 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County results Spellman: 50–60% 60–70% McDermott: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
The1980 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1980. IncumbentDemocratic governorDixy Lee Ray ran for a second term, but lost in the primary to State RepresentativeJim McDermott. McDermott was defeated in the general election byRepublican candidateJohn Spellman, theKing County Executive. As of 2026, this is the last time a Republican was elected Governor of Washington, thus beginning the longest Democratic streak in any of the 50 state governorships once Spellman left office.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim McDermott | 321,256 | 33.04% | |
| Democratic | Dixy Lee Ray (incumbent) | 234,252 | 24.09% | |
| Republican | John Spellman | 162,426 | 16.70% | |
| Republican | Duane Berentson | 154,724 | 15.91% | |
| Republican | Bruce Chapman | 70,875 | 7.29% | |
| Republican | Patrick Sean McGowan | 7,324 | 0.75% | |
| Democratic | Caroline Diamond | 4,184 | 0.43% | |
| Democratic | Robert L. Baldwin Sr. | 3,578 | 0.37% | |
| Socialist Workers | Mary Nell Bockman | 2,833 | 0.29% | |
| Democratic | Lloyd G. Isley | 2,723 | 0.28% | |
| Republican | Louise A. Saluteen | 2,622 | 0.27% | |
| Democratic | Douglas P. Bestle | 2,481 | 0.26% | |
| Republican | Rabbine Matthew Sutich | 1,606 | 0.17% | |
| Democratic | Jef Jaisun | 1,476 | 0.15% | |
| Total votes | 972,360 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Spellman | 981,083 | 56.68% | +12.25% | |
| Democratic | Jim McDermott | 749,813 | 43.32% | −9.82% | |
| Total votes | 1,730,896 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
John Spellman was the first Republican to carryFranklin County,Mason County, andPierce County sinceRoland H. Hartley in1928. Franklin County has voted Republican in every subsequent gubernatorial election. Spellman is the most recent Republican to have wonKing County andThurston County.Snohomish County andWhatcom County have voted Republican only once since this election.[a]
| County[2] | Jim McDermott Democratic | John Spellman Republican | Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,528 | 31.92% | 3,259 | 68.08% | 1,731 | 36.16% | 4,787 |
| Asotin | 2,859 | 42.83% | 3,817 | 57.17% | 958 | 14.35% | 6,676 |
| Benton | 13,637 | 30.75% | 30,710 | 69.25% | 17,073 | 38.50% | 44,347 |
| Chelan | 7,670 | 39.53% | 11,734 | 60.47% | 4,064 | 20.94% | 19,404 |
| Clallam | 9,567 | 42.91% | 12,729 | 57.09% | 3,162 | 14.18% | 22,296 |
| Clark | 32,364 | 45.21% | 39,225 | 54.79% | 6,861 | 9.58% | 71,589 |
| Columbia | 670 | 33.14% | 1,352 | 66.86% | 682 | 33.73% | 2,022 |
| Cowlitz | 13,910 | 49.55% | 14,160 | 50.45% | 250 | 0.89% | 28,070 |
| Douglas | 3,462 | 39.75% | 5,248 | 60.25% | 1,786 | 20.51% | 8,710 |
| Ferry | 1,067 | 52.74% | 956 | 47.26% | -111 | -5.49% | 2,023 |
| Franklin | 4,454 | 38.06% | 7,249 | 61.94% | 2,795 | 23.88% | 11,703 |
| Garfield | 502 | 34.01% | 974 | 65.99% | 472 | 31.98% | 1,476 |
| Grant | 6,989 | 39.22% | 10,839 | 60.78% | 3,840 | 21.55% | 17,818 |
| Grays Harbor | 13,098 | 50.24% | 12,971 | 49.76% | -127 | -0.49% | 26,069 |
| Island | 6,998 | 38.28% | 11,285 | 61.72% | 4,287 | 23.45% | 18,283 |
| Jefferson | 4,105 | 50.89% | 3,961 | 49.11% | -144 | -1.79% | 8,066 |
| King | 267,218 | 44.90% | 327,941 | 55.10% | 60,723 | 10.20% | 595,159 |
| Kitsap | 24,150 | 39.90% | 36,372 | 60.10% | 12,222 | 20.19% | 60,522 |
| Kittitas | 4,822 | 45.47% | 5,783 | 54.53% | 961 | 9.06% | 10,605 |
| Klickitat | 3,152 | 51.71% | 2,944 | 48.29% | -208 | -3.41% | 6,096 |
| Lewis | 8,580 | 37.62% | 14,230 | 62.38% | 5,650 | 24.77% | 22,810 |
| Lincoln | 1,909 | 35.48% | 3,471 | 64.52% | 1,562 | 29.03% | 5,380 |
| Mason | 6,357 | 46.16% | 7,414 | 53.84% | 1,057 | 7.68% | 13,771 |
| Okanogan | 5,741 | 46.11% | 6,710 | 53.89% | 969 | 7.78% | 12,451 |
| Pacific | 4,650 | 57.92% | 3,379 | 42.08% | -1,271 | -15.83% | 8,029 |
| Pend Oreille | 1,688 | 45.22% | 2,045 | 54.78% | 357 | 9.56% | 3,733 |
| Pierce | 75,305 | 43.38% | 98,289 | 56.62% | 22,984 | 13.24% | 173,594 |
| San Juan | 2,315 | 47.23% | 2,587 | 52.77% | 272 | 5.55% | 4,902 |
| Skagit | 13,683 | 44.59% | 17,003 | 55.41% | 3,320 | 10.82% | 30,686 |
| Skamania | 1,603 | 54.08% | 1,361 | 45.92% | -242 | -8.16% | 2,964 |
| Snohomish | 60,587 | 44.62% | 75,203 | 55.38% | 14,616 | 10.76% | 135,790 |
| Spokane | 56,827 | 40.24% | 84,400 | 59.76% | 27,573 | 19.52% | 141,227 |
| Stevens | 4,322 | 37.58% | 7,178 | 62.42% | 2,856 | 24.83% | 11,500 |
| Thurston | 23,122 | 42.10% | 31,803 | 57.90% | 8,681 | 15.81% | 54,925 |
| Wahkiakum | 926 | 54.70% | 767 | 45.30% | -159 | -9.39% | 1,693 |
| Walla Walla | 6,954 | 36.70% | 11,993 | 63.30% | 5,039 | 26.60% | 18,947 |
| Whatcom | 22,215 | 48.36% | 23,722 | 51.64% | 1,507 | 3.28% | 45,937 |
| Whitman | 7,195 | 42.40% | 9,773 | 57.60% | 2,578 | 15.19% | 16,968 |
| Yakima | 23,612 | 39.45% | 36,246 | 60.55% | 12,634 | 21.11% | 59,858 |
| Totals | 749,813 | 43.32% | 981,083 | 56.68% | 231,270 | 13.36% | 1,730,896 |
