1912 Washington gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1912 United States gubernatorial elections.

1912 Washington gubernatorial election
← 1908 November 5, 1912 1916 →
 
Nominee Ernest Lister Marion E. Hay
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 97,251 96,629
Percentage 30.55% 30.35%
 
Nominee Robert T. Hodge Anna A. Maley
Party Progressive Socialist
Popular vote 77,792 37,155
Percentage 24.44% 11.67%
County results
Lister:      30–40%      40–50%
Hay:      20–30%      30–40%      40–50%
Hodge:      30–40%
Governor before election

Marion E. Hay
Republican

Elected Governor

Ernest Lister
Democratic

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The 1912 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912. Democratic nominee Ernest Lister defeated Republican incumbent Marion E. Hay with 30.55% of the vote. Lister was voted in with the smallest percentage of the vote in a gubernatorial election in the 1900s.[1] This was the first election in Washington in which women had the right to vote.

Primary election

Primary elections were held on September 10, 1912.[2]

Democratic party

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results, first choice[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic W. W. Black 4,451 20.01%
Democratic Ernest Lister 4,420 19.87%
Democratic Hugh C. Todd 3,448 15.50%
Democratic William Henry Dunphy 2,966 13.33%
Democratic E. C. Million 2,788 12.53%
Democratic M. M. Godman 2,649 11.91%
Democratic L. F. Chester 1,521 6.84%
Total votes 22,243 100.00%

Since no candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, the second choice votes were counted. W. W. Black was disqualified for being a sitting judge, so the second-placed Ernest Lister was ultimately the Democratic nominee.

Democratic primary results, combined[2][3][a]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic W. W. Black 8,166 18.68%
Democratic Ernest Lister 7,629 17.45%
Democratic Hugh C. Todd 7,322 16.75%
Democratic E. C. Million 5,739 13.13%
Democratic M. M. Godman 5,517 12.62%
Democratic William Henry Dunphy 5,357 12.26%
Democratic L. F. Chester 3,980 9.11%
Total votes 43,710 100.00%

Republican party

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Marion E. Hay (incumbent) 69,005 76.93%
Republican Orville Billings 20,689 23.07%
Total votes 89,694 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

  • Ernest Lister, Democratic
  • Marion E. Hay, Republican

Other candidates

  • Robert T. Hodge, Progressive
  • Anna A. Maley, Socialist
  • George F. Stivers, Prohibition
  • Abraham Lincoln Brearcliff, Socialist Labor

Results

1912 Washington gubernatorial election[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Ernest Lister 97,251 30.55% −2.45%
Republican Marion E. Hay (incumbent) 96,629 30.35% −32.21%
Progressive Robert T. Hodge 77,792 24.44%
Socialist Anna A. Maley 37,155 11.67% +9.23%
Prohibition George F. Stivers 8,163 2.56% +0.57%
Socialist Labor Abraham Lincoln Brearcliff 1,369 0.43%
Majority 622 0.20%
Total votes 318,359 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing +29.75%

Results by county

County[5] Ernest Lister
Democratic 		Marion E. Hay
Republican 		Robert T. Hodge
Progressive 		Anna A. Maley
Socialist 		George F. Stivers
Prohibition 		Abraham L. Brearcliff
Socialist Labor 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 970 42.34% 847 36.97% 286 12.48% 138 6.02% 43 1.88% 7 0.31% 123 5.37% 2,291
Asotin 501 25.47% 802 45.57% 250 14.20% 127 7.22% 76 4.32% 4 0.23% -301 -17.10% 1,760
Benton 1,199 32.34% 1,486 40.06% 623 16.81% 320 8.63% 58 1.56% 21 0.57% -287 -7.74% 3,707
Chehalis 1,907 21.69% 3,644 41.44% 1,336 15.19% 1,735 19.73% 141 1.60% 31 0.35% -1,737 -19.75% 8,794
Chelan 1,037 20.28% 1,802 35.24% 1,480 28.94% 634 12.40% 140 2.74% 21 0.41% -322[b] -6.30% 5,114
Clallam 422 16.78% 781 31.05% 670 26.64% 617 24.53% 17 0.68% 8 0.32% -111[b] -4.41% 2,515
Clark 2,434 31.48% 2,532 32.74% 1,326 17.15% 951 12.30% 466 6.03% 24 0.31% -98 -1.27% 7,733
Columbia 986 39.05% 830 32.87% 513 20.32% 148 5.86% 46 1.82% 2 0.08% 156 6.18% 2,525
Cowlitz 803 21.04% 1,352 35.42% 1,103 28.90% 501 13.13% 53 1.39% 5 0.13% -249[b] -6.52% 3,817
Douglas 1,352 43.66% 837 27.03% 550 17.76% 290 9.36% 61 1.97% 7 0.23% 515 16.63% 3,097
Ferry 538 32.20% 577 34.53% 251 15.02% 269 16.10% 10 0.60% 26 1.56% -39 -2.33% 1,671
Franklin 508 29.18% 717 41.18% 206 11.83% 270 15.51% 32 1.84% 8 0.46% -209 -12.00% 1,741
Garfield 473 30.92% 369 24.12% 585 38.24% 71 4.64% 31 2.03% 1 0.07% -112[c] -7.32% 1,530
Grant 720 27.94% 906 35.16% 533 20.68% 372 14.44% 38 1.47% 8 0.31% -186 -7.22% 2,577
Island 272 17.63% 443 28.71% 435 28.19% 326 21.13% 66 4.28% 1 0.06% -8[b] -0.52% 1,543
Jefferson 602 26.57% 893 39.41% 485 21.40% 273 12.05% 6 0.26% 7 0.31% -291 -12.84% 2,266
King 26,243 37.07% 18,927 26.74% 18,727 26.45% 5,594 7.90% 825 1.17% 476 0.67% 7,316 10.33% 70,792
Kitsap 1,031 17.39% 1,820 30.70% 1,572 26.51% 1,391 23.46% 76 1.28% 39 0.66% -248[b] -4.19% 5,929
Kittitas 1,580 31.29% 1,422 28.16% 1,505 29.80% 411 8.14% 114 2.26% 18 0.36% 75[d] 1.49% 5,050
Klickitat 917 27.49% 1,565 46.91% 424 12.71% 334 10.01% 85 2.55% 11 0.33% -648 -19.42% 3,336
Lewis 2,879 29.69% 3,127 32.25% 1,683 17.36% 1,667 17.19% 317 3.27% 24 0.25% -248 -2.56% 9,697
Lincoln 1,733 36.72% 1,704 36.10% 963 20.40% 229 4.85% 77 1.63% 14 0.30% 29 0.61% 4,720
Mason 570 31.77% 483 26.92% 349 19.45% 374 20.85% 13 0.72% 5 0.28% 87 4.85% 1,794
Okanogan 1,196 28.42% 1,577 37.48% 516 12.26% 874 20.77% 28 0.67% 17 0.40% -381 -9.05% 4,208
Pacific 904 22.56% 1,755 43.80% 916 22.86% 347 8.66% 78 1.95% 7 0.17% -839[b] -20.94% 4,007
Pend Oreille 641 31.48% 778 38.21% 286 14.05% 302 14.83% 26 1.28% 3 0.15% -137 -6.73% 2,036
Pierce 10,724 34.00% 6,972 22.10% 9,514 30.16% 3,506 11.11% 711 2.25% 118 0.37% 1,210[d] 3.84% 31,545
San Juan 269 22.32% 414 34.36% 285 23.65% 217 18.01% 15 1.24% 5 0.41% -129[b] -10.71% 1,205
Skagit 2.090 22.91% 2,579 28.27% 2,389 26.19% 1,642 18.00% 369 4.05% 53 0.58% -190[b] -2.08% 9,122
Skamania 230 28.29% 343 42.19% 147 18.08% 83 10.21% 7 0.86% 3 0.37% -113 -13.90% 813
Snohomish 3,597 19.09% 3,677 19.52% 6,930 36.79% 3,847 20.42% 700 3.72% 88 0.47% -3,083[e] -16.37% 18,839
Spokane 10,576 30.54% 11,792 34.05% 9,387 27.11% 2,047 5.91% 704 2.03% 122 0.35% -1,216 -3.51% 34,628
Stevens 1,873 31.82% 1,547 26.28% 1,227 20.85% 971 16.50% 245 4.16% 23 0.39% 326 5.54% 5,886
Thurston 1,634 25.88% 1,974 31.26% 1,397 22.13% 1,138 18.02% 160 2.53% 11 0.17% -340 -5.38% 6,314
Wahkiakum 134 15.65% 374 43.69% 228 26.64% 107 12.50% 10 1.17% 3 0.35% -146[b] -17.05% 856
Walla Walla 3,386 45.21% 2,355 31.44% 1,309 17.48% 313 4.18% 115 1.54% 12 0.16% 1,031 13.77% 7,490
Whatcom 2,785 18.83% 4,576 30.93% 4,014 27.13% 2,924 19.76% 420 2.84% 75 0.51% -562[b] -3.80% 14,794
Whitman 3,519 36.19% 3,481 35.80% 1,034 10.63% 574 5.90% 1,099 11.30% 16 0.16% 38 0.39% 9,723
Yakima 4,016 31.29% 4,569 35.60% 2,297 17.90% 1,221 9.51% 685 5.34% 45 0.35% -553 -4.31% 12,833
Totals 97,251 30.55% 96,629 30.35% 77,792[f] 24.44% 37,155 11.67% 8,163 2.56% 1,369 0.43% 622 0.20% 318,359

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Republican to Progressive

Notes

  1. ^ These are the stated combined totals; for all candidates the sum of first and second choice votes does not equal the stated combined total
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hay's margin over Hodge
  3. ^ Hodge's margin over Lister
  4. ^ a b Lister's margin over Hodge
  5. ^ Hodge's margin over Maley; Maley ran ahead of both Lister and Hay in this county
  6. ^ The county figures add up to 77,731

References

  1. ^ Skelley, Geoffrey (September 13, 2021). "Everything You Need To Know About The California Recall Election". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Elections Search Results: September 1912 Primary". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Washington Secretary of State. "For Governor". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the Primary Election Held September 10, 1912. Olympia, Washington. pp. 9–11.
  4. ^ "Elections Search Results: November 1912 General". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Washington Secretary of State. "For Governor". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the General Election Held November 5, 1912. Olympia, Washington. p. 10.