The 2004 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 11 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The State of Washington was considered a competitive swing state in 2004, and on election day, Kerry won the state with a margin of 7.2%. This is the most recent presidential election in which Washington was considered a swing state. , this remains the last time the state's margin of victory was in single digits and the last time a Republican received more than 45% of the state's vote. This was the only time since statehood that any president was elected twice without carrying Washington either time, a feat that lasted until 2024.

Caucuses 2004 Washington Democratic presidential caucuses

Campaign

Predictions There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day. DC Political Report

+SourceRankingD.C. Political ReportCook Political ReportNewsweekZogby InternationalWashington PostResearch 2000Washington TimesWashington DispatchThe New York TimesCNNAssociated PressRasmussen Reports

Polling Kerry won every single pre-election except one tie. The final 3 poll average had Kerry winning with 50% to 45%.

Fundraising Bush raised $3,263,363. Kerry raised $5,337,921.

Advertising and visits Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.

Analysis A Democratic leaning swing state at the time, Washington has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every presidential election since 1988. Like Oregon, the state is divided politically by the urban/rural divide and geographically by the Cascade Mountains. Most of the state's population resides in Western Washington along the Pacific Coast and in highly urbanized areas like Seattle; this part of the state votes overwhelmingly Democratic. The other side of the mountains in Eastern Washington is much more rural and conservative and therefore heavily Republican. While polling showed that voters trusted Bush more than Kerry on the issue of terrorism, the Iraq War and Bush's domestic policies were unpopular in the state. , this is the last election in which Clark County, Island County, and Skagit County voted for the Republican candidate.

Results

By county CountyJohn KerryDemocraticGeorge W. BushRepublicanVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#% Adams 1,315 25.65% 3,751 73.16% 61 1.19% -2,436 -47.51% 5,127 Asotin 3,319 37.78% 5,320 60.55% 147 1.67% -2,001 -22.77% 8,786 Benton 21,549 32.22% 44,350 66.31% 987 1.48% -22,801 -34.09% 66,886 Chelan 10,471 35.62% 18,482 62.87% 443 1.51% -8,011 -27.25% 29,396 Clallam 17,049 46.37% 18,871 51.33% 846 2.30% -1,822 -4.96% 36,766 Clark 79,538 46.67% 88,646 52.01% 2,255 1.32% -9,108 -5.34% 170,439 Columbia 605 28.71% 1,470 69.77% 32 1.52% -865 -41.05% 2,107 Cowlitz 21,589 50.83% 20,217 47.60% 667 1.57% 1,372 3.23% 42,473 Douglas 4,306 32.20% 8,900 66.56% 166 1.24% -4,594 -34.36% 13,372 Ferry 1,201 35.95% 2,019 60.43% 121 3.62% -818 -24.48% 3,341 Franklin 5,188 32.11% 10,757 66.57% 214 1.32% -5,569 -34.46% 16,159 Garfield 365 27.65% 935 70.83% 20 1.52% -570 -43.18% 1,320 Grant 7,779 29.92% 17,799 68.47% 417 1.60% -10,020 -38.55% 25,995 Grays Harbor 14,583 52.17% 12,871 46.05% 499 1.79% 1,712 6.12% 27,953 Island 18,216 47.24% 19,754 51.23% 589 1.53% -1,538 -3.99% 38,559 Jefferson 11,610 62.37% 6,650 35.72% 356 1.91% 4,960 26.64% 18,616 King 580,378 64.95% 301,043 33.69% 12,113 1.36% 279,335 31.26% 893,534 Kitsap 60,796 51.32% 55,608 46.95% 2,049 1.73% 5,188 4.38% 118,453 Kittitas 6,731 41.85% 9,052 56.28% 301 1.87% -2,321 -14.43% 16,084 Klickitat 4,036 43.69% 5,016 54.30% 185 2.00% -980 -10.61% 9,237 Lewis 10,726 33.08% 21,042 64.89% 660 2.04% -10,316 -31.81% 32,428 Lincoln 1,706 29.36% 4,015 69.09% 90 1.55% -2,309 -39.73% 5,811 Mason 12,894 50.78% 11,987 47.20% 513 2.02% 907 3.57% 25,394 Okanogan 6,309 38.61% 9,636 58.96% 397 2.43% -3,327 -20.36% 16,342 Pacific 5,570 53.40% 4,634 44.43% 227 2.18% 936 8.97% 10,431 Pend Oreille 2,310 37.27% 3,693 59.58% 195 3.15% -1,383 -22.31% 6,198 Pierce 158,231 50.50% 150,783 48.12% 4,317 1.38% 7,448 2.38% 313,331 San Juan 6,589 65.32% 3,290 32.61% 209 2.07% 3,299 32.70% 10,088 Skagit 25,131 48.12% 26,139 50.05% 960 1.84% -1,008 -1.93% 52,230 Skamania 2,374 46.02% 2,695 52.24% 90 1.74% -321 -6.22% 5,159 Snohomish 156,468 53.04% 134,317 45.53% 4,212 1.43% 22,151 7.51% 294,997 Spokane 87,490 43.19% 111,606 55.09% 3,491 1.72% -24,116 -11.90% 202,587 Stevens 6,822 33.54% 13,015 63.99% 503 2.47% -6,193 -30.45% 20,340 Thurston 62,650 55.55% 47,992 42.55% 2,147 1.90% 14,658 13.00% 112,789 Wahkiakum 1,021 45.68% 1,171 52.39% 43 1.92% -150 -6.71% 2,235 Walla Walla 8,257 36.02% 14,323 62.48% 345 1.50% -6,066 -26.46% 22,925 Whatcom 48,268 53.40% 40,296 44.58% 1,830 2.02% 7,972 8.82% 90,394 Whitman 8,287 46.01% 9,397 52.17% 328 1.82% -1,110 -6.16% 18,012 Yakima 28,474 39.12% 43,352 59.56% 964 1.32% -14,878 -20.44% 72,790Totals1,510,20152.82%1,304,89445.64%43,9891.54%205,3077.18%2,859,084

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Whatcom (Largest city: Bellingham)

By congressional district Kerry won six of nine congressional districts. Both candidates won a district held by the other party. District Bush Kerry Representative 42% 56%Jay Inslee 47% 51%Rick Larsen 50% 48%Brian Baird 63% 35%Doc Hastings57%41%George NethercuttCathy McMorris Rodgers 45% 53%Norm Dicks 19% 79%Jim McDermott48%51%Jennifer DunnDave Reichert 46% 53%Adam Smith

Electors

Technically the voters of Washington cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Washington is allocated 11 electors because it has 9 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 11 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and their running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 11 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than their candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 11 were pledged for Kerry/Edwards: David Peterson Mary Ervin Valeria Ogden Patsy Whitefoot Larry Armstrong Ken Bumgarner Richard Kelley Sarah Chandler Greg Markley Alan Johanson Mary Crosby

See also United States presidential elections in Washington (state) Presidency of George W. Bush

References