,146 | 58.89% | 187 | 9.61% | 4 | 0.21% | -537 | -27.60% | 1,946 |
| Walla Walla | 6,367 | 33.42% | 10,870 | 57.05% | 1,802 | 9.46% | 14 | 0.07% | -4,503 | -23.63% | 19,053 |
| Whatcom | 43,729 | 49.19% | 35,913 | 40.40% | 9,202 | 10.35% | 54 | 0.06% | 7,816 | 8.79% | 88,898 |
| Whitman | 4,144 | 37.85% | 5,555 | 50.74% | 1,232 | 11.25% | 17 | 0.16% | -1,411 | -12.89% | 10,948 |
| Yakima | 14,234 | 27.92% | 31,501 | 61.79% | 5,185 | 10.17% | 59 | 0.12% | -17,267 | -33.87% | 50,979 |
| Totals | 1,134,077 | 47.41% | 982,411 | 41.07% | 273,198 | 11.42% | 2,278 | 0.10% | 151,666 | 6.34% | 2,391,964 |
| Elections in Washington (state) |
|---|
General election
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Pat McCarthy | Chris Leyba | |||||
| 1 | Sep. 23, 2020 | The Columbian | YouTube | P | P | |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Pat McCarthy (D) |
Chris Leyba (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[9][A] | October 14–15, 2020 | 610 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 52% | 34% | 14% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pat McCarthy (incumbent) | 2,260,830 | 58.00% | +5.69% | |
| Republican | Chris Leyba | 1,633,956 | 41.92% | –5.77% | |
| Write-in | 3,316 | 0.09% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 3,898,102 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County[11] | Pat McCarthy
Democratic |
Chris Leyba
Republican |
Write-in
Various |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,828 | 32.41% | 3,804 | 67.43% | 9 | 0.16% | -1,976 | -35.03% | 5,641 |
| Asotin | 4,305 | 37.77% | 7,070 | 62.02% | 24 | 0.21% | -2,765 | -24.26% | 11,399 |
| Benton | 38,421 | 39.03% | 59,943 | 60.89% | 87 | 0.09% | -21,522 | -21.86% | 98,451 |
| Chelan | 18,142 | 43.90% | 23,166 | 56.06% | 18 | 0.04% | -5,024 | -12.16% | 41,326 |
| Clallam | 24,344 | 51.41% | 22,977 | 48.52% | 34 | 0.07% | 1,367 | 2.89% | 47,355 |
| Clark | 134,462 | 51.72% | 125,238 | 48.17% | 269 | 0.10% | 9,224 | 3.55% | 259,969 |
| Columbia | 682 | 28.76% | 1,687 | 71.15% | 2 | 0.08% | -1,005 | -42.39% | 2,371 |
| Cowlitz | 23,938 | 41.58% | 33,598 | 58.36% | 34 | 0.06% | -9,660 | -16.78% | 57,570 |
| Douglas | 7,385 | 36.18% | 13,007 | 63.72% | 21 | 0.10% | -5,622 | -27.54% | 20,413 |
| Ferry | 1,488 | 35.57% | 2,689 | 64.28% | 6 | 0.14% | -1,201 | -28.71% | 4,183 |
| Franklin | 13,273 | 42.22% | 18,143 | 57.71% | 22 | 0.07% | -4,870 | -15.49% | 31,438 |
| Garfield | 395 | 28.38% | 993 | 71.34% | 4 | 0.29% | -598 | -42.96% | 1,392 |
| Grant | 11,770 | 32.59% | 24,297 | 67.27% | 50 | 0.14% | -12,527 | -34.68% | 36,117 |
| Grays Harbor | 17,541 | 47.40% | 19,419 | 52.47% | 47 | 0.13% | -1,878 | -5.07% | 37,007 |
| Island | 27,725 | 53.87% | 23,710 | 46.06% | 36 | 0.07% | 4,015 | 7.80% | 51,471 |
| Jefferson | 16,675 | 69.52% | 7,300 | 30.44% | 10 | 0.04% | 9,375 | 39.09% | 23,985 |
| King | 847,813 | 73.75% | 301,024 | 26.19% | 721 | 0.06% | 546,789 | 47.57% | 1,149,558 |
| Kitsap | 86,608 | 57.08% | 64,956 | 42.81% | 154 | 0.10% | 21,652 | 14.27% | 151,718 |
| Kittitas | 10,773 | 42.93% | 14,309 | 57.02% | 12 | 0.05% | -3,536 | -14.09% | 25,094 |
| Klickitat | 5,779 | 44.51% | 7,190 | 55.38% | 14 | 0.11% | -1,411 | -10.87% | 12,983 |
| Lewis | 14,292 | 32.86% | 29,164 | 67.04% | 44 | 0.10% | -14,872 | -34.19% | 43,500 |
| Lincoln | 1,685 | 24.76% | 5,114 | 75.16% | 5 | 0.07% | -3,429 | -50.40% | 6,804 |
| Mason | 16,955 | 47.47% | 18,695 | 52.35% | 64 | 0.18% | -1,740 | -4.87% | 35,714 |
| Okanogan | 8,771 | 42.99% | 11,606 | 56.88% | 27 | 0.13% | -2,835 | -13.89% | 20,404 |
| Pacific | 6,718 | 49.83% | 6,735 | 49.96% | 28 | 0.21% | -17 | -0.13% | 13,481 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,681 | 32.74% | 5,502 | 67.18% | 7 | 0.09% | -2,821 | -34.44% | 8,190 |
| Pierce | 243,910 | 54.87% | 200,150 | 45.03% | 428 | 0.10% | 43,760 | 9.85% | 444,488 |
| San Juan | 9,235 | 73.45% | 3,333 | 26.51% | 6 | 0.05% | 5,902 | 46.94% | 12,574 |
| Skagit | 35,996 | 52.10% | 33,004 | 47.77% | 86 | 0.12% | 2,992 | 4.33% | 69,086 |
| Skamania | 3,177 | 45.33% | 3,823 | 54.54% | 9 | 0.13% | -646 | -9.22% | 7,009 |
| Snohomish | 241,228 | 57.54% | 177,711 | 42.39% | 330 | 0.08% | 63,517 | 15.15% | 419,269 |
| Spokane | 132,756 | 47.21% | 148,081 | 52.66% | 359 | 0.13% | -15,325 | -5.45% | 281,196 |
| Stevens | 8,021 | 29.37% | 19,252 | 70.49% | 38 | 0.14% | -11,231 | -41.12% | 27,311 |
| Thurston | 93,931 | 58.36% | 66,884 | 41.55% | 140 | 0.09% | 27,047 | 16.80% | 160,955 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,158 | 40.99% | 1,664 | 58.90% | 3 | 0.11% | -506 | -17.91% | 2,825 |
| Walla Walla | 13,515 | 45.07% | 16,453 | 54.87% | 19 | 0.06% | -2,938 | -9.80% | 29,987 |
| Whatcom | 80,874 | 60.51% | 52,729 | 39.45% | 61 | 0.05% | 28,145 | 21.06% | 133,664 |
| Whitman | 10,706 | 53.22% | 9,390 | 46.68% | 21 | 0.10% | 1,316 | 6.54% | 20,117 |
| Yakima | 41,874 | 45.47% | 50,146 | 54.46% | 67 | 0.07% | -8,272 | -8.98% | 92,087 |
| Totals | 2,260,830 | 58.00% | 1,633,956 | 41.92% | 3,316 | 0.09% | 626,874 | 16.08% | 3,898,102 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Clallam (largest city: Port Angeles)
- Clark (largest city: Vancouver)
- Island (largest city: Oak Harbor)
- Skagit (largest city: Mount Vernon)
- Whitman (largest city: Pullman)
By congressional district
McCarthy won seven of ten congressional districts.[12]
| District | McCarthy | Leyba | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 57% | 43% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 61% | 39% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 48% | 52% | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
| 4th | 40% | 59% | Dan Newhouse |
| 5th | 45% | 55% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 58% | 42% | Derek Kilmer |
| 7th | 84% | 16% | Pramila Jayapal |
| 8th | 51% | 49% | Kim Schrier |
| 9th | 72% | 27% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 57% | 43% | Denny Heck (116th Congress) |
| Marilyn Strickland (117th Congress) |
Notes
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
- Partisan clients
- ^ Poll sponsored by the Northwest Progressive Institute
References
- ^ https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2020/11/biden-wins-wa-inslee-reelected-3rd-term-governor/
- ^ "2020 State Primary Election Dates". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Cornfield, Jerry (October 9, 2019). "A boring election for state seats in 2020? Try nine of them". The Everett Herald. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ https://westseattleblog.com/2020/05/election-2020-west-seattleite-joshua-casey-running-for-state-auditor/
- ^ "PRIMARY 2020 Candidate List". voter.votewa.gov. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (July 5, 2020). "The Times recommends: Pat McCarthy for state auditor". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
- ^ 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 September 20, 2025.
- ^ Wyman, Kim (August 4, 2020). "State Auditor - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 2, 2025. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ 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 September 28, 2025.
- ^ Wyman, Kim (November 3, 2020). "State Auditor - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on April 14, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ "2020Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2024.