After the first round of vote counts in Washington Tuesday night, gubernatorial candidates Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert are the frontrunners heading toward the general election in November.
Ferguson, the Washington state attorney general since 2013, had nearly 46% of the vote by the end of Tuesday’s count.
Reichert, a former King County Sheriff and congressman for Washington’s 8th District, was far behind Ferguson Tuesday with about 28% of the overall vote for governor.
Both led competitive races for the primary, with Ferguson raising more than $9 million for his campaign during the primary and Reichert over $4.4 million, according to Public Disclosure Commission filings.
While 28 candidates declared their run for the office, no others garnered even 10% of the vote. Ballot counting will continue in the days and weeks ahead, with the next vote drop on Wednesday around 4 p.m.
Sen. Mark Mullet, a moderate Democratic lawmaker from Issaquah, polled at just 6% as of Tuesday evening.
Misipati “Semi” Bird, an embattled former Richland School Board Member who was endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party in April, took home only 9% after Tuesday’s count.
Ferguson has consistently polled ahead of Reichert and other gubernatorial hopefuls since candidate filings in May.
In a Crosscut/Elway poll from May, 47% of polled registered voters said they were undecided on who they wanted to vote in for governor. Out of the likely primary voters polled, 42% at the time said they would vote for Ferguson, and only 29% said they would vote for Reichert. Tuesday’s results show a similar gap between the two candidates, but those results will likely fluctuate as later votes are tallied.
In 2020, Gov. Jay Inslee beat Republican Loren Culp 56% to 43%. Inslee served three terms as Washington governor, but announced in early May that he would not seek a fourth term. The state has not had a Republican governor since John Spellman lost reelection in 1984.
Lt. Governor
Five candidates competed for the office of Lieutenant Governor in this year’s primary.
Incumbent Denny Heck, a Democrat first elected to the office in 2020, had the most votes of all candidates with 49% as of final counts.
Dan Matthews appeared to be the other frontrunner in the race for the office with 22%, but as of Tuesday night it was still unclear who will face off against Heck in the November general election.
Candidates for Washington governor: Democrat Bob Ferguson (left) and Republican Dave Reichert. (Courtesy of the candidates)
Attorney General
Three candidates were in the primary run for the office of the Attorney General: Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond; former Washington District Attorney Nick Brown; and Pasco Mayor Pete Serrano.
Serrano, the only Republican in the race, was in the lead after Tuesday night, bringing in 42% of the vote. Brown trailed Serrano, garnering 36%.
Although Brown had racked up more endorsements than Democratic opponent Dhingra, the two stood neck and neck in campaign donations leading up to the primary, with both bringing in over $1 million. Serrano, raised over $225,000 during the primary.
Commissioner of Public Lands
In an unusually crowded race, seven candidates joined the race for the Commissioner of Public Lands.
After the first vote counts Tuesday, former U.S. Rep. and Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, who was ousted from her position in 2022 for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump, pulled ahead of other candidates with 23% of the vote, mirroring earlier polling numbers for the race.
Two candidates were close after the first night of counting.
Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson, who retired from her job as a power manager for the Grays Harbor PUD, had over 20% of the vote. King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, a Democrat, trailed Pederson by just 0.4%, or 3,931 votes, on Tuesday.
The current Public Lands Commissioner, Hilary Franz, announced last year that she would not seek reelection, deciding instead to run for the 6th Congressional District after dropping her initial bid for governor.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, first elected in 2016, was the leading candidate for the office as of Tuesday evening with 40% of the overall vote.
David Olson, a Navy veteran and school board member, in the Peninsula School District was in second in the four-way race with 31%.
Secretary of State
Four candidates were in the running to be the state’s chief election officer.
After the first vote counts, incumbent Democrat Steve Hobbs brought in 49% of the overall vote. Hobbs assumed office in 2021 after Republican Kim Wyman resigned to work for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Biden administration. In 2022, Hobbs won reelection to the office in a special election to complete Wyman’s term.
Hobbs faced off against another Democrat, Marquez Tiggs; an Independent named Damon Townsend; and Republican Dale Whitaker, who was endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party in April.
Vote counts showed Whitaker in second place as of Tuesday with 37% of the vote.
State Auditor
Only two candidates are vying for the role of state auditor, who oversees the Office of the State Auditor in Washington, meaning both will advance to the general election in November.
Incumbent Democrat Pat McCarthy was well in the lead Tuesday with 59% of the vote. McCarthy has been in office since 2017. She is the first woman to hold the office.
Republican Matt Hawkins, a business professional and candidate with no prior political experience, garnered 41% of the vote. Hawkins was endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party in April for the statewide role.
State Treasurer
In another race with only two candidates, both incumbent Democrat Mike Pellicciotti and Republican Sharon Hanek will advance to the general election for the State Treasurer’s Office.
Pellicciotti came out in the lead Tuesday with 59% of the vote. He was first elected to the office in 2020 and before that served two terms as a Washington State Representative.
Hanek, an accountant, tax and finance professional, had 41% of the vote Tuesday. While Hanek previously ran as a write-in candidate for State Treasurer in 2020, she lost in that general election to Jim McIntire.
Insurance Commissioner
Eight candidates have now dwindled to two in the bid for the state’s Insurance Commissioner.
Sen. Patty Kuderer, a Bellevue Democrat, was in the lead Tuesday with 45% of the overall vote. Kuderer, who is also an attorney, raised the most cash for her primary campaign, just over $300,000.
Her likely opponent for the general election, Republican Phil Fortunato had 28% as of election night.
Kuderer was one of only three candidates to raise money this election cycle, alongside Fortunato, with over $43,000 in donations, and Democrat John Pestinger, with just over $5,000.
In Washington, the top two vote-getters in primary races advance to the general election Nov. 5.
Ballots for the general election will be mailed on Oct. 18, according to the Secretary of State’s website.