1980 Washington gubernatorial election
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 County results Spellman: 50–60% 60–70% McDermott: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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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 2024[update], this is the last time a Republican was elected Governor of Washington, thus beginning the longest streak for Democrats holding any of the 50 state governorships once Spellman left office.
Blanket primary
Candidates
Democratic
- Jim McDermott, psychiatrist, state senator, and candidate for governor in 1972
- Dixy Lee Ray, incumbent Governor of Washington
- Caroline "Hope" Diamond
Republican
- John Spellman, King County Executive
- Duane Berentson, state speaker
- Bruce Chapman, state secretary
- Patrick Sean McGowan
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim McDermott | 321,256 | 33.04% | |
| Democratic | Dixy Lee Ray (incumbent) | 234,252 | 24.09% | |
| Republican | John Spellman | 162,426 | 16.70% | |
| Republican | Duane Berentson | 154,724 | 15.91% | |
| Republican | Bruce Chapman | 70,875 | 7.29% | |
| Republican | Patrick Sean McGowan | 7,324 | 0.75% | |
| Democratic | Caroline Diamond | 4,184 | 0.43% | |
| Total votes | 955,041 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Jim McDermott (D), psychiatrist, state senator, and candidate for governor in 1972
- John Spellman (R), King County Executive
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Spellman | 981,083 | 56.68 | ||
| Democratic | Jim McDermott | 749,813 | 43.32 | ||
| Total votes | 1,730,896 | 100.00 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
References
- ^ "Election Search Results - Elections & Voting - WA Secretary of State". Sos.wa.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
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