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 County results Gardner: 50–60% 60–70% Williams: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1988 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1988. IncumbentDemocratic governorBooth Gardner won a second term, defeatingRepublican state representativeBob Williams in a landslide. This election was the first time since1960 that an incumbent Democratic governor of Washington was re-elected.
Gardner won the highest share of the vote sinceClarence Martin in1936. Gardner's 62.21% of the vote is third-highest of any gubernatorial candidate in Washington's history.[a]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Booth Gardner (incumbent) | 539,243 | 57.64% | |
| Republican | Bob Williams | 187,797 | 22.07% | |
| Republican | Norm Maleng | 139,274 | 14.89% | |
| Democratic | Jeanne Dixon | 31,917 | 3.41% | |
| Democratic | Richard "Onery Dick" Short | 14,782 | 1.58% | |
| Democratic | Ted Parker Fix | 9,302 | 0.99% | |
| Republican | Paul Dean Santos | 7,370 | 0.79% | |
| Independent | Baba Jeanne Mangaoang | 5,818 | 0.62% | |
| Total votes | 935,503 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Booth Gardner (incumbent) | 1,166,448 | 62.21% | +8.90% | |
| Republican | Bob Williams | 708,481 | 37.79% | −8.90% | |
| Majority | 457,967 | 24.43% | |||
| Total votes | 1,874,929 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | +17.81% | |||
Gardner's landslide win made him the first Democrat sinceClarence Martin in1936 to carryChelan County,Garfield County,Lincoln County,San Juan County,Walla Walla County, andWhitman County. However, since this election, no Democrat has wonChelan County,Douglas County,Ferry County,Garfield County,Grant County,Lincoln County, andOkanogan County.
| County[2] | Booth Gardner Democratic | Bob Williams Republican | Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,228 | 49.83% | 2,243 | 50.17% | -15 | -0.34% | 4,471 |
| Asotin | 4,345 | 65.74% | 2,264 | 34.26% | 2,081 | 31.49% | 6,609 |
| Benton | 15,407 | 34.44% | 29,333 | 65.56% | -13,926 | -31.13% | 44,740 |
| Chelan | 11,037 | 58.10% | 7,961 | 41.90% | 3,076 | 16.19% | 18,998 |
| Clallam | 13,776 | 59.43% | 9,406 | 40.57% | 4,370 | 18.85% | 23,182 |
| Clark | 45,072 | 57.67% | 33,086 | 42.33% | 11,986 | 15.34% | 78,158 |
| Columbia | 918 | 46.55% | 1,054 | 53.45% | -136 | -6.90% | 1,972 |
| Cowlitz | 14,154 | 49.25% | 14,584 | 50.75% | -430 | -1.50% | 28,738 |
| Douglas | 5,208 | 54.80% | 4,296 | 45.20% | 912 | 9.60% | 9,504 |
| Ferry | 1,161 | 57.16% | 870 | 42.84% | 291 | 14.33% | 2,031 |
| Franklin | 4,438 | 40.25% | 6,587 | 59.75% | -2,149 | -19.49% | 11,025 |
| Garfield | 783 | 58.26% | 561 | 41.74% | 222 | 16.52% | 1,344 |
| Grant | 9,383 | 51.52% | 8,830 | 48.48% | 553 | 3.04% | 18,213 |
| Grays Harbor | 16,951 | 69.79% | 7,336 | 30.21% | 9,615 | 39.59% | 24,287 |
| Island | 12,369 | 57.14% | 9,277 | 42.86% | 3,092 | 14.28% | 21,646 |
| Jefferson | 6,378 | 65.90% | 3,300 | 34.10% | 3,078 | 31.80% | 9,678 |
| King | 453,572 | 69.89% | 195,378 | 30.11% | 258,194 | 39.79% | 648,950 |
| Kitsap | 42,616 | 60.62% | 27,683 | 39.38% | 14,933 | 21.24% | 70,299 |
| Kittitas | 6,723 | 63.37% | 3,886 | 36.63% | 2,837 | 26.74% | 10,609 |
| Klickitat | 3,482 | 57.09% | 2,617 | 42.91% | 865 | 14.18% | 6,099 |
| Lewis | 10,256 | 43.39% | 13,380 | 56.61% | -3,124 | -13.22% | 23,636 |
| Lincoln | 2,423 | 51.12% | 2,317 | 48.88% | 106 | 2.24% | 4,740 |
| Mason | 9,699 | 60.94% | 6,217 | 39.06% | 3,482 | 21.88% | 15,916 |
| Okanogan | 6,824 | 57.33% | 5,078 | 42.67% | 1,746 | 14.67% | 11,902 |
| Pacific | 5,513 | 67.39% | 2,668 | 32.61% | 2,845 | 34.78% | 8,181 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,317 | 60.43% | 1,517 | 39.57% | 800 | 20.87% | 3,834 |
| Pierce | 119,459 | 63.28% | 69,307 | 36.72% | 50,152 | 26.57% | 188,766 |
| San Juan | 3,814 | 65.87% | 1,976 | 34.13% | 1,838 | 31.74% | 5,790 |
| Skagit | 19,902 | 60.33% | 13,089 | 39.67% | 6,813 | 20.65% | 32,991 |
| Skamania | 1,653 | 52.36% | 1,504 | 47.64% | 149 | 4.72% | 3,157 |
| Snohomish | 105,357 | 62.53% | 63,123 | 37.47% | 42,234 | 25.07% | 168,480 |
| Spokane | 80,678 | 56.72% | 61,571 | 43.28% | 19,107 | 13.43% | 142,249 |
| Stevens | 5,880 | 48.48% | 6,249 | 51.52% | -369 | -3.04% | 12,129 |
| Thurston | 42,583 | 62.74% | 25,292 | 37.26% | 17,291 | 25.47% | 67,875 |
| Wahkiakum | 820 | 52.06% | 755 | 47.94% | 65 | 4.13% | 1,575 |
| Walla Walla | 8,916 | 50.36% | 8,789 | 49.64% | 127 | 0.72% | 17,705 |
| Whatcom | 31,321 | 62.32% | 18,934 | 37.68% | 12,387 | 24.65% | 50,255 |
| Whitman | 9,337 | 60.78% | 6,026 | 39.22% | 3,311 | 21.55% | 15,363 |
| Yakima | 29,695 | 49.63% | 30,137 | 50.37% | -442 | -0.74% | 59,832 |
| Totals | 1,166,448 | 62.21% | 708,481 | 37.79% | 457,967 | 24.43% | 1,874,929 |
