The 1940 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Republican nominee Arthur B. Langlie narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Clarence Dill with 50.24% of the vote. Langlie's 0.74% margin of victory is the third-closest in state history. This is the only gubernatorial election in Washington in which King County has voted for the losing candidate.

Primary election The primary election was held on September 10, 1940. At the time, Washington used a blanket primary for nominations, with all candidates appearing on the same ballot and the highest candidate for each party being nominated. Incumbent governor Clarence D. Martin lost the Democratic nomination.

Candidates Frank Burns (R) Clarence Dill (D), former United States Senator Alexander Gabrielsen (D) George H. Gannon (D) J. Warren Kinney (R) Arthur B. Langlie (R), incumbent Mayor of Seattle George Dana Linn (R) Clarence D. Martin (D), incumbent Governor Marius Rasmussen (R) Tom Smith (D)

Results

General election

Candidates Major party candidates Arthur B. Langlie, Republican Clarence Dill, Democratic

Other candidates John Brockway, Communist P. J. Ater, Socialist Labor

Results

Results by county CountyArthur B. LanglieRepublicanClarence DillDemocraticJohn BrockwayCommunistP. J. AterSocialist LaborMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%#%Adams1,85864.25%1,03435.75%00.00%00.00%82428.49%2,892Asotin1,88153.42%1,64046.58%00.00%00.00%2416.84%3,521Benton3,01759.30%2,06940.66%20.04%00.00%94818.63%5,088Chelan9,91965.16%5,30134.82%20.01%10.01%4,61830.34%15,223Clallam4,52047.50%4,95852.11%310.33%60.06%-438-4.60%9,515Clark10,78850.24%10,64149.56%170.08%270.13%1470.68%21,473Columbia1,83168.22%85231.74%10.04%00.00%97936.48%2,684Cowlitz8,46148.09%9,07051.55%310.18%320.18%-609-3.46%17,594Douglas2,44461.65%1,51938.32%10.03%00.00%92523.34%3,964Ferry57431.52%1,24668.42%00.00%10.05%-672-36.90%1,821Franklin1,45149.34%1,48650.53%40.14%00.00%-35-1.19%2,941Garfield1,24272.84%46327.16%00.00%00.00%77945.69%1,705Grant2,15439.49%3,29860.46%00.00%30.05%-1,144-20.97%5,455Grays Harbor11,00847.51%12,09452.20%500.22%180.08%-1,086-4.69%23,170Island1,62953.90%1,38945.96%30.10%10.03%2407.94%3,022Jefferson1,89152.25%1,72547.67%20.06%10.03%1664.59%3,619King114,29648.38%121,01351.22%7920.34%1390.06%-6,717-2.84%236,240Kitsap8,86045.94%10,39453.89%240.12%90.05%-1,534-7.95%19,287Kittitas4,34850.51%4,25149.38%70.08%20.02%971.13%8,608Klickitat2,35150.56%2,29249.29%00.00%70.15%591.27%4,650Lewis10,21954.77%8,40845.06%260.14%50.03%1,8119.71%18,658Lincoln3,20057.48%2,36742.52%00.00%00.00%83314.96%5,567Mason2,55849.18%2,60250.03%390.75%20.04%-44-0.85%5,201Okanogan5,01953.00%4,44946.98%10.01%00.00%5706.02%9,469Pacific3,42149.51%3,47450.27%140.20%10.01%-53-0.77%6,910Pend Oreille1,36844.85%1,68255.15%00.00%00.00%-314-10.30%3,050Pierce33,72642.76%44,87056.89%2070.26%710.09%-11,144-14.13%78,874San Juan87152.88%77647.12%00.00%00.00%955.77%1,647Skagit9,90955.48%7,92044.34%280.16%50.03%1,98911.14%17,862Skamania88943.69%1,14656.31%00.00%00.00%-257-12.63%2,035Snohomish18,45846.09%21,41253.47%1440.36%340.08%2,9547.38%40,048Spokane38,39348.98%39,90150.90%510.07%410.05%-1,508-1.92%78,386Stevens3,59544.26%4,52755.73%00.00%10.01%-932-11.47%8,123Thurston9,55851.66%8,91248.17%280.15%20.01%6463.49%18,500Wahkiakum92451.97%84447.47%70.39%30.17%804.50%1,778Walla Walla9,22767.81%4,37632.16%20.01%20.01%4,85135.65%13,607Whatcom15,76256.00%12,25643.54%1220.43%70.02%3,50612.46%28,147Whitman8,36865.82%4,34034.14%40.03%10.01%4,02831.68%12,713Yakima22,53458.86%15,70941.04%340.09%40.01%6,82517.83%38,281Totals392,52250.24%386,70649.49%1,6740.21%4260.05%5,8160.74%781,328

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Adams Asotin Benton Chelan Clark Columbia Douglas Garfield Island Jefferson Kittitas Klickitat Lewis Lincoln Okanogan San Juan Skagit Thurston Wahkiakum Walla Walla Whatcom Whitman Yakima

Notes

References