The 1976 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976. This election was especially significant in that Washington elected its first female governor, Dixy Lee Ray. Wesley C. Uhlman and John Patric unsuccessfully ran in the blanket primary.

Primary election Candidates Marvin Durning (D) Harley Hoppe (R), King County assessor John Patric (R), writer and perennial candidate Dixy Lee Ray (D), former chair of United States Atomic Energy Commission Carl D. Ricketts (R) John D. Spellman (R), King County executive Duke Stockton (D) Wesley C. Uhlman (D), mayor of Seattle Emmett Watson (R)

Results

General election

Candidates

Major parties Dixy Lee Ray (D) John D. Spellman (R)

Minor parties Patricia A. Bethard, Socialist Workers Red Kelly, OWL Henry Killman, Socialist Labor Art Manning, American Independent Evelyn Olafson, US Labor Maurice Woodrow Willey, Jr., Libertarian

Results

Results by county Dixy Lee Ray was the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to carry Island County and Klickitat County since Clarence D. Martin in 1936. This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which a Democrat has carried Benton County and Franklin County. CountyDixy Lee RayDemocraticJohn D. SpellmanRepublicanArt ManningAIPRed KellyOWLAll OthersVariousMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%#%#%Adams2,11244.01%2,52452.59%1102.29%280.58%250.52%-412-8.59%4,799Asotin2,49342.63%3,23155.25%661.13%240.41%340.58%-738-12.62%5,848Benton23,00665.98%11,36732.60%2200.63%1330.38%1410.40%11,63933.38%34,867Chelan8,27844.70%9,92653.60%1180.64%1110.60%840.45%-1,648-8.90%18,517Clallam10,23455.58%7,51440.81%2941.60%2011.09%1710.93%2,72014.77%18,414Clark32,03852.64%27,22244.73%6781.11%5070.83%4180.69%4,8167.91%60,863Columbia96547.68%1,02750.74%241.19%70.35%10.05%-62-3.06%2,024Cowlitz14,93054.70%11.50442.14%5341.96%1540.56%1760.64%3,42912.56%27,295Douglas4,26350.13%4,13448.61%610.72%280.33%180.21%1291.52%8,504Ferry80548.85%77346.91%432.61%110.67%160.97%321.94%1,648Franklin6,18760.81%3,82637.61%650.64%300.29%660.65%2,36123.21%10,174Garfield57937.43%95161.47%130.84%10.06%30.19%-372-24.05%1,547Grant8,14847.37%8,58949.93%2011.17%920.53%1710.99%-441-2.56%17,201Grays Harbor13,56755.60%10,07241.28%2400.98%3011.23%2200.90%3,49514.32%24,400Island7,40853.12%6,35845.59%660.47%530.38%620.44%1,0507.53%13,947Jefferson3,12152.28%2,64444.29%651.09%671.12%731.22%4777.99%5,970King277,50250.87%254,94546.73%3,1170.57%4,8130.88%5,1410.94%22,5574.13%545,518Kitsap30,39959.31%19,62638.29%4010.78%3120.61%5131.00%10,77321.02%51,251Kittitas4,87849.83%4,73348.35%470.48%700.72%620.63%1451.48%9,790Klickitat3,01654.03%2,41143.19%861.54%370.66%320.57%60510.84%5,582Lewis13,10961.43%7,63335.77%3521.65%1380.65%1070.50%5,47625.66%21,339Lincoln2,15341.73%2,90756.35%490.95%290.56%210.41%-754-14.62%5,159Mason6,98461.57%4,05235.72%1261.11%1040.92%770.68%2,93225.85%11,343Okanogan5,54348.67%5,46247.96%2121.86%930.82%790.69%810.71%11,389Pacific4,47460.52%2,65635.93%771.04%991.34%861.16%1,81824.59%7,392Pend Oreille1,64152.03%1,43845.59%321.01%240.76%190.60%2036.44%3,154Pierce99,52763.27%54,54334.67%8840.56%8350.53%1,5230.97%44,98428.60%157,312San Juan1,65845.21%1,90752.00%270.74%421.15%330.90%-249-6.79%3,667Skagit14,75054.74%11,48642.62%2861.06%2240.83%2010.75%3,26412.11%26,947Skamania1,40354.34%1,12643.61%180.70%210.81%140.54%27710.73%2,582Snohomish66,36957.26%46,94640.50%1,0720.92%8120.70%7150.62%19,42316.76%115,914Spokane61,49447.67%64,04449.65%1,3741.07%1,3361.04%7500.58%-2,550-1.98%128,998Stevens4,17745.50%4,55649.62%2763.01%910.99%810.88%-379-4.13%9,181Thurston23,95754.11%18,98442.88%2970.67%6861.55%3480.79%4,97311.23%44,272Wahkiakum93856.13%69241.41%231.38%90.54%90.54%24614.72%1,671Walla Walla7,56241.93%10,17756.43%660.37%920.51%1390.77%-2,615-14.50%18,036Whatcom21,59953.32%17,68843.67%2720.67%4081.01%5391.33%3,9119.66%40,506Whitman5,87538.99%8,67957.60%1631.08%2021.34%1501.00%-2,804-18.61%15,069Yakima24,65545.41%28,68952.84%3510.65%1750.32%4220.78%-4,034-7.43%54,292Totals821,79753.14%687,03944.43%12,4060.80%12,4000.80%12,7400.82%134,7588.71%1,546,382

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Benton Clallam Clark Cowlitz Douglas Island King Kittitas Klickitat Snohomish Thurston Whatcom

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Stevens

References