The 2008 Washington Public Lands Commissioner election was held on November 4, 2008, to elect the Washington Public Lands Commissioner, concurrently with the 2008 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington.

Democrat Peter J. Goldmark narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland.

Candidates Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning that all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two move on to the general election.

Republican Party Advanced to general Doug Sutherland, incumbent public lands commissioner (2001–2009)https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/democrats-considering-run-against-lands-1241663.php

Democratic Party Advanced to general Peter J. Goldmark, rancher and candidate for Washington's 5th congressional district in 2006https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/rancher-goldmark-seeks-a-harvest-of-votes-1251391.php

Primary election Results

By county +CountyDoug Sutherland RepublicanPeter J. Goldmark DemocraticMarginTotal votes#%#%#%Adams1,70968.33%79231.67%91736.67%2,501Asotin2,90655.38%2,34144.62%56510.77%5,247Benton24,98066.40%12,63833.60%12,34232.81%37,618Chelan10,24061.22%6,48738.78%3,75322.44%16,727Clallam11,96955.33%9,66244.67%2,30710.67%21,631Clark38,47553.58%33,32746.42%5,1487.17%71,802Columbia1,01268.84%45831.16%55437.69%1,470Cowlitz10,54149.29%10,84550.71%-304-1.42%21,386Douglas5,15962.18%3,13837.82%2,02124.36%8,297Ferry1,18058.27%84541.73%33516.54%2,025Franklin7,10465.77%3,69834.23%3,40631.53%10,802Garfield50767.78%24132.22%26635.56%748Grant9,28463.38%5,36436.62%3,92026.76%14,648Grays Harbor9,24254.44%7,73345.56%1,5098.89%16,975Island12,35152.10%11,35647.90%9954.20%23,707Jefferson5,07940.58%7,43659.42%-2,357-18.83%12,515King137,48741.23%196,00058.77%-58,513-17.55%333,487Kitsap32,37351.03%31,06048.97%1,3132.07%63,433Kittitas5,82860.96%3,73339.04%2,09521.91%9,561Klickitat2,87855.81%2,27944.19%59911.62%5,157Lewis12,53966.10%6,43033.90%6,10932.21%18,969Lincoln2,29160.59%1,49039.41%80121.18%3,781Mason9,28955.86%7,34044.14%1,94911.72%16,629Okanogan4,58451.29%4,35348.71%2312.58%8,937Pacific3,36750.61%3,28649.39%811.22%6,653Pend Oreille2,15857.69%1,58342.31%57515.37%3,741Pierce80,60955.61%64,34944.39%16,26011.22%144,958San Juan2,53838.75%4,01161.25%-1,473-22.49%6,549Skagit15,69853.30%13,75246.70%1,9466.61%29,450Skamania1,26452.67%1,13647.33%1285.33%2,400Snohomish69,23049.77%69,86450.23%-634-0.46%139,094Spokane54,44551.39%51,49548.61%2,9502.78%105,940Stevens7,73762.31%4,67937.69%3,05824.63%12,416Thurston33,19552.29%30,28647.71%2,9094.58%63,481Wahkiakum78758.08%56841.92%21916.16%1,355Walla Walla8,19662.07%5,00937.93%3,18724.13%13,205Whatcom23,30549.95%23,34950.05%-44-0.09%46,654Whitman4,23152.62%3,81047.38%4215.24%8,041Yakima25,37863.65%14,49136.35%10,88727.31%39,869Totals691,14551.13%660,71448.87%30,4312.25%1,351,859

By congressional district District Sutherland Goldmark Representative 48% 52%Jay Inslee 51% 49%Rick Larsen 54% 46%Brian Baird 64% 36%Doc Hastings 54% 46%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 53% 47%Norm Dicks 25% 75%Jim McDermott 55% 45%Dave Reichert 53% 47%Adam Smith

General election Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin DougSutherland (R) PeterGoldmark (D) UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSAOctober 30 – November 2, 2008663 (LV)± 3.9%48%42%10%SurveyUSASurveyUSAOctober 26–27, 2008630 (LV)± 4.0%45%43%12%SurveyUSASurveyUSAOctober 12–13, 2008544 (LV)± 4.3%47%38%15%

Results

By county +CountyDoug Sutherland RepublicanPeter J. Goldmark DemocraticMarginTotal votes#%#%#%Adams3,07768.50%1,41531.50%-1,662-37.00%4,492Asotin5,18056.78%3,94343.22%-1,237-13.56%9,123Benton45,38466.96%22,39233.04%-22,992-33.92%67,776Chelan18,31861.24%11,59638.76%-6,722-22.47%29,914Clallam20,34956.12%15,91343.88%-4,436-12.23%36,262Clark88,95652.92%79,14347.08%-9,813-5.84%168,099Columbia1,42368.71%64831.29%-775-37.42%2,071Cowlitz21,96452.36%19,98847.64%-1,976-4.71%41,952Douglas8,94262.95%5,26237.05%-3,680-25.91%14,204Ferry1,90857.78%1,39442.22%-514-15.57%3,302Franklin12,15765.12%6,51334.88%-5,644-30.23%18,670Garfield91372.46%34727.54%-566-44.92%1,260Grant16,50264.28%9,17035.72%-7,332-28.56%25,672Grays Harbor16,85260.53%10,98839.47%-5,864-21.06%27,840Island20,54752.61%18,51147.39%-2,036-5.21%39,058Jefferson7,70041.18%10,99758.82%3,29717.63%18,697King314,99338.12%511,29561.88%196,30223.76%826,288Kitsap59,94251.46%56,55248.54%-3,390-2.91%116,494Kittitas9,87459.71%6,66340.29%-3,211-19.42%16,537Klickitat5,20855.18%4,23144.82%-977-10.35%9,439Lewis22,36567.84%10,60232.16%-11,763-35.68%32,967Lincoln3,48962.36%2,10637.64%-1,383-24.72%5,595Mason15,40756.97%11,63543.03%-3,772-13.95%27,042Okanogan8,02849.74%8,11250.26%840.52%16,140Pacific5,68555.04%4,64344.96%-1,042-10.09%10,328Pend Oreille3,66659.14%2,53340.86%-1,133-18.28%6,199Pierce170,25654.79%140,48345.21%-29,773-9.58%310,739San Juan3,63337.29%6,11062.71%2,47725.42%9,743Skagit28,22254.01%24,03245.99%-4,190-8.02%52,254Skamania2,73854.13%2,32045.87%-418-8.26%5,058Snohomish147,37549.32%151,45950.68%4,0841.37%298,834Spokane106,49251.93%98,56948.07%-7,923-3.86%205,061Stevens13,06461.66%8,12338.34%-4,941-23.32%21,187Thurston63,02853.40%55,00846.60%-8,020-6.79%118,036Wahkiakum1,24258.78%87141.22%-371-17.56%2,113Walla Walla14,15262.72%8,41237.28%-5,740-25.44%22,564Whatcom45,23448.53%47,97851.47%2,7442.94%93,212Whitman8,37752.01%7,73147.99%-646-4.01%16,108Yakima43,26159.69%29,21640.31%-14,045-19.38%72,477Totals1,385,90349.45%1,416,90450.55%31,0011.11%2,802,807

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Okanogan (largest city: Omak)

By congressional district Despite losing the state, Sutherland won seven of nine congressional districts, including four that elected Democrats. District Sutherland Goldmark Representative 47% 53%Jay Inslee 51% 49%Rick Larsen 54% 46%Brian Baird 63% 37%Doc Hastings 54% 46%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 53% 47%Norm Dicks 23% 77%Jim McDermott 53% 47%Dave Reichert 52% 48%Adam Smith

References