2009 King County Executive election

The 2009 King County Executive election took place on November 3, 2009, following a primary on August 18, 2009. County Executive Ron Sims resigned on May 8, 2009, to become the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and designated his chief of staff, Kurt Triplett, as his temporary successor. He was subsequently selected by the County Council to serve as interim County Executive until the November election. Triplett did not run in the election for a full term.

Following the passage of an amendment to the King County Charter in 2008, the election was conducted with a nonpartisan primary. Eight candidates ran in the election, with former news anchor Susan Hutchison finishing first in the primary with 33 percent of the vote, and County Council Chairman Dow Constantine finishing second with 27 percent. In the general election, Constantine, a Democrat, defeated Hutchison, a Republican, by a wide margin, receiving 59 percent of the vote to Hutchison's 41 percent.

Primary election Candidates Susan Hutchison, former KIRO-TV news anchor Dow Constantine, Chairman of the County Council Fred Jarrett, State Senator Larry Phillips, County Councilmember Ross Hunter, State Representative Alan Lobdell, public works manager Goodspaceguy, perennial candidate Stan Lippmann, physicist, perennial candidate

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DowConstantine LarryPhillips FredJarrett SusanHutchison RossHunter StanLippmann AlanLobdell Goodspaceguy UndecidedSurveyUSAJune 3–4, 2009515 (LV)± 4.4%8%9%5%34%5%–––39%SurveyUSAJune 20–22, 2009508 (LV)± 4.4%12%7%4%41%6%2%2%3%23%SurveyUSAJuly 11–13, 2009504 (LV)± 4.5%12%8%7%39%6%1%2%2%22%SurveyUSAAugust 1–3, 2009606 (LV)± 4.1%13%6%8%39%8%2%2%2%20%SurveyUSAAugust 10–11, 2009649 (LV)± 3.9%20%8%6%37%8%2%2%2%15%

Results

General election Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DowConstantine SusanHutchison UndecidedSurveyUSASeptember 1–3, 2009557 (LV)± 4.2%44%47%10%SurveyUSASeptember 19–21, 2009537 (LV)± 4.3%44%47%10%SurveyUSAOctober 10–12, 2009523 (LV)± 4.4%42%47%11%SurveyUSAOctober 29 – November 1, 2009614 (LV)± 4.0%53%43%5%

Results

Notes

References