2024 Washington Attorney General election
November 5, 2024
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Brown: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Serrano: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington (state) |
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The 2024 Washington attorney general election was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the next attorney general of Washington, concurrently with the 2024 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. Incumbent Democratic attorney general Bob Ferguson was eligible to seek re-election to a fourth term but had chosen instead to run successfully for governor.[1] U.S. attorney Nick Brown, a Democrat, won the election against Pasco mayor Pete Serrano, a Republican.[2]
Background
This the first open attorney general race since 2012, when Bob Ferguson first ran for the office. The primary election was expected to split the Democratic vote as Democrats Nick Brown and Manka Dhingra were on the primary ballot. Both Brown and Dhingra campaigned on similar issues like protecting access to abortion in the state, upholding gun control laws and ensuring public safety.[3][4] Once Brown advanced to the general election, he advocated for similar measures along with "policy improvements" the Attorney General position can utilize to counter various issues like illicit drugs.[5] Republican Pete Serrano campaigned on stopping human trafficking, making communities safer, and government accountability.[6] Serrano opposed gun control and had previously expressed personal opposition to abortion,[3] but said he would uphold Washington's current abortion laws if elected, describing abortion as a "settled issue".[5] However, Serrano indicated he would not enforce the Washington Shield Law enacted in 2023, which protects Washington residents from criminal and civil actions in other states that restrict abortion.[7]
Candidates
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.
Democratic Party
Advanced to general
- Nick Brown, lawyer and former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington (2021–2023)[8]
Eliminated in primary
- Manka Dhingra, state senator (2017–present)[9]
Declined
- Bob Ferguson, incumbent attorney general (2013–2025) (ran for governor)[10]
- Noah Purcell, solicitor general (2013–present) (endorsed Brown)[8]
Republican Party
Advanced to general
Primary election
Endorsements
Nick Brown (D)
- Statewide officials
- Jay Inslee, incumbent governor of Washington[12]
- Noah Purcell, Washington Solicitor General[8]
- Newspapers
Manka Dhingra (D)
- Organizations
- EMILY's List[15]
- National Women's Political Caucus of Washington[16]
Pete Serrano (R)
- Political parties
- Spokane County Republican Party[17]
- Washington State Republican Party[18]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Nick Brown (D) |
Manka Dhingra (D) |
Pete Serrano (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[19][A] | July 24–25, 2024 | 581 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 17% | 15% | 38% | 30% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[20][A] | May 15–16, 2024 | 615 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 9% | 10% | 36% | 45% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[21][A] | February 13–14, 2024 | 789 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 19% | 12% | 35% | 34% |
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Democratic | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||
| Nick Brown | Manka Dhingra | Pete Serrano | |||||
| 1 | Jun. 18, 2024 | League of Women Voters of Washington & Benton-Franklin Counties Northwest Public Broadcasting |
Matt Loveless | [22] | P | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Pete Serrano | 814,372 | 42.11% | |
| Democratic | Nick Brown | 682,360 | 35.28% | |
| Democratic | Manka Dhingra | 435,919 | 22.54% | |
| Write-in | 1,284 | 0.07% | ||
| Total votes | 1,933,935 | 100.00% | ||
By county
| County[24] | Nick Brown
Democratic |
Pete Serrano
Republican |
Manka Dhingra
Democratic |
Write-in
Various |
Margin | Total votes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 357 | 14.67% | 1,889 | 77.61% | 182 | 7.48% | 6 | 0.25% | 1,532 | 62.94% | 2,434 |
| Asotin | 1,250 | 22.16% | 3,591 | 63.66% | 795 | 14.09% | 5 | 0.09% | 2,341 | 41.50% | 5,641 |
| Benton | 10,513 | 21.15% | 32,410 | 65.22% | 6,735 | 13.55% | 38 | 0.08% | 21,897 | 44.06% | 49,696 |
| Chelan | 5,462 | 25.05% | 12,844 | 58.90% | 3,490 | 16.01% | 9 | 0.04% | 7,382 | 33.85% | 21,805 |
| Clallam | 9,094 | 31.78% | 12,653 | 44.22% | 6,852 | 23.95% | 14 | 0.05% | 3,559 | 12.44% | 28,613 |
| Clark | 36,794 | 27.72% | 64,015 | 48.22% | 31,857 | 24.00% | 92 | 0.07% | 27,221 | 20.50% | 132,758 |
| Columbia | 222 | 17.52% | 945 | 74.59% | 98 | 7.73% | 2 | 0.16% | 723 | 57.06% | 1,267 |
| Cowlitz | 7,810 | 27.24% | 17,248 | 60.16% | 3,584 | 12.50% | 26 | 0.09% | 9,438 | 32.92% | 28,668 |
| Douglas | 2,254 | 20.65% | 7,462 | 68.37% | 1,185 | 10.86% | 13 | 0.12% | 5,208 | 47.72% | 10,914 |
| Ferry | 475 | 20.25% | 1,645 | 70.12% | 224 | 9.55% | 2 | 0.09% | 1,170 | 49.87% | 2,346 |
| Franklin | 2,671 | 19.03% | 9,624 | 68.55% | 1,736 | 12.37% | 8 | 0.06% | 6,953 | 49.53% | 14,039 |
| Garfield | 115 | 15.69% | 590 | 80.49% | 28 | 3.82% | 0 | 0.00% | 475 | 64.80% | 733 |
| Grant | 3,087 | 18.65% | 12,328 | 74.46% | 1,130 | 6.83% | 11 | 0.07% | 9,241 | 55.82% | 16,556 |
| Grays Harbor | 5,935 | 30.74% | 10,126 | 52.46% | 3,231 | 16.74% | 12 | 0.06% | 4,191 | 21.71% | 19,304 |
| Island | 11,427 | 38.13% | 12,881 | 42.98% | 5,634 | 18.80% | 27 | 0.09% | 1,454 | 4.85% | 29,969 |
| Jefferson | 6,713 | 43.00% | 3,971 | 25.43% | 4,923 | 31.53% | 6 | 0.04% | -1,790 | -11.46% | 15,613 |
| King | 263,306 | 48.33% | 132,349 | 24.29% | 148,923 | 27.33% | 286 | 0.05% | -114,383 | -20.99% | 544,864 |
| Kitsap | 32,963 | 39.65% | 32,958 | 39.64% | 17,163 | 20.64% | 54 | 0.06% | -5 | -0.01% | 83,138 |
| Kittitas | 3,048 | 25.91% | 7,240 | 61.55% | 1,469 | 12.49% | 5 | 0.04% | 4,192 | 35.64% | 11,762 |
| Klickitat | 2,029 | 27.26% | 4,292 | 57.66% | 1,118 | 15.02% | 5 | 0.07% | 2,263 | 30.40% | 7,444 |
| Lewis | 4,474 | 18.87% | 16,460 | 69.43% | 2,735 | 11.54% | 37 | 0.16% | 11,986 | 50.56% | 23,706 |
| Lincoln | 527 | 13.38% | 3,104 | 78.82% | 307 | 7.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,577 | 65.44% | 3,938 |
| Mason | 6,001 | 31.12% | 10,092 | 52.33% | 3,175 | 16.46% | 17 | 0.09% | 4,091 | 21.21% | 19,285 |
| Okanogan | 2,876 | 24.48% | 7,061 | 60.11% | 1,799 | 15.32% | 10 | 0.09% | 4,185 | 35.63% | 11,746 |
| Pacific | 2,464 | 30.73% | 4,117 | 51.35% | 1,426 | 17.78% | 11 | 0.14% | 1,653 | 20.62% | 8,018 |
| Pend Oreille | 954 | 21.48% | 3,058 | 68.84% | 423 | 9.52% | 7 | 0.16% | 2,104 | 47.37% | 4,442 |
| Pierce | 63,983 | 30.72% | 96,225 | 46.20% | 47,962 | 23.03% | 117 | 0.06% | 32,242 | 15.48% | 208,287 |
| San Juan | 3,073 | 39.73% | 1,877 | 24.27% | 2,780 | 35.95% | 4 | 0.05% | -293 | -3.79% | 7,734 |
| Skagit | 12,397 | 34.07% | 16,494 | 45.33% | 7,485 | 20.57% | 11 | 0.03% | 4,097 | 11.26% | 36,387 |
| Skamania | 938 | 23.56% | 2,247 | 56.44% | 790 | 19.84% | 6 | 0.15% | 1,309 | 32.88% | 3,981 |
| Snohomish | 69,532 | 35.02% | 82,351 | 41.48% | 46,527 | 23.43% | 136 | 0.07% | 12,819 | 6.46% | 198,546 |
| Spokane | 37,954 | 26.87% | 75,872 | 53.72% | 27,283 | 19.32% | 131 | 0.09% | 37,918 | 26.85% | 141,240 |
| Stevens | 2,567 | 16.47% | 11,482 | 73.68% | 1,517 | 9.73% | 17 | 0.11% | 8,915 | 57.21% | 15,583 |
| Thurston | 30,813 | 35.97% | 33,580 | 39.20% | 21,221 | 24.77% | 59 | 0.07% | 2,767 | 3.23% | 85,673 |
| Wahkiakum | 496 | 28.64% | 1,005 | 58.03% | 230 | 13.28% | 1 | 0.06% | 509 | 29.39% | 1,732 |
| Walla Walla | 3,877 | 26.82% | 8,277 | 57.26% | 2,299 | 15.90% | 2 | 0.01% | 4,400 | 30.44% | 14,455 |
| Whatcom | 21,895 | 31.11% | 28,216 | 40.09% | 20,231 | 28.75% | 35 | 0.05% | 6,321 | 8.98% | 70,377 |
| Whitman | 2,638 | 28.96% | 4,872 | 53.49% | 1,591 | 17.47% | 8 | 0.09% | 2,234 | 24.53% | 9,109 |
| Yakima | 9,376 | 22.25% | 26,921 | 63.90% | 5,781 | 13.72% | 54 | 0.13% | 17,545 | 41.64% | 42,132 |
| Totals | 682,360 | 35.28% | 814,372 | 42.11% | 435,919 | 22.54% | 1,284 | 0.07% | 132,012 | 6.83% | 1,933,935 |
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[25] | Safe D | July 25, 2024 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Nick Brown (D) |
Pete Serrano (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActiVote[26] | October 3–29, 2024 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 57% | 43% | – |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[19][A] | October 16–17, 2024 | 571 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 46% | 39% | 15% |
| Strategies 360[27] | October 11–16, 2024 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 48% | 38% | 13% |
| Cascade PBS/Elway Research[28] | October 8–12, 2024 | 401 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 47% | 29% | 24% |
Debates
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Nick Brown | Pete Serrano | |||||
| 1 | Sep. 18, 2024 | Association of Washington Business | Paul Reed | TVW | P | P |
| 2 | Sep. 19, 2024 | Seattle CityClub Washington State Debate Coalition |
YouTube | P | P | |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nick Brown | 2,093,570 | 55.58% | –0.85% | |
| Republican | Pete Serrano | 1,669,884 | 44.33% | +0.86% | |
| Write-in | 3,616 | 0.10% | – | ||
| Total votes | 3,767,070 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County[30] | Nick Brown
Democratic |
Pete Serrano
Republican |
Write-in
Various |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,280 | 24.93% | 3,842 | 74.82% | 13 | 0.25% | -2,562 | -49.89% | 5,135 |
| Asotin | 3,764 | 34.23% | 7,218 | 65.64% | 14 | 0.13% | -3,454 | -31.41% | 10,996 |
| Benton | 34,262 | 35.28% | 62,767 | 64.64% | 75 | 0.08% | -28,505 | -29.36% | 97,104 |
| Chelan | 16,706 | 41.45% | 23,573 | 58.48% | 28 | 0.07% | -6,867 | -17.04% | 40,307 |
| Clallam | 24,149 | 51.41% | 22,769 | 48.47% | 53 | 0.11% | 1,380 | 2.94% | 46,971 |
| Clark | 132,837 | 50.53% | 129,719 | 49.34% | 340 | 0.13% | 3,118 | 1.19% | 262,896 |
| Columbia | 590 | 24.85% | 1,780 | 74.98% | 4 | 0.17% | -1,190 | -50.13% | 2,374 |
| Cowlitz | 21,727 | 38.03% | 35,347 | 61.87% | 54 | 0.09% | -13,620 | -23.84% | 57,128 |
| Douglas | 6,853 | 33.59% | 13,533 | 66.33% | 17 | 0.08% | -6,680 | -32.74% | 20,403 |
| Ferry | 1,211 | 30.34% | 2,778 | 69.61% | 2 | 0.05% | -1,567 | -39.26% | 3,991 |
| Franklin | 11,009 | 35.58% | 19,917 | 64.36% | 18 | 0.06% | -8,908 | -28.79% | 30,944 |
| Garfield | 283 | 21.64% | 1,025 | 78.36% | 0 | 0.00% | -742 | -56.73% | 1,308 |
| Grant | 9,749 | 27.96% | 25,095 | 71.97% | 25 | 0.07% | -15,346 | -44.01% | 34,869 |
| Grays Harbor | 16,445 | 45.25% | 19,866 | 54.66% | 35 | 0.10% | -3,421 | -9.41% | 36,346 |
| Island | 27,675 | 54.60% | 22,951 | 45.28% | 58 | 0.11% | 4,724 | 9.32% | 50,684 |
| Jefferson | 16,884 | 69.99% | 7,224 | 29.95% | 14 | 0.06% | 9,660 | 40.05% | 24,122 |
| King | 776,835 | 71.71% | 305,553 | 28.20% | 977 | 0.09% | 471,282 | 43.50% | 1,083,365 |
| Kitsap | 85,807 | 56.75% | 65,259 | 43.16% | 147 | 0.10% | 20,548 | 13.59% | 151,213 |
| Kittitas | 9,826 | 38.74% | 15,516 | 61.17% | 22 | 0.09% | -5,690 | -22.43% | 25,364 |
| Klickitat | 5,529 | 42.42% | 7,495 | 57.50% | 10 | 0.08% | -1,966 | -15.08% | 13,034 |
| Lewis | 13,764 | 31.46% | 29,963 | 68.48% | 27 | 0.06% | -16,199 | -37.02% | 43,754 |
| Lincoln | 1,482 | 21.40% | 5,437 | 78.51% | 6 | 0.09% | -3,955 | -57.11% | 6,925 |
| Mason | 16,210 | 45.79% | 19,139 | 54.06% | 53 | 0.15% | -2,929 | -8.27% | 35,402 |
| Okanogan | 7,975 | 39.83% | 12,034 | 60.09% | 16 | 0.08% | -4,059 | -20.27% | 20,025 |
| Pacific | 6,553 | 47.77% | 7,153 | 52.14% | 13 | 0.09% | -600 | -4.37% | 13,719 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,321 | 27.98% | 5,962 | 71.87% | 12 | 0.14% | -3,641 | -43.89% | 8,295 |
| Pierce | 220,617 | 52.08% | 202,628 | 47.83% | 360 | 0.08% | 17,989 | 4.25% | 423,605 |
| San Juan | 9,028 | 72.75% | 3,367 | 27.13% | 14 | 0.11% | 5,661 | 45.62% | 12,409 |
| Skagit | 34,283 | 51.04% | 32,838 | 48.89% | 47 | 0.07% | 1,445 | 2.15% | 67,168 |
| Skamania | 2,963 | 42.17% | 4,060 | 57.79% | 3 | 0.04% | -1,097 | -15.61% | 7,026 |
| Snohomish | 220,566 | 55.49% | 176,616 | 44.43% | 327 | 0.08% | 43,950 | 11.06% | 397,509 |
| Spokane | 120,802 | 43.73% | 155,092 | 56.15% | 326 | 0.12% | -34,290 | -12.41% | 276,220 |
| Stevens | 6,971 | 25.31% | 20,549 | 74.60% | 26 | 0.09% | -13,578 | -49.29% | 27,546 |
| Thurston | 90,343 | 56.86% | 68,388 | 43.05% | 142 | 0.09% | 21,955 | 13.82% | 158,873 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,156 | 39.59% | 1,762 | 60.34% | 2 | 0.07% | -606 | -20.75% | 2,920 |
| Walla Walla | 12,089 | 42.13% | 16,597 | 57.84% | 11 | 0.04% | -4,508 | -15.71% | 28,697 |
| Whatcom | 79,277 | 59.65% | 53,531 | 40.28% | 96 | 0.07% | 25,746 | 19.37% | 132,904 |
| Whitman | 9,672 | 50.13% | 9,603 | 49.77% | 20 | 0.10% | 69 | 0.36% | 19,295 |
| Yakima | 34,077 | 39.52% | 51,938 | 60.24% | 209 | 0.24% | -17,861 | -20.71% | 86,224 |
| Totals | 2,093,570 | 55.58% | 1,669,884 | 44.33% | 3,616 | 0.10% | 423,686 | 11.25% | 3,767,070 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Clallam (largest city: Port Angeles)
By congressional district
Brown won six of ten congressional districts, with the remaining four going to Serrano, including two that elected Democrats.[31]
| District | Brown | Serrano | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 60% | 40% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 58% | 42% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 46% | 54% | Marie Gluesenkamp Perez |
| 4th | 36% | 64% | Dan Newhouse |
| 5th | 41% | 59% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers (118th Congress) |
| Michael Baumgartner (119th Congress) | |||
| 6th | 56% | 44% | Derek Kilmer (118th Congress) |
| Emily Randall (119th Congress) | |||
| 7th | 84% | 16% | Pramila Jayapal |
| 8th | 48% | 51% | Kim Schrier |
| 9th | 67% | 33% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 56% | 44% | Marilyn Strickland |
Notes
Partisan clients
- ^ a b c d Poll conducted for The Cascadia Advocate
References
- ^ "Ferguson wins WA governor's race". The Seattle Times. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Former U.S. attorney beats Pasco mayor to become next WA attorney general". The Seattle Times. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Santos, Melissa (August 1, 2024). "How Washington AG candidates compare on policing, drug laws and more". Axios. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ Demkovich, Laurel (August 7, 2024). "Serrano, Brown poised to advance in Washington attorney general race • Washington State Standard". Washington State Standard. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Key takeaways from the WA attorney general debates". The Seattle Times. September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Issues – Pete Serrano for Attorney General". Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Gun control, abortion take center stage in race for Washington's next attorney general | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c Cornfield, Jerry (July 12, 2023). "A second Democrat enters race for state attorney general". Washington State Standard.
- ^ Cornfield, Jerry (May 9, 2023). "The race begins for Washington attorney general". Washington State Standard. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ Gutman, David; Brunner, Jim (May 2, 2023). "WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson announces campaign for governor". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2025. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
- ^ Cornfield, Jerry (January 6, 2024). "The Republican who wants to be Washington's next attorney general". Washington State Standard.
- ^ Minnis, Glenn (July 20, 2023). "Gov. Inslee endorses Nick Brown for Washington state attorney general". The Center Square. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- ^ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (May 31, 2024). "The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Nick Brown for Washington attorney general". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
- ^ "The Stranger's Endorsements for the August, 6, 2024 Primary Election". July 31, 2024.
- ^ "EMILYs List Endorses Manka Dhingra for Washington State Attorney General". EMILYs List. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ "Our 2024 Endorsements". National Women's Political Caucus of Washington. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ Villenueve, Andrew (April 21, 2024). "Here's who the Republican Party endorsed for statewide office at its 2024 convention in Spokane". The Cascadia Advocate. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ YouTube
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (August 22, 2024). "Canvass of the Returns of the Primary Held on August 6, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 6, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (August 6, 2024). "Attorney General - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on April 30, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ^ Jacobson, Louis (January 31, 2024). "This Year's Key Attorney General and Secretary of State Races". University of Virginia Center for Politics.
- ^ ActiVote
- ^ Strategies 360
- ^ Cascade PBS/Elway Research
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (December 4, 2024). "Canvass of the Returns of the General Election Held on November 5, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (November 5, 2024). "Attorney General - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on March 21, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ "2024Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 28, 2024.
External links
Official campaign websites