The 1912 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1912. Democratic nominee Ernest Lister defeated Republican incumbent Marion E. Hay with 30.55% of the vote. Lister was voted in with the smallest percentage of the vote in a gubernatorial election in the 1900s. This was the first election in Washington in which women had the right to vote.

Primary election Primary elections were held on September 10, 1912.

Republican party Candidates Marion E. Hay, incumbent Governor Orville Billings

Results

Democratic party Candidates W. W. Black Ernest Lister, former member of the Tacoma City Council Hugh C. Todd E. C. Million M. M. Godman William Henry Dunphy L. F. Chester

Results

Since no candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, the second choice votes were counted. W. W. Black was disqualified for being a sitting judge, so the second-placed Ernest Lister was ultimately the Democratic nominee.

General election Candidates Major party candidates Ernest Lister, Democratic Marion E. Hay, Republican

Other candidates Robert T. Hodge, Progressive Anna A. Maley, Socialist George F. Stivers, Prohibition Abraham Lincoln Brearcliff, Socialist Labor

Results

Results by county CountyErnest ListerDemocraticMarion E. HayRepublicanRobert T. HodgeProgressiveAnna A. MaleySocialistGeorge F. StiversProhibitionAbraham L. BrearcliffSocialist LaborMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%#%#%#%Adams97042.34%84736.97%28612.48%1386.02%431.88%70.31%1235.37%2,291Asotin50125.47%80245.57%25014.20%1277.22%764.32%40.23%-301-17.10%1,760Benton1,19932.34%1,48640.06%62316.81%3208.63%581.56%210.57%-287-7.74%3,707Chehalis1,90721.69%3,64441.44%1,33615.19%1,73519.73%1411.60%310.35%-1,737-19.75%8,794Chelan1,03720.28%1,80235.24%1,48028.94%63412.40%1402.74%210.41%-322-6.30%5,114Clallam42216.78%78131.05%67026.64%61724.53%170.68%80.32%-111-4.41%2,515Clark2,43431.48%2,53232.74%1,32617.15%95112.30%4666.03%240.31%-98-1.27%7,733Columbia98639.05%83032.87%51320.32%1485.86%461.82%20.08%1566.18%2,525Cowlitz80321.04%1,35235.42%1,10328.90%50113.13%531.39%50.13%-249-6.52%3,817Douglas1,35243.66%83727.03%55017.76%2909.36%611.97%70.23%51516.63%3,097Ferry53832.20%57734.53%25115.02%26916.10%100.60%261.56%-39-2.33%1,671Franklin50829.18%71741.18%20611.83%27015.51%321.84%80.46%-209-12.00%1,741Garfield47330.92%36924.12%58538.24%714.64%312.03%10.07%-112-7.32%1,530Grant72027.94%90635.16%53320.68%37214.44%381.47%80.31%-186-7.22%2,577Island27217.63%44328.71%43528.19%32621.13%664.28%10.06%-8-0.52%1,543Jefferson60226.57%89339.41%48521.40%27312.05%60.26%70.31%-291-12.84%2,266King26,24337.07%18,92726.74%18,72726.45%5,5947.90%8251.17%4760.67%7,31610.33%70,792Kitsap1,03117.39%1,82030.70%1,57226.51%1,39123.46%761.28%390.66%-248-4.19%5,929Kittitas1,58031.29%1,42228.16%1,50529.80%4118.14%1142.26%180.36%751.49%5,050Klickitat91727.49%1,56546.91%42412.71%33410.01%852.55%110.33%-648-19.42%3,336Lewis2,87929.69%3,12732.25%1,68317.36%1,66717.19%3173.27%240.25%-248-2.56%9,697Lincoln1,73336.72%1,70436.10%96320.40%2294.85%771.63%140.30%290.61%4,720Mason57031.77%48326.92%34919.45%37420.85%130.72%50.28%874.85%1,794Okanogan1,19628.42%1,57737.48%51612.26%87420.77%280.67%170.40%-381-9.05%4,208Pacific90422.56%1,75543.80%91622.86%3478.66%781.95%70.17%-839-20.94%4,007Pend Oreille64131.48%77838.21%28614.05%30214.83%261.28%30.15%-137-6.73%2,036Pierce10,72434.00%6,97222.10%9,51430.16%3,50611.11%7112.25%1180.37%1,2103.84%31,545San Juan26922.32%41434.36%28523.65%21718.01%151.24%50.41%-129-10.71%1,205Skagit2.09022.91%2,57928.27%2,38926.19%1,64218.00%3694.05%530.58%-190-2.08%9,122Skamania23028.29%34342.19%14718.08%8310.21%70.86%30.37%-113-13.90%813Snohomish3,59719.09%3,67719.52%6,93036.79%3,84720.42%7003.72%880.47%-3,083-16.37%18,839Spokane10,57630.54%11,79234.05%9,38727.11%2,0475.91%7042.03%1220.35%-1,216-3.51%34,628Stevens1,87331.82%1,54726.28%1,22720.85%97116.50%2454.16%230.39%3265.54%5,886Thurston1,63425.88%1,97431.26%1,39722.13%1,13818.02%1602.53%110.17%-340-5.38%6,314Wahkiakum13415.65%37443.69%22826.64%10712.50%101.17%30.35%-146-17.05%856Walla Walla3,38645.21%2,35531.44%1,30917.48%3134.18%1151.54%120.16%1,03113.77%7,490Whatcom2,78518.83%4,57630.93%4,01427.13%2,92419.76%4202.84%750.51%-562-3.80%14,794Whitman3,51936.19%3,48135.80%1,03410.63%5745.90%1,09911.30%160.16%380.39%9,723Yakima4,01631.29%4,56935.60%2,29717.90%1,2219.51%6855.34%450.35%-553-4.31%12,833Totals97,25130.55%96,62930.35%77,79224.44%37,15511.67%8,1632.56%1,3690.43%6220.20%318,359

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Adams Columbia Douglas King Kittitas Lincoln Mason Pierce Stevens Walla Walla Whitman

Counties that flipped from Republican to Progressive Garfield Snohomish

Notes

References