Washington ratified its constitution and held its first state elections in 1889, the year it was admitted to the union as a state. It established the positions of governor, lieutenant governor, Secretary of State, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor, Commissioner of Public Lands, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. The position of insurance commissioner was legislatively established in 1907. All positions are elected to four-year terms, concurrent with presidential elections. Washington is one of three states that elects nine separate statewide officials, while six others elect ten.

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the State Senate, State House of Representatives, State delegation to the U.S. Senate, and State delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives. State senators are elected to four-year terms, with half elected every two years. State representatives are elected to two-year terms, and two from each of 49 legislative districts in separate elections.

While the U.S. state of Washington is considered a solidly Democratic state, it mainly elected Republican candidates during its first forty years of statehood. It currently holds the longest streak of Democratic governors in the nation, having last elected a Republican to the top executive office in 1980. The office of auditor has been held continuously by Democrats since 1933, when the national wave for President Franklin Roosevelt swept the party into every statewide race and congressional district except the uncontested office of superintendent of public instruction. That position was made nonpartisan in 1940. At the presidential level, Washington is part of the "blue wall", having voted for all Democratic nominees since 1988.

Prior to statehood, the President of the United States appointed a territorial governor and secretary of state, who served as acting governor when the governor was absent from the state. The position of attorney general was established in 1887, and only one person held office before statehood. A non-voting delegate was elected to the House of Representatives.

The nine members of the Washington Supreme Court are also elected statewide to six-year terms but on a nonpartisan basis and are not listed here. However all members of the court are considered liberal-leaning, matching the state's overall electorate.

Voters do not register as members of political parties.

The tables below show the history of officeholders elected to statewide executive offices, the state legislature, and the U.S. Congress, as well as the winners of the state's electoral college votes.

For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.

Washington Territory The first territorial superintendent of public education was elected by the legislature in 1861 to a three-year term, but the position was disestablished after just one year. It was reestablished in 1871, elected by the legislature to a two-year term. The superintendent was chair of the governor-appointed board of education, which met in the hometown of the superintendent in several cities around the state until statehood when the office remained in Olympia.

YearExecutive officesTerritorial LegislatureUnited States CongressGovernorSec. of TerritoryAttorney GeneralTreasurerAuditorSupt. of Pub. Inst.Territorial SenateTerritorial HouseDelegate1853Isaac Stevens Charles H. Masonno such officeno such officeno such officeno such officeColumbia Lancaster 1854William CockDaniel R. Bigelow1855James Patton Anderson 1856J. M. Walker1857Fayette McMullen Henry R. CrosbieIsaac Stevens 1858David L. PhillipsUrban E. Hicks1859Richard D. Gholson W. C. Rutledge1860Henry M. McGillAndrew Jackson Moses1861William H. Wallace Leander Jay Sharpe Turney Uzal G. WarbassJames Clark HeadBenjamin C. LippincottWilliam H. Wallace 1862William Pickering no such office1863Elwood Evans David L. PhillipsR. M. WalkerGeorge Edward Cole 1864William Cock1865Daniel R. BigelowUrban E. HicksArthur A. Denny 1866George Edward Cole Benjamin F. Harned 1867Marshall F. Moore Ezra Leonard SmithJames TiltonAlvan Flanders 1868Benjamin F. Harned John M. Murphy1869Alvan Flanders Selucius Garfielde 1870Edward S. Salomon 1871James F. Scott Hill HarmonJ. G. SparksNelson Rounds1872Elisha P. Ferry Josiah H. MunsonN. S. Potter1873Joseph C. Clements John M. MurphyObadiah B. McFadden 1874Henry G. Struve Elisha Treat Gunn1875Francis TarbellJohn R. WheatOrange Jacobs 18761877Thomas M. Reed John Paul Judson1878Nicholas Owings 1879Jonathan S. HoughtonThomas Hurley Brents 1880William A. Newell 1881Thomas N. FordCharles W. Wheeler18821883Robert C. Kerr1884Watson C. Squire 1885J. C. LawrenceCharles Stewart Voorhees 1886William McMicken1887Eugene Semple James B. Metcalfe J. H. Morgan1888John M. Murphy1889Miles Conway Moore Oliver Cromwell WhiteFrank Irvin BlodgettJohn B. Allen

State of Washington At statehood, the constitution established eight positions that would be elected statewide. The officials take office in the January following their election. The insurance commissioner was first elected in 1908.

YearExecutive officesState LegislatureUnited States CongressElectoralvotesGovernorLt. GovernorSec. of StateAttorney GeneralTreasurerAuditorTaylor, Briahna. The Citizen's Advocate: History of the Washington State Auditor's Office Washington State Auditor's Office. Olympia: Washington State Department of Printing, 2007.Comm. ofPub. LandsInsurance Comm.Supt. ofPub. Inst.State SenateState HouseU.S. Senator(Class I)U.S. Senator(Class III)U.S.House1889Elisha P. Ferry Charles E. Laughton Allan Weir William Carey Jones Addison AlexanderLindsley Thomas M. Reed William T. Forrest no such officeRobert Bruce Bryan 34R, 1D61R, 8D, 1IJohn B. Allen Watson C. Squire 1R1890189130R, 4D60R, 18D1892Harrison/Reid 1893John McGraw F. H. Luce James Price Orzo A. Bowen Leban R. Grimes Charles W. Bean 25R, 9D50R, 20D, 8Pvacant2R18941895John E. Frost 26R, 5D, 3Pop54R, 20Pop, 4DJohn L. Wilson 18962 – Bryan/Sewall 2 – Bryan/Watson 1897John Rankin Rogers Thurston Daniels Will Jenkins Patrick Henry Winston Cyrus Wilber Young Neal Cheetham Robert Bridges Frank J. Browne 15Pop, 13R, 4D, 2SvR45Pop, 12R, 11SvR, 10DGeorge Turner 1D, 1SvR1898189915R, 12Pop, 7D68R, 9Pop, 1CitAddison G. Foster 2R1900McKinley/Roosevelt 1901John Rankin Rogers Died in office.Henry McBride Sam Nichols Resigned.Wickliffe Stratton C. W. Maynard John D. Atkinson S. A. Callvert Robert Bruce Bryan 26R, 8D59R, 21DHenry McBride As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.vacant1902190333R, 9D80R, 14DLevi Ankeny 3R1904Roosevelt/Fairbanks 1905Albert E. Mead Charles E. Coon John Atkinson George G. Mills Charles W. Clausen E. W. Ross 38R, 4D90R, 4DSamuel H. Piles 1906190785R, 9D1908Taft/Sherman 1909Samuel G. Cosgrove Marion E. Hay Walter Bell John G. Lewis John H. Schively Henry B. Dewey 39R, 3D88R, 6DWesley Livsey Jones Marion E. Hay vacantIthamar Howell Initially appointed by Governor to fill vacancy; later elected in his own right.19101911William V. Tanner 38R, 4D84R, 13DMiles Poindexter 1912Roosevelt/Johnson 1913Ernest Lister Louis F. Hart Edward Meath Clark V. Savidge Herbert O. Fishback Josephine Corliss Preston 27R, 9D, 6Prog49R, 29Prog, 19DMiles Poindexter 3R, 2Prog1914191529R, 7Prog, 6D79R, 13D, 5ProgMiles Poindexter 4R, 1D1916Wilson/Marshall 1917William WattsSherman 37R, 5D83R, 14D19181919Louis F. Hart As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.vacantLindsay Levant Thompson 39R, 3D87R, 10D5R1920Jay Hinkle Harding/Coolidge 1921William J. Coyle Clifford L. Babcock 40R, 1D, 1FL94R, 2FL, 1D19221923John H. Dunbar 39R, 2FL, 1D84R, 9D, 4FLClarence Dill 4R, 1D1924Coolidge/Dawes 1925Roland H. Hartley W. Lon Johnson W. G. Potts 40R, 2D92R, 5D1926192789R, 8D1928Hoover/Curtis 1929John Arthur Gellatly Charles W. Hinton Noah D. Showalter 41R, 1D91R, 6D1930193190R, 7D1932Elijah S. Grammer Roosevelt/Garner 1933Clarence D. Martin Victor Aloysius Meyers Ernest Hutchinson Garrison Hamilton Otto A. Case Cliff Yelle Albert C. Martin William A. Sullivan 25D, 21R70D, 29RHomer Bone 6D1934193541D, 5R93D, 6RLewis B. Schwellenbach 19361937Phil H. Gallagher Stanley F. Atwood 37D, 9R91D, 8R1938Belle Reeves 193940D, 6R73D, 26R1940Roosevelt/Wallace 1941Arthur B. Langlie Smith Troy Otto A. Case Jack Taylor Pearl Anderson Wanamaker 37D, 9R68D, 31RMonrad Wallgren 1942194327D, 19R59D, 40R3D, 3R1944Roosevelt/Truman 1945Monrad Wallgren Russell H. Fluent Otto A. Case 32D, 14R63D, 36RHugh Mitchell Warren Magnuson 4D, 2R1946194723R, 23D72R, 27DHarry P. Cain 5R, 1D1948Earl Coe Truman/Barkley 1949Arthur B. Langlie Tom Martin Jack Taylor 27R, 19D67D, 32R4R, 2D1950195125D, 21R54D, 45R1952Eisenhower/Nixon 1953Emmett T. Anderson Don Eastvold Charles R. Maybury Otto A. Case 25R, 21D58R, 41DHenry M. Jackson 6R, 1D1954195524R, 22D50D, 49R19561957Albert Rosellini John Cherberg Victor Aloysius Meyers John J. O'Connell Tom Martin Bert L. Cole Lloyd J. Andrews 31D, 15R56D, 43R1958195935D, 14R66D, 33R1960Nixon/Lodge 1961Lee I. Kueckelhan Louis Bruno 36D, 13R60D, 39R5R, 2D1962196332D, 17R51D, 48R6R, 1D1964Johnson/Humphrey 1965Daniel J. Evans Lud Kramer Robert S. O'Brien Robert V. Graham 60D, 39R5D, 2R1966196729D, 20R55R, 44D1968Humphrey/Muskie 1969Slade Gorton Karl Hermann 27D, 22R56R, 43D1970197129D, 20R51R, 48D6D, 1R1972Nixon/Agnew 1973Frank Brouillet 30D, 19R57D, 41R19741975Bruce Chapman 62D, 36R1976Ford/Dole 1977Dixy Lee Ray Richard G. Marquardt 5D, 2R1978197949D, 49RA power-sharing agreement was negotiated, and co-Speakers from both parties were elected. All committees were co-chaired and evenly divided between the parties.6D, 1R1980Reagan/Bush 1981John Spellman Ralph Munro Ken Eikenberry Brian Boyle 25R, 24D56R, 42DSlade Gorton 5D, 2R198255R, 43D198326D, 23R54D, 44RDaniel J. Evans 5D, 3R198453D, 45R1985Booth Gardner 27D, 22R1986198725D, 24R61D, 37RBrock Adams 198825R, 24DDukakis/Bentsen 1989Joel Pritchard Dan Grimm Judy Billings 63D, 35RSlade Gorton 1990199158D, 40R1992Clinton/Gore 1993Mike Lowry Christine Gregoire Brian Sonntag Jennifer Belcher Deborah Senn 28D, 21R65D, 33RPatty Murray 8D, 1R1994199525D, 24R61R, 37D7R, 2D199662R, 36D1997Gary Locke Brad Owen Mike Murphy Terry Bergeson 26R, 23D56R, 42D6R, 3D199857R, 41D199927D, 23R49D, 49R5D, 4R2000Gore/Lieberman 2001Sam Reed Doug Sutherland Mike Kreidler 25D, 24RMaria Cantwell 6D, 3R200250D, 48R200325R, 24D52D, 46R2004Kerry/Edwards 2005Christine Gregoire Rob McKenna 26D, 23R55D, 43R2006200732D, 17R62D, 36R200863D, 35RObama/Biden 2009Jim McIntire Peter J. Goldmark Randy Dorn 31D, 18R62D, 36R201061D, 37R201127D, 22R56D, 42R5D, 4R20122013Jay Inslee Kim Wyman Bob Ferguson Troy Kelley 26D, 23RA coalition of 2 Democrats and 23 Republicans controlled the Senate Majority.55D, 43R6D, 4R201425D, 24R201525R, 24D51D, 47R201650D, 48RClinton/Kaine 2017Cyrus Habib Duane Davidson Pat McCarthy Hilary Franz Chris Reykdal 25D, 24R201826D, 23R201929D, 20R57D, 41R7D, 3R2020Biden/Harris 2021Denny Heck Mike Pellicciotti 2022Steve Hobbs 202329D, 20R58D, 40R8D, 2R2024Harris/Walz 2025Bob Ferguson Nick Brown Dave Upthegrove Patty Kuderer 30D, 19R59D, 39R2026

See also Politics in Washington Elections in Washington

References

External links State of Washington – Members of the Legislature 1889–2011 History of the Washington Legislature 1854–1963