1980 Washington gubernatorial election

none related races 1980 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1980 Washington gubernatorial election Washington presidential no 1976 Washington gubernatorial election 1976 1984 Washington gubernatorial election 1984 November 4, 1980 File:JohnDSpellman.jpg 150x150px John Spellman Republican Party (United States) 981,083 56.68% File:Jim McDermott 1980.jpg Jim McDermott Democratic Party (United States) 749,813 43.32% Governor 1980 Washington gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 275px County resultsSpellman: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% McDermott: #7996e2 50–60% Dixy Lee Ray Democratic Party (United States) John Spellman Republican Party (United States) 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 , 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 Duane Berentson, Speaker of Washington House of Representatives Bruce Chapman, Secretary of State of Washington Patrick Sean McGowan Louise A. Saluteen John Spellman, King County Executive Rabbine Matthew Sutich Results thumb|275px|Results by county #7996e2 McDermott #DFEEFF 20–30% #bdd3ff 30–40% #a5b0ff 40–50% #51C2C2 Ray #D0F9F9 20–30% #ACF2F2 30–40% #7DDDDD 40–50% #E27F7F Spellman #FFE0EA 20–30% #FF9A50 Berentson #FFDAC1 20–30% #FFCCA9 30–40% Blanket primary resultshttps://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/results_report.aspx?e=73&c=&c2=&t=440&t2=&p=&p2=&y= Elections Search Results September 1980 Primary 2024-08-12 Washington Secretary of State Jim McDermott Democratic Party (United States) 321,256 33.04% Dixy Lee Ray (incumbent) Democratic Party (United States) 234,252 24.09% John Spellman Republican Party (United States) 162,426 16.70% Duane Berentson Republican Party (United States) 154,724 15.91% Bruce Chapman Republican Party (United States) 70,875 7.29% Patrick Sean McGowan Republican Party (United States) 7,324 0.75% Caroline Diamond Democratic Party (United States) 4,184 0.43% Robert L. Baldwin Sr. Democratic Party (United States) 3,578 0.37% Mary Nell Bockman Socialist Workers Party (United States) 2,833 0.29% Lloyd G. Isley Democratic Party (United States) 2,723 0.28% Louise A. Saluteen Republican Party (United States) 2,622 0.27% Douglas P. Bestle Democratic Party (United States) 2,481 0.26% Rabbine Matthew Sutich Republican Party (United States) 1,606 0.17% Jef Jaisun Democratic Party (United States) 1,476 0.15% 972,360 100.00% General election Candidates Jim McDermott (D), psychiatrist, state senator, and candidate for governor in 1972 John Spellman (R), King County Executive Results 1980 Washington gubernatorial electionhttps://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/results_report.aspx?e=33&c=&c2=&t=440&t2=&p=&p2=&y= https://web.archive.org/web/20240812163010/https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/results_report.aspx?e=33&c=&c2=&t=440&t2=&p=&p2=&y= 2024-08-12 live Elections Search Results November 1980 General Governor Chapman Bruce Bruce K. Chapman November 4, 1980 Secretary of State of Washington February 7, 2026 Washington Republican Party John Spellman 981,083 56.68% +12.25% Washington Democratic Party Jim McDermott 749,813 43.32% -9.82% 1,730,896 100.00% N/A Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) 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.In 2004 and 1992, respectively +County resultsCountyJim McDermott DemocraticJohn Spellman RepublicanMarginTotal votes#%#%#%Adams1,52831.92%3,25968.08%1,73136.16%4,787Asotin2,85942.83%3,81757.17%95814.35%6,676Benton13,63730.75%30,71069.25%17,07338.50%44,347Chelan7,67039.53%11,73460.47%4,06420.94%19,404Clallam9,56742.91%12,72957.09%3,16214.18%22,296Clark32,36445.21%39,22554.79%6,8619.58%71,589Columbia67033.14%1,35266.86%68233.73%2,022Cowlitz13,91049.55%14,16050.45%2500.89%28,070Douglas3,46239.75%5,24860.25%1,78620.51%8,710Ferry1,06752.74%95647.26%-111-5.49%2,023Franklin4,45438.06%7,24961.94%2,79523.88%11,703Garfield50234.01%97465.99%47231.98%1,476Grant6,98939.22%10,83960.78%3,84021.55%17,818Grays Harbor13,09850.24%12,97149.76%-127-0.49%26,069Island6,99838.28%11,28561.72%4,28723.45%18,283Jefferson4,10550.89%3,96149.11%-144-1.79%8,066King267,21844.90%327,94155.10%60,72310.20%595,159Kitsap24,15039.90%36,37260.10%12,22220.19%60,522Kittitas4,82245.47%5,78354.53%9619.06%10,605Klickitat3,15251.71%2,94448.29%-208-3.41%6,096Lewis8,58037.62%14,23062.38%5,65024.77%22,810Lincoln1,90935.48%3,47164.52%1,56229.03%5,380Mason6,35746.16%7,41453.84%1,0577.68%13,771Okanogan5,74146.11%6,71053.89%9697.78%12,451Pacific4,65057.92%3,37942.08%-1,271-15.83%8,029Pend Oreille1,68845.22%2,04554.78%3579.56%3,733Pierce75,30543.38%98,28956.62%22,98413.24%173,594San Juan2,31547.23%2,58752.77%2725.55%4,902Skagit13,68344.59%17,00355.41%3,32010.82%30,686Skamania1,60354.08%1,36145.92%-242-8.16%2,964Snohomish60,58744.62%75,20355.38%14,61610.76%135,790Spokane56,82740.24%84,40059.76%27,57319.52%141,227Stevens4,32237.58%7,17862.42%2,85624.83%11,500Thurston23,12242.10%31,80357.90%8,68115.81%54,925Wahkiakum92654.70%76745.30%-159-9.39%1,693Walla Walla6,95436.70%11,99363.30%5,03926.60%18,947Whatcom22,21548.36%23,72251.64%1,5073.28%45,937Whitman7,19542.40%9,77357.60%2,57815.19%16,968Yakima23,61239.45%36,24660.55%12,63421.11%59,858Totals749,81343.32%981,08356.68%231,27013.36%1,730,896 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Benton Clallam Clark Cowlitz Douglas Franklin Island King Kitsap Kittitas Klickitat Lewis Mason Okanogan Pend Oreille Pierce Skagit Snohomish Thurston Whatcom Notes References 1980 Category:1980 United States gubernatorial elections Gubernatorial