The 2016 Washington Insurance Commissioner election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the insurance commissioner of Washington, concurrently with the 2016 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. Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler was re-elected to a fifth term in a landslide.

Background Incumbent Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, first elected in 2000 and re-elected three times, most recently in 2012, ran for re-election to a fifth term in office.

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

Democratic candidates Advanced to general Mike Kreidler, incumbent insurance commissioner (2001–2025)https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/health-care-inc/2015/09/insurance-commissioner-kreidler-will-seek-re.html

Republican candidates Advanced to general Richard Schrock, Snohomish County Fire District 1 commissioner

Libertarian candidates Eliminated in primary Justin Murta

Endorsements

Results

By county CountyMike KreidlerDemocraticRichard SchrockRepublicanJustin MurtaLibertarianMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%Adams48426.39%1,25068.16%1005.45%-766-41.77%1,834Asotin1,69840.77%2,19652.73%2716.51%-498-11.96%4,165Benton11,20536.64%16,60754.30%2,7719.06%-5,402-17.66%30,583Chelan5,62840.40%7,39453.07%9106.53%-1,766-12.68%13,932Clallam9,45451.97%7,50241.24%1,2346.78%1,95210.73%18,190Clark34,84349.03%30,60243.07%5,6137.90%4,2415.97%71,058Columbia28730.02%59161.82%788.16%-304-31.80%956Cowlitz7,94346.00%7,75244.90%1,5719.10%1911.11%17,266Douglas2,30534.61%3,93059.01%4256.38%-1,625-24.40%6,660Ferry64937.56%88651.27%19311.17%-237-13.72%1,728Franklin2,79634.05%4,81458.63%6017.32%-2,018-24.58%8,211Garfield16028.62%36465.12%356.26%-204-36.49%559Grant3,18529.78%6,58161.53%9308.69%-3,396-31.75%10,696Grays Harbor6,77853.29%4,88938.44%1,0518.26%1,88914.85%12,718Island11,29553.70%8,30339.48%1,4356.82%2,99214.23%21,033Jefferson7,03768.11%2,64425.59%6516.30%4,39342.52%10,332King309,90573.96%84,76420.23%24,3415.81%225,14153.73%419,010Kitsap30,47758.17%17,11432.67%4,8019.16%13,36325.51%52,392Kittitas3,33643.06%3,87750.04%5356.91%-541-6.98%7,748Klickitat1,70839.97%2,18051.02%3859.01%-472-11.05%4,273Lewis5,11135.63%8,24157.45%9926.92%-3,130-21.82%14,344Lincoln72227.63%1,70165.10%1907.27%-979-37.47%2,613Mason7,07051.97%5,49840.41%1,0377.62%1,57211.55%13,605Okanogan3,29640.78%4,20652.04%5807.18%-910-11.26%8,082Pacific2,69851.93%2,12440.89%3737.18%57411.05%5,195Pend Oreille1,20337.44%1,64651.23%36411.33%-443-13.79%3,213Pierce77,71555.96%48,94335.24%12,2188.80%28,77220.72%138,876San Juan3,64267.59%1,34925.04%3977.37%2,29342.56%5,388Skagit12,77953.44%9,67440.45%1,4606.11%3,10512.98%23,913Skamania90642.84%99547.04%21410.12%-89-4.21%2,115Snohomish78,45157.34%45,98533.61%12,3799.05%32,46623.73%136,815Spokane42,83245.88%42,62245.66%7,9018.46%2100.22%93,355Stevens3,12130.30%6,01158.35%1,16911.35%-2,890-28.06%10,301Thurston37,07362.83%16,72928.35%5,2028.82%20,34434.48%59,004Wahkiakum46344.73%50348.60%696.67%-40-3.86%1,035Walla Walla4,36240.34%5,64552.21%8067.45%-1,283-11.87%10,813Whatcom26,02956.58%16,62436.13%3,3537.29%9,40520.44%46,006Whitman2,94645.15%3,00946.11%5708.74%-63-0.97%6,525Yakima10,97739.15%15,08553.80%1,9767.05%-4,108-14.65%28,038Totals772,56958.41%450,83034.09%99,1817.50%321,73924.33%1,322,580

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Clark (largest city: Vancouver) Spokane (largest city: Spokane)

By congressional district District Kreidler Schrock Murta Representative 56% 36% 8%Suzan DelBene 60% 32% 8%Rick Larsen 47% 45% 8%Jaime Herrera Beutler 36% 56% 8%Dan Newhouse 43% 48% 9%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 59% 33% 8%Derek Kilmer 84% 12% 4%Jim McDermott 50% 41% 8%Dave Reichert 72% 22% 6%Adam Smith 59% 32% 9%Denny Heck

General election

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin MikeKreidler (D) RichardSchrock (R) UndecidedElway PollElway PollOctober 20–22, 2016502 (RV)± 4.5%44%28%28%

Results

By county +CountyMike Kreidler DemocraticRichard Schrock RepublicanMarginTotal votes#%#%#%Adams1,51234.27%2,90065.73%-1,388-31.46%4,412Asotin3,62739.64%5,52260.36%-1,895-20.71%9,149Benton30,14239.43%46,29660.57%-16,154-21.13%76,438Chelan13,56243.51%17,60856.49%-4,046-12.98%31,170Clallam19,36452.21%17,72647.79%1,6384.42%37,090Clark94,55850.16%93,97349.84%5850.31%188,531Columbia62231.10%1,37868.90%-756-37.80%2,000Cowlitz20,28247.59%22,33252.41%-2,050-4.81%42,614Douglas5,59238.22%9,04061.78%-3,448-23.56%14,632Ferry1,29738.69%2,05561.31%-758-22.61%3,352Franklin9,49141.67%13,28858.33%-3,797-16.67%22,779Garfield36531.71%78668.29%-421-36.58%1,151Grant9,02133.69%17,75566.31%-8,734-32.62%26,776Grays Harbor14,62154.13%12,39245.87%2,2298.25%27,013Island22,13654.35%18,59545.65%3,5418.69%40,731Jefferson13,20468.33%6,11931.67%7,08536.67%19,323King672,92473.01%248,80426.99%424,12046.01%921,728Kitsap67,39756.61%51,65743.39%15,74013.22%119,054Kittitas7,90144.92%9,68855.08%-1,787-10.16%17,589Klickitat4,43144.19%5,59755.81%-1,166-11.63%10,028Lewis12,13437.62%20,12362.38%-7,989-24.77%32,257Lincoln1,60129.48%3,83070.52%-2,229-41.04%5,431Mason13,98452.43%12,68847.57%1,2964.86%26,672Okanogan7,02043.59%9,08456.41%-2,064-12.82%16,104Pacific5,26152.75%4,71347.25%5485.49%9,974Pend Oreille2,38036.95%4,06263.05%-1,682-26.11%6,442Pierce184,14855.71%146,39044.29%37,75811.42%330,538San Juan7,08570.02%3,03329.98%4,05240.05%10,118Skagit28,23053.31%24,72746.69%3,5036.61%52,957Skamania2,37945.57%2,84254.43%-463-8.87%5,221Snohomish187,13557.24%139,78542.76%47,35014.48%326,920Spokane100,83946.46%116,19453.54%-15,355-7.07%217,033Stevens6,77031.37%14,80868.63%-8,038-37.25%21,578Thurston77,42562.15%47,14637.85%30,27924.31%124,571Wahkiakum93243.90%1,19156.10%-259-12.20%2,123Walla Walla10,31343.19%13,56456.81%-3,251-13.62%23,877Whatcom61,27558.89%42,78341.11%18,49217.77%104,058Whitman8,31451.15%7,94148.85%3732.29%16,255Yakima33,86045.59%40,41254.41%-6,552-8.82%74,272Totals1,763,13458.34%1,258,82741.66%504,30716.69%3,021,961

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Cowlitz (largest city: Longview) Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Whitman (largest city: Pullman)

By congressional district Kreidler won seven of ten congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican. District Kreidler Schrock Representative 56% 44%Suzan DelBene 61% 39%Rick Larsen 48% 52%Jaime Herrera Beutler 41% 59%Dan Newhouse 45% 55%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 58% 42%Derek Kilmer83%17%Jim McDermottPramila Jayapal 51% 49%Dave Reichert 72% 28%Adam Smith 59% 41%Denny Heck

References