1932 Washington gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1932 United States gubernatorial elections.

1932 Washington gubernatorial election
← 1928 November 8, 1932 1936 →
 
Nominee Clarence D. Martin John Arthur Gellatly Luvern Clyde Hicks
Party Democratic Republican Liberty
Popular vote 352,215 207,497 41,710
Percentage 57.29% 33.75% 6.78%
County results
Martin:      30–40%      40–50%      50-60%      60–70%      70–80%
Gellatly:      30–40%      40–50%
Governor before election

Roland H. Hartley
Republican

Elected Governor

Clarence D. Martin
Democratic

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The 1932 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1932. Democratic nominee Clarence D. Martin defeated Republican nominee John Arthur Gellatly with 57.29% of the vote.

Martin was the first Democrat elected governor of Washington with an absolute majority. He was also the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Washington to ever win Pacific County and San Juan County and the first since 1892 to win Jefferson County. Additionally, Clallam County, Clark County, Kitsap County, Thurston County, Wahkiakum County, and Whatcom County voted Democratic for the first time since 1896.[a]

Primary election

Primary elections were held on September 13, 1932.[1]

Democratic party

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Clarence D. Martin 67,168 36.32%
Democratic William Harrison Pemberton 57,124 30.89%
Democratic Lewis B. Schwellenbach 55,094 29.79%
Democratic Frank R. Nicholas 5,557 3.00%
Total votes 184,943 100.00%

Republican party

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Arthur Gellatly 119,015 54.52%
Republican Roland H. Hartley (incumbent) 68,718 31.48%
Republican M. G. Tennent 18,393 8.43%
Republican Dell W. Thomas 7,439 3.41%
Republican Glen S. Corkery 4,723 2.16%
Total votes 218,288 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

  • Clarence D. Martin, Democratic
  • John Arthur Gellatly, Republican

Other candidates

  • Luvern Clyde Hicks, Liberty
  • John F. McKay, Socialist
  • Fred E. Walker, Communist
  • Edward Kriz, Socialist Labor
  • Maslen Meade, Independent

Results

1932 Washington gubernatorial election[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Clarence D. Martin 352,215 57.29% +14.57%
Republican John Arthur Gellatly 207,497 33.75% −22.46%
Liberty Luvern Clyde Hicks 41,710 6.78%
Socialist John F. McKay 9,987 1.62% +1.37%
Communist Fred E. Walker 2,532 0.41% +0.27%
Socialist Labor Edward Kriz 449 0.07% −0.60%
Independent Maslen Meade 378 0.06%
Majority 144,718 23.54%
Total votes 614,768 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing +37.03%

Results by county

County[3] Clarence D. Martin
Democratic 		John A. Gellatly
Republican 		L. C. Hicks
Liberty 		John F. McKay
Socialist 		All Others
Various 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 1,811 74.34% 613 25.16% 4 0.16% 7 0.29% 1 0.04% 1,198 49.18% 2,436
Asotin 2,147 70.37% 867 28.42% 13 0.43% 21 0.69% 3 0.10% 1,280 41.95% 3,051
Benton 2,978 64.61% 1,492 32.37% 112 2.43% 23 0.50% 4 0.09% 1,486 32.24% 4,609
Chelan 6,467 45.87% 6,673 47.33% 910 6.45% 34 0.24% 14 0.10% -206 -1.46% 14,098
Clallam 3,612 47.87% 2,058 27.27% 1,798 23.83% 27 0.36% 51 0.68% 1,554 20.59% 7,546
Clark 8,615 56.99% 5,291 35.00% 1,040 6.88% 125 0.83% 45 0.30% 3,324 21.99% 15,116
Columbia 1,489 64.18% 797 34.35% 11 0.47% 23 0.99% 0 0.00% 692 29.83% 2,320
Cowlitz 3,858 34.77% 3,404 30.67% 3,754 33.83% 44 0.40% 37 0.33% 104[b] 0.94% 11,097
Douglas 1,822 53.68% 1,391 40.98% 150 4.42% 26 0.77% 5 0.15% 431 12.70% 3,394
Ferry 1,087 74.20% 333 22.73% 27 1.84% 15 1.02% 3 0.20% 754 51.47% 1,465
Franklin 1,715 68.82% 742 29.78% 8 0.32% 18 0.72% 9 0.36% 973 39.04% 2,492
Garfield 869 58.01% 559 37.32% 66 4.41% 2 0.13% 2 0.13% 310 20.69% 1,498
Grant 1,505 61.93% 776 31.93% 129 5.31% 17 0.70% 3 0.12% 729 30.00% 2,430
Grays Harbor 9,010 48.62% 5,100 27.52% 4,141 22.35% 41 0.22% 238 1.28% 3,910 21.10% 18,530
Island 1,551 57.94% 811 30.30% 280 10.46% 25 0.93% 10 0.37% 740 27.64% 2,677
Jefferson 1,660 50.52% 1,222 37.19% 380 11.56% 18 0.55% 6 0.18% 438 13.33% 3,286
King 104,156 56.92% 68,629 37.50% 4,905 2.68% 4,347 2.38% 960 0.52% 35,527 19.41% 182,997
Kitsap 9,538 67.33% 4,083 28.82% 377 2.66% 119 0.84% 49 0.35% 5,455 38.51% 14,166
Kittitas 4,293 63.74% 1,952 28.98% 340 5.05% 108 1.60% 42 0.62% 2,341 34.76% 6,735
Klickitat 1,937 52.76% 1,642 44.73% 24 0.65% 37 1.01% 31 0.84% 295 8.04% 3,671
Lewis 7,728 48.82% 4,644 29.34% 3,380 21.35% 26 0.16% 52 0.33% 3,084 19.48% 15,830
Lincoln 3,094 66.81% 1,485 32.07% 17 0.37% 34 0.73% 1 0.02% 1,609 34.74% 4,631
Mason 2,023 51.87% 1,018 26.10% 843 21.62% 11 0.28% 5 0.13% 1,005 25.77% 3,900
Okanogan 3,763 53.42% 2,688 38.16% 541 7.68% 46 0.65% 6 0.09% 1,075 15.26% 7,044
Pacific 2,815 49.68% 1,941 34.26% 832 14.68% 21 0.37% 57 1.01% 874 15.43% 5,666
Pend Oreille 2,017 72.95% 674 24.38% 8 0.29% 59 2.13% 7 0.25% 1,343 48.57% 2,765
Pierce 35,693 55.00% 20,244 31.19% 7,656 11.80% 1,030 1.59% 273 0.42% 15,449 23.81% 64,896
San Juan 694 47.37% 689 47.03% 74 5.05% 6 0.41% 2 0.14% 5 0.34% 1,465
Skagit 8,012 57.52% 4,784 34.35% 621 4.46% 74 0.53% 437 3.14% 3,228 23.18% 13,928
Skamania 651 44.87% 762 52.52% 20 1.38% 13 0.90% 5 0.34% -111 -7.65% 1,451
Snohomish 17,818 57.45% 9,928 32.01% 2,212 7.13% 876 2.82% 182 0.59% 7,890 25.44% 31,016
Spokane 45,993 70.45% 17,219 26.38% 266 0.41% 1,617 2.48% 187 0.29% 28,774 44.08% 65,282
Stevens 4,853 68.83% 1,898 26.92% 88 1.25% 186 2.64% 26 0.37% 2,955 41.91% 7,051
Thurston 5,312 38.38% 4,172 30.14% 4,202 30.36% 30 0.22% 124 0.90% 1,110[b] 8.02% 13,840
Wahkiakum 517 38.27% 510 37.75% 304 22.50% 6 0.44% 14 1.04% 7 0.52% 1,351
Walla Walla 5,975 55.92% 4,615 43.20% 18 0.17% 69 0.65% 7 0.07% 1,360 12.73% 10,684
Whatcom 11,201 50.05% 9,675 43.23% 552 2.47% 566 2.53% 386 1.72% 1,526 6.82% 22,380
Whitman 7,303 66.12% 3,626 32.83% 12 0.11% 97 0.88% 7 0.06% 3,677 33.29% 11,045
Yakima 16,633 61.77% 8,490 31.53% 1,595 5.92% 143 0.53% 68 0.25% 8,143 30.24% 26,929
Totals 352,215 57.29% 207,497 33.75% 41,710 6.78% 9,987 1.62% 3,359 0.55% 144,718 23.54% 614,768

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

  1. ^ The Democratic nominee in 1896 was primarily the Populist nominee, the two parties having run a fusion ticket in that election.
  2. ^ a b Martin's margin over Hicks

References

  1. ^ a b c "September 1932 Primary". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "November 1932 General". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Washington Secretary of State. "Governor". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the General Election held November 8, 1932. Olympia, Washington. p. 16.