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| Turnout | 84.14% (of registered voters) ( 5.38pp)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Congressional district results Precinct results
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The2020 United States presidential election in Washington was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the2020 United States presidential election in which all 50U.S. states plus theDistrict of Columbia participated.[2]Washington voters chose electors to represent them in theElectoral College via a popular vote, pitting theRepublican Party's nominee, incumbent PresidentDonald Trump, and running mateVice PresidentMike Pence againstDemocratic Party nominee, former Vice PresidentJoe Biden, and his running mate California SenatorKamala Harris. Washington has 12 electoral votes in the Electoral College.[3]
Prior to the election, most news organizations forecasted Washington as a state that Biden would win, or a safeblue state. Biden won the state by 19.2%, the largest margin for a presidential candidate of any party since1964. He also flipped the swing county ofClallam. Biden also became the candidate with the highest vote total in the state's history, with 2,369,612 votes.[4] This was the first time since1988 that Washington voted to the left ofIllinois.
TheSeattle metropolitan area, home to almost two-thirds of the state's population, is overwhelminglyDemocratic. Despite this, even if the votes fromKing,Snohomish, andPierce counties were removed, Biden would have carried the state by over 4,000 votes.[5] However, Trump won a considerable majority in outlying communities, garnering over 70% of the vote in rural counties such asColumbia.Eastern Washington is very rural and leansRepublican, partly due to the strong tinge ofsocial conservatism it shares with neighboringIdaho, a GOP stronghold. That said, Biden was able to improve on Clinton's margin inWhitman County—anchored by thecollege town ofPullman—increasing it from 4.1% in 2016 to 10.0% in 2020, the best performance for a Democrat in the county since1936. In addition, he narrowed Trump's margin inSpokane County from 8.3% to 4.3%. Biden earned 75% of the vote in King County, home to Seattle. This was the largest margin by any candidate in a presidential race since the county's creation.[6]
Perexit polls by theAssociated Press, Biden's strength in Washington came from winning 57% ofwhite voters, 71% amongLatinos and 77% amongAsian-Americans. Biden won 77% ofirreligious voters, who comprised 34% of the electorate.[7] Additionally, a majority of Native Americans in the state backed Biden with about 65%, with some tribes supporting Biden with over 80%.[8] Biden also became the first Democrat since Washington's admission into the union to win the presidency without winningMason County, the first Democrat sinceJohn F. Kennedy in1960 to prevail without winningCowlitz County, and the first Democrat sinceWoodrow Wilson in1916 to prevail without winningGrays Harbor County andPacific County.
The primaries for the major parties were on March 10, 2020. On March 14, 2019, GovernorJay Inslee signed a bill moving the state's presidential primary up from May to the second Tuesday in March.[9]
Donald Trump,Bill Weld,Joe Walsh, andRocky de la Fuente had declared their candidacy for theRepublican Party, but only Trump met all of the state party's criteria by the official deadline of January 21, 2020, for being included on the ballot.[10] Thus Trump essentially ran unopposed in the Republican primary, and thus he received all of Washington's 43 delegates to the2020 Republican National Convention.[11]
| Candidate | Votes | % | Delegates[13] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump (incumbent) | 684,239 | 100.00% | 43 |
| Total | 684,239 | 100.00% | 43 |
A number ofDemocratic Party candidates ran or expressed interest in running.[14][15][16] Additionally, Seattle-based billionaireHoward Schultz announced a potential bid as an independent in early 2019, but backed out in September of that year.[17] The party's candidates included on the ballot at the deadline wereMichael Bennet,Joe Biden,Michael Bloomberg,Cory Booker,Pete Buttigieg,John Delaney,Tulsi Gabbard,Amy Klobuchar,Deval Patrick,Bernie Sanders,Tom Steyer,Elizabeth Warren andAndrew Yang.[10]
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| Candidate | Votes | % | Delegates[19] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden | 591,403 | 37.98 | 46 |
| Bernie Sanders | 570,039 | 36.60 | 43 |
| Elizabeth Warren(withdrawn)[a] | 142,652 | 9.16 | |
| Michael Bloomberg(withdrawn)[a] | 122,530 | 7.87 | |
| Pete Buttigieg(withdrawn)[b] | 63,344 | 4.07 | |
| Amy Klobuchar(withdrawn)[b] | 33,383 | 2.14 | |
| Tulsi Gabbard | 13,199 | 0.85 | |
| Andrew Yang(withdrawn) | 6,403 | 0.41 | |
| Tom Steyer(withdrawn)[b] | 3,455 | 0.22 | |
| Michael Bennet(withdrawn) | 2,044 | 0.13 | |
| Cory Booker(withdrawn) | 1,314 | 0.08 | |
| John Delaney(withdrawn) | 573 | 0.04 | |
| Deval Patrick(withdrawn) | 508 | 0.03 | |
| Uncommitted | 6,450 | 0.41 | |
| Total | 1,557,297 | 100.00% | 89 |
As a minor party, Washington State's Green Party affiliate is excluded from the publicly funded Presidential Primary in Washington State. The Green Party of Washington facilitated its primary by a mail-in ballot to its members after its Spring Convention on May 23[20] (deadline was June 13).
All candidates recognized by the Green Party of the United States by April 23 were on the ballot, plus a write-in option:
| Source | Ranking |
|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[21] | Solid D |
| Inside Elections[22] | Solid D |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[23] | Safe D |
| Politico[24] | Solid D |
| RCP[25] | Likely D |
| Niskanen[26] | Safe D |
| CNN[27] | Solid D |
| The Economist[28] | Safe D |
| CBS News[29] | Likely D |
| 270towin[30] | Safe D |
| ABC News[31] | Solid D |
| NPR[32] | Likely D |
| NBC News[33] | Solid D |
| 538[34] | Solid D |
 | This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension. |
| Source of poll aggregation | Dates administered | Dates updated | Joe Biden Democratic | Donald Trump Republican | Other/ Undecided [c] | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 to Win[35] | October 8–15, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | 57.5% | 35.5% | 7.0% | Biden +22.0 |
| FiveThirtyEight[36] | until November 2, 2020 | November 3, 2020 | 59.4% | 36.4% | 4.2% | Biden +23.0 |
| Average | 58.5% | 36.0% | 5.6% | Biden +22.5 | ||
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[d] | Margin of error | Donald Trump Republican | Joe Biden Democratic | Jo Jorgensen Libertarian | Howie Hawkins Green | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyMonkey/Axios[37] | Oct 20 – Nov 2, 2020 | 4,142 (LV) | ± 2% | 35%[e] | 62% | – | – | – | – |
| Swayable[38] | Oct 23 – Nov 1, 2020 | 489 (LV) | ± 6% | 39% | 59% | 2% | 1% | – | – |
| SurveyMonkey/Axios[37] | Oct 1–28, 2020 | 7,424 (LV) | – | 36% | 62% | – | – | – | – |
| PPP/NPI[39] | Oct 14–15, 2020 | 610 (LV) | ± 4% | 37% | 60% | – | – | – | 2% |
| SurveyUSA/KING-TV[40] | Oct 8–10, 2020 | 591 (LV) | ± 5.2% | 34% | 55% | – | – | 5%[f] | 5% |
| SurveyMonkey/Axios[37] | Sep 1–30, 2020 | 7,953 (LV) | – | 35% | 64% | – | – | – | 2% |
| Strategies 360[41] | Sep 8–14, 2020 | 501 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 36% | 58% | – | – | – | 7%[g] |
| SurveyMonkey/Axios[37] | Aug 1–31, 2020 | 7,489 (LV) | – | 37% | 61% | – | – | – | 2% |
| SurveyMonkey/Axios[37] | Jul 1–31, 2020 | 7,691 (LV) | – | 37% | 62% | – | – | – | 2% |
| SurveyUSA/KING-TV[42] | Jul 22–27, 2020 | 534 (LV) | ± 5.2% | 28% | 62% | – | – | 6%[h] | – |
| SurveyMonkey/Axios[37] | Jun 8–30, 2020 | 3,939 (LV) | – | 36% | 62% | – | – | – | 2% |
| Public Policy Polling/NPI[43] | May 19–20, 2020 | 1,070 (LV) | ± 3% | 37% | 59% | – | – | – | 5% |
| SurveyUSA/KING-TV[44] | May 16–19, 2020 | 530 (LV) | ± 5.5% | 31% | 57% | – | – | 5%[i] | 7% |
| EMC Research[45] | Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2020 | 583 (A) | ± 4.1% | 39% | 52% | – | – | – | 9% |
| SurveyUSA/KING-TV[46] | Mar 4–6, 2020 | 992 (RV) | ± 3.8% | 34% | 57% | – | – | – | 9% |
| Public Policy Polling/The Cascadia Advocate[47] | Oct 22–23, 2019 | 900 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 37% | 59% | – | – | – | 3% |
| Zogby Interactive/JZ Analytics[48] | Jul 22 – Aug 1, 2019 | 1,265 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 31% | 52% | – | – | – | 17% |
Donald Trump vs. Pete Buttigieg
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[d] | Margin of error | Donald Trump (R) | Pete Buttigieg (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby Interactive/JZ Analytics[48] | Jul 22 – Aug 1, 2019 | 1,265 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 32% | 44% | 24% |
with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[d] | Margin of error | Donald Trump (R) | Kamala Harris (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby Interactive/JZ Analytics[48] | Jul 22 – Aug 1, 2019 | 1,265 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 33% | 47% | 20% |
Donald Trump vs. Bernie Sanders
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[d] | Margin of error | Donald Trump (R) | Bernie Sanders (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA/KING-TV[46] | Mar 4–6, 2020 | 992 (RV) | ± 3.8% | 35% | 56% | 9% |
| Public Policy Polling/The Cascadia Advocate[47] | Oct 22–23, 2019 | 900 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 37% | 58% | 6% |
| Zogby Interactive/JZ Analytics[48] | Jul 22 – Aug 1, 2019 | 1,265 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 32% | 54% | 14% |
Donald Trump vs. Elizabeth Warren
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[d] | Margin of error | Donald Trump (R) | Elizabeth Warren (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA/KING-TV[46] | Mar 4–6, 2020 | 992 (RV) | ± 3.8% | 38% | 52% | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling/The Cascadia Advocate[47] | Oct 22–23, 2019 | 900 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 37% | 60% | 3% |
| Zogby Interactive/JZ Analytics[48] | Jul 22 – Aug 1, 2019 | 1,265 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 33% | 48% | 20% |
with Donald Trump and generic Democrat
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[d] | Margin of error | Donald Trump (R) | Generic Democrat | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[49] | May 21–22, 2019 | 886 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 34% | 59% | 7% |
These slates of electors were nominated by each party in order to vote in theElectoral College should their candidate win the state:[50]
| Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Democratic Party | Donald Trump and Mike Pence Republican Party | Jo Jorgensen and Spike Cohen Libertarian Party | Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker Green Party | Gloria La Riva and Sunil Freeman Party for Socialism and Liberation | Alyson Kennedy and Malcolm Jarrett Socialist Workers Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Chaney Jack Arends Jackie Lane Patsy Whitefoot Nancy Monacelli Julie Johnson Sophia Danenberg Jen Carter Bryan Kesterson Julian Wheeler Santiago Ramos Payton Swinford | Eric Rohrbach Timothy Hazelo Ronald Averill Richard Bilskis Dan Wallace Elizabeth Kreiselmaier Craig Keller Tamara Flaherty Timothy Tow Colleen Wise Arthur Coday Sandi Peterson | Nathan Deily Miguel Duque Nicholas Coelho Larry Nicholas Data Logan Whitney Davis Ciaran Dougherty Steve Hansen Larry Hovde Will Leonard Randy McGlenn Anna Johnson | Jody Thorsen Grage Cynthia J. Sellers Margaret J. Elisabeth Stonewall Bird Scott Charles Thompson Bruce Radtke Charles Law Richard A. Redick Frank Lockwood Noah Martin Colin Bartlett Daniel Bumbarger | Jane N. Cutter Andrew T. Freeman Emily Forschmiedt Sean Connolly Jacob Nasrallah Gregory Plancich Ryan Oliveira Nicolas Boone Mitchell Malloy Mario Carbonell Eric Buerk Charles A Susat | Michele Ann Smith Patricia Ann Scott Sara Jane Gates Keith Bryan Smith Mary Juanita Martin Edwin B. Fruit Scott A. Breen Barbara Anne Kline Rashaad Ali Robert Bruneau Dean Denno Leah Beth Finger |
By winning nearly 58% of the vote, Joe Biden's performance was the best showing for a presidential candidate of any party in Washington since Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory in1964.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joe Biden Kamala Harris | 2,369,612 | 57.97% | +5.43% | |
| Republican | Donald Trump Mike Pence | 1,584,651 | 38.77% | +1.94% | |
| Libertarian | Jo Jorgensen Spike Cohen | 80,500 | 1.97% | −2.88% | |
| Green | Howie Hawkins Angela Walker | 18,289 | 0.45% | −1.31% | |
| Socialism and Liberation | Gloria La Riva Sunil Freeman | 4,840 | 0.12% | +0.01% | |
| Socialist Workers | Alyson Kennedy Malcolm Jarrett | 2,487 | 0.06% | −0.07% | |
| Write-in | 27,252 | 0.67% | −2.58% | ||
| Total votes | 4,087,631 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| County[52] | Joe Biden Democratic | Donald Trump Republican | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,814 | 30.95% | 3,907 | 66.65% | 141 | 2.41% | -2,093 | -35.70% | 5,862 |
| Asotin | 4,250 | 35.56% | 7,319 | 61.24% | 382 | 3.20% | -3,069 | -25.68% | 11,951 |
| Benton | 38,706 | 37.57% | 60,365 | 58.59% | 3,962 | 3.85% | -21,659 | -21.02% | 103,033 |
| Chelan | 19,349 | 44.68% | 22,746 | 52.52% | 1,211 | 2.80% | -3,397 | -7.84% | 43,306 |
| Clallam | 24,721 | 50.18% | 23,062 | 46.81% | 1,481 | 3.01% | 1,659 | 3.37% | 49,264 |
| Clark | 140,324 | 50.95% | 126,303 | 45.86% | 8,776 | 3.19% | 14,021 | 5.09% | 275,403 |
| Columbia | 668 | 26.77% | 1,754 | 70.30% | 73 | 2.93% | -1,086 | -43.53% | 2,495 |
| Cowlitz | 23,938 | 39.71% | 34,424 | 57.11% | 1,918 | 3.18% | -10,486 | -17.40% | 60,280 |
| Douglas | 7,811 | 36.66% | 12,955 | 60.80% | 542 | 2.54% | -5,144 | -24.14% | 21,308 |
| Ferry | 1,486 | 34.03% | 2,771 | 63.45% | 110 | 2.52% | -1,285 | -29.43% | 4,367 |
| Franklin | 13,340 | 41.17% | 18,039 | 55.67% | 1,025 | 3.16% | -4,699 | -14.50% | 32,404 |
| Garfield | 366 | 24.58% | 1,069 | 71.79% | 54 | 3.63% | -703 | -47.21% | 1,489 |
| Grant | 11,819 | 31.37% | 24,764 | 65.72% | 1,097 | 2.91% | -12,945 | -34.36% | 37,680 |
| Grays Harbor | 17,354 | 45.14% | 19,877 | 51.71% | 1,210 | 3.15% | -2,523 | -6.56% | 38,441 |
| Island | 29,213 | 54.17% | 22,746 | 42.18% | 1,966 | 3.65% | 6,467 | 11.99% | 53,925 |
| Jefferson | 17,204 | 69.39% | 6,931 | 27.96% | 657 | 2.65% | 10,273 | 41.44% | 24,792 |
| King | 907,310 | 74.95% | 269,167 | 22.24% | 34,030 | 2.81% | 638,143 | 52.72% | 1,210,507 |
| Kitsap | 90,277 | 56.90% | 61,563 | 38.80% | 6,832 | 4.31% | 28,714 | 18.10% | 158,672 |
| Kittitas | 11,421 | 43.32% | 14,105 | 53.50% | 838 | 3.18% | -2,684 | -10.18% | 26,364 |
| Klickitat | 5,959 | 43.95% | 7,237 | 53.37% | 364 | 2.68% | -1,278 | -9.42% | 13,560 |
| Lewis | 14,520 | 32.05% | 29,391 | 64.87% | 1,398 | 3.09% | -14,871 | -32.82% | 45,309 |
| Lincoln | 1,713 | 24.36% | 5,150 | 73.23% | 170 | 2.42% | -3,437 | -48.87% | 7,033 |
| Mason | 17,269 | 46.29% | 18,710 | 50.16% | 1,324 | 3.55% | -1,441 | -3.86% | 37,303 |
| Okanogan | 8,900 | 41.82% | 11,840 | 55.63% | 542 | 2.55% | -2,940 | -13.81% | 21,282 |
| Pacific | 6,794 | 48.31% | 6,953 | 49.44% | 317 | 2.25% | -159 | -1.13% | 14,064 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,593 | 30.32% | 5,728 | 66.97% | 232 | 2.71% | -3,135 | -36.65% | 8,553 |
| Pierce | 249,506 | 53.76% | 197,730 | 42.61% | 16,845 | 3.63% | 51,776 | 11.16% | 464,081 |
| San Juan | 9,725 | 73.69% | 3,057 | 23.16% | 415 | 3.14% | 6,668 | 50.53% | 13,197 |
| Skagit | 38,252 | 52.10% | 32,762 | 44.62% | 2,409 | 3.28% | 5,490 | 7.48% | 73,423 |
| Skamania | 3,192 | 43.65% | 3,885 | 53.13% | 235 | 3.21% | -693 | -9.48% | 7,312 |
| Snohomish | 256,728 | 58.51% | 166,428 | 37.93% | 15,640 | 3.56% | 90,300 | 20.58% | 438,796 |
| Spokane | 135,765 | 45.96% | 148,576 | 50.29% | 11,089 | 3.75% | -12,811 | -4.34% | 295,430 |
| Stevens | 7,839 | 27.57% | 19,808 | 69.67% | 783 | 2.75% | -11,969 | -42.10% | 28,430 |
| Thurston | 96,608 | 57.46% | 65,277 | 38.82% | 6,249 | 3.72% | 31,331 | 18.63% | 168,134 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,165 | 39.08% | 1,741 | 58.40% | 75 | 2.52% | -576 | -19.32% | 2,981 |
| Walla Walla | 13,690 | 43.79% | 16,400 | 52.46% | 1,171 | 3.75% | -2,710 | -8.67% | 31,261 |
| Whatcom | 83,660 | 60.35% | 50,489 | 36.42% | 4,471 | 3.23% | 33,171 | 23.93% | 138,620 |
| Whitman | 11,184 | 52.94% | 9,067 | 42.92% | 875 | 4.14% | 2,117 | 10.02% | 21,126 |
| Yakima | 43,179 | 44.89% | 50,555 | 52.56% | 2,459 | 2.56% | -7,376 | -7.67% | 96,193 |
| Totals | 2,369,612 | 57.97% | 1,584,651 | 38.77% | 133,368 | 3.26% | 784,961 | 19.20% | 4,087,631 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Swing by county
Trend relative to the state by county
County flipsDemocratic Hold Gain from Republican | Republican Hold
|
Biden won seven of ten congressional districts.[54]
| District | Trump | Biden | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 38% | 59% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 35% | 62% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 50% | 47% | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
| 4th | 58% | 39% | Dan Newhouse |
| 5th | 53% | 44% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 39% | 57% | Derek Kilmer |
| 7th | 12% | 85% | Pramila Jayapal |
| 8th | 45% | 52% | Kim Schrier |
| 9th | 24% | 73% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 40% | 56% | Denny Heck |
| Marilyn Strickland |
State and district results of the2020 United States presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
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