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Presidential election in Washington, 2016

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General election in Washington
  Date: November 8, 2016
2016 winner:Hillary Clinton
Electoral votes:12
2012 winner:Barack Obama (D)
Democratic Caucuses
  Date: March 26, 2016
Winner:Bernie Sanders
Republican Primary
  Date: May 24, 2016
Winner:Donald Trump
Down ballot races in Washington
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Washington heldan election for thepresident of the United States on November 8, 2016. Democratic caucuses took place on March 26, 2016. A Republican primary election took place on May 24, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Hillary Clinton won Washington in the general election.
  • In 2016, Washington had12 electoral votes, which was2.2 percent of the538 electoral votes up for grabs and4.4 percent of the270 electoral votes needed to win the general election.
  • Between 1900 and 2016, Washington cast votes for the winning presidential candidate73.33 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Washington supported Democratic candidates for president more often than Republican candidates,53.33 to43.33 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every election between between 2000 and 2016.
  • Bernie Sanders won the Democratic caucuses in Washington with72.7 percent of the vote.Donald Trump won the Republican primary in Washington with75.5 percent.

    • General election candidates

    See also:Ballot access for presidential candidates

    The candidate list below is based on anofficial list on the Washington secretary of state website. The candidate names below appear in the order in which they were listed on the official list—not necessarily the order in which they appeared on the ballot in November. Write-in candidates were not included in the list below.

    Presidential candidates on the ballot in Washington

    ☐Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican)
    ☑Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (Democratic)
    ☐Alyson Kennedy/Osborne Hart (Socialist Workers)
    ☐Gloria Estela La Riva/Eugene Puryear (Socialism and Liberation)
    ☐Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka (Green)
    ☐Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley (Constitution)
    ☐Gary Johnson/Bill Weld (Libertarian)

    Results

    U.S. presidential election, Washington, 2016
    PartyCandidateVote %VotesElectoral votes
        DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton/Tim Kaine52.5%1,742,71812
        RepublicanDonald Trump/Mike Pence36.8%1,221,7470
        LibertarianGary Johnson/Bill Weld4.9%160,8790
        GreenJill Stein/Ajamu Baraka1.8%58,4170
        Socialist WorkersAlyson Kennedy/Osborne Hart0.1%4,3070
        Socialism and LiberationGloria Estela La Riva/Eugene Puryear0.1%3,5230
        ConstitutionDarrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley0.5%17,6230
        - Other/Write-in3.3%107,8050
    Total Votes3,317,01912
    Election results via:Federal Election Commission

    Pivot Counties

    See also:Pivot Counties: The counties that voted Obama-Obama-Trump from 2008-2016

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted forDonald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting forBarack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012, in 34 states.[1] Collectively, Trump won thesePivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes, and had an average margin of victory of 11.45 percent. The political shift in these counties could have a broad impact on elections at every level of government for the next four years.

    Historical election trends

    See also:Presidential election accuracy

    Below is an analysis of Washington's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from theU.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

    Presidential election voting record in Washington, 1900-2016

    Between 1900 and 2016:

    • Washington participated in30 presidential elections.
    • Washington voted for the winning presidential candidate73.33 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was72.31 percent.[2]
    • Washington voted Democratic53.33 percent of the time and Republican43.33 percent of the time.

    Third party vote

    In 1912, Woodrow Wilson ran as theDemocratic candidate, Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Progressive candidate, and William H. Taft ran as theRepublican candidate. Taft wonUtah andVermont, while Roosevelt won 11 electoral votes (Wilson got two) fromCalifornia, 15 fromMichigan, 12 fromMinnesota, 38 inPennsylvania, five fromSouth Dakota, and seven fromWashington.[3]

    Presidential election voting record in Washington, 2000-2016

    *An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

    Election results

    2012

    U.S. presidential election, Washington, 2012
    PartyCandidateVote %VotesElectoral votes
        DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngBarack Obama/Joe BidenIncumbent55.8%1,755,36912
        RepublicanMitt Romney/Paul Ryan41.1%1,290,6700
        LibertarianGary Johnson/Jim Gray1.3%42,2020
        Green Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala0.7%20,9280
        N/A Write-ins0.6%20,3940
        Constitution Virgil Goode/James Clymer0.3%8,8510
        Justice Ross Anderson/Luis Rodriguez0.2%4,9460
    Total Votes3,143,36012
    Election results via:U.S. Election Atlas

    Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Peta Lindsay, James Harris, Roseanne Barr, Thomas Hoefling, Merlin Miller, Andre Barnett and Jill Ann Reed.[5]

    2008

    U.S. presidential election, Washington, 2008
    PartyCandidateVote %VotesElectoral votes
        DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngBarack Obama/Joe Biden57.4%1,750,84811
        RepublicanJohn McCain/Sarah Palin40.3%1,229,2160
        Independent Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez1%29,4890
        N/A Write-ins0.5%14,9040
        Libertarian Bob Barr/Wayne Allyn Root0.4%12,7280
        Constitution Chuck Baldwin/Darrell Castle0.3%9,4320
        Green Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente0.1%3,8190
    Total Votes3,050,43611
    Election results via:U.S. Election Atlas

    Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Ron Paul, Gloria LaRiva, Roger Calero, Alan Keyes, Brian Moore and Johnathan Allen.[6]

    Electoral votes

    See also:Electoral College

    The president of the United States is not elected by popular vote but rather by electors in theElectoral College. In fact, when Americans vote for president, they are actually voting for a slate of electors selected by members of Democratic and Republican state parties or nominated in some other fashion. Under this system, which is laid out in Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution, each state is allocated one electoral vote for every member of their congressional delegation, meaning one for each member of theU.S. House and one for each of their twoSenators.

    Washington electors

    In 2016, Washington had 12 electoral votes. Washington's share of electoral votes represented2.2 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs in the general election and4.4 percent of the 270 votes needed to be elected president.

    "Faithless electors"

    TheU.S. Constitution does not dictate how presidential electors are to cast their votes, but, in general, electors are expected to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state or the candidates of the party that nominated them to serve as electors. Electors who choose not to vote for the winner of the popular vote or the candidates of the party that nominated them are known as"faithless electors." Faithless electors are rare. Between 1900 and 2012, there were only eight known instances of faithless electors.

    Several states have passed laws against faithless electors and require electors to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, for the candidate of the party that nominated them to serve as electors, or in accordance with any pledge they may have been required to make at the time of their nomination. In states with these types of laws, faithless electors can be fined or replaced, or their votes can be nullified.[7][8]

    Washington was one of 31 states in 2016—including the District of Columbia—with a law seeking to bind the votes of presidential electors.

    Down ballot races

    See also:Washington elections, 2016

    Below is a list of down ballot races in Washington covered by Ballotpedia in 2016.

    Primary election

    Quick facts

    Democrats:
    • 2016 Democratic winner:Bernie Sanders
    • 2008 Democratic winner:Barack Obama
    • Type:Caucus
    • Delegate allocation:Proportional
    • Pledged delegates at stake:101
    		Republicans
    • 2016 Republican winner:Donald Trump
    • 2012 Republican winner:Mitt Romney
    • Type:Closed Primary
    • Delegate allocation:Proportional
    • Pledged delegates at stake:44

    Democrats

    Bernie Sanders won the Washington Democratic caucuses, beatingHillary Clinton by more than 40 points. Sanders carried every county in the state. He won Washington’s three largest counties by substantial margins: King, whereSeattle is located, by roughly 34 points; Pierce by more than 40 points; and Snohomish by more than 50 points. In 2008, Clinton lost Washington toBarack Obama 31 to 68 percent. Like Sanders, Obama also won every county in the state.[9] One-hundred-one pledged delegates were up for grabs in the Washington Democratic caucus. They were allocated proportionally, with the lion’s share going to Sanders. Eight of Washington’s 17superdelegates, including GovernorJay Inslee and U.S. SenatorMaria Cantwell, publicly pledged to back Clinton prior to the March 26 caucus, according toThe Seattle Times.[10] Two other western states also held Democratic caucuses on March 26:Hawaii andAlaska. Clinton won a non-binding Democratic primary election in Washington on May 24, 2016.[11]

    Republicans

    Donald Trump won the Washington Republican primary with more than 70 percent of the vote. Trump, the only official candidate in the race at the time of the primary, carried every county in the state.Ted Cruz came in second, followed byJohn Kasich andBen Carson in third and fourth, respectively.Mitt Romney won Washington in the 2012 Republican primary.

    2016 primary results

    Democrats

    Washington Democratic Caucus, 2016
    CandidateVote %VotesDelegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngBernie Sanders72.7%19,13574
    Hillary Clinton27.1%7,13627
    Other0.2%430
    Totals26,314101
    Source:The New York Times andWashington State Democratic Party

    Republicans

    Washington Republican Primary, 2016
    CandidateVote %VotesDelegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump75.5%455,02341
    Ted Cruz10.8%65,1720
    John Kasich9.8%58,9540
    Ben Carson4%23,8490
    Totals602,99841
    Source:The New York Times andWashington Secretary of State

    Delegates

    Delegate selection

    See also:2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

    Democratic Party

    Democratic Party Logo.png

    Washington had 118 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 101 werepledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state'spledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide caucus results.[12][13]

    Seventeen party leaders and elected officials served asunpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[12][14]

    Washington superdelegates

    See also:Superdelegates from Washington, 2016 andSuperdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

    Republican Party

    Logo-GOP.png

    Washington had 44 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 30 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's 10 congressional districts). Washington's district delegates were allocated proportionally; a candidate had to win at least 20 percent of the primary vote within a district in order to be eligible to receive any of that district's delegates. If a candidate won more than 50 percent of the district vote, he or she received all of that district's delegates. If only one candidates broke the 20 percent threshold, that candidate received all of the district's delegates. If two candidates each won more than 20 percent of the district vote, the first place finisher received two of the district's delegates, and the second place finisher received one. If three candidates each received more than 20 percent of the district vote, each candidate received one of the district's delegates. If four candidates each won more than 20 percent of the district vote, the top three finishers each received one delegate.[15][16]

    Of the remaining 14 delegates, 11 served at large. Washington's at-large delegates were allocated on a proportional basis; a candidate had to win at least 20 percent of the statewide primary vote in order to be eligible to receive any of the state's at-large delegates. However, the at-large delegates were allocated in proportion to all candidates who were on the ballot, meaning, if only one candidate surpassed the 20 percent threshold and there were multiple candidates on the ballot, then some delegates could be allocated as unbound delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention.[15][16]

    Republican delegates

    See also:Republican delegates from Washington, 2016 andRNC delegate guidelines from Washington, 2016

    Presidential voting history

    Washington presidential election results (1900-2024)

    • 18Democratic wins
    • 13Republican wins
    • 1other win
    Year19001904190819121916192019241928193219361940194419481952195619601964196819721976198019841988199219962000200420082012201620202024
    Winning PartyRRRP[17]DRRRDDDDDRRRDDRRRRDDDDDDDDDD

    State profile

    Demographic data for Washington
     WashingtonU.S.
    Total population:7,160,290316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):66,4563,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:77.8%73.6%
    Black/African American:3.6%12.6%
    Asian:7.7%5.1%
    Native American:1.3%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.6%0.2%
    Two or more:5.2%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:12%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:90.4%86.7%
    College graduation rate:32.9%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$61,062$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:14.4%11.3%
    Source:U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Clickhere for more information on the 2020 census andhere for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Washington.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the censushere.

    Presidential voting pattern

    See also:Presidential voting trends in Washington

    Washingtonvoted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

    Pivot Counties (2016)

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted forDonald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting forBarack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won thesePivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Washington, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[18]

    Pivot Counties (2020)

    In2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won asRetained Pivot Counties and those won byJoe Biden (D) asBoomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Washington had four Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 2.21 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

    More Washington coverage on Ballotpedia

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip ofAtlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
    2. ↑This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
    3. ↑U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, "Electoral Votes, 1904-1912," accessed June 21, 2016
    4. ↑This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
    5. ↑U.S. Election Atlas, "2012 Presidential Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014
    6. ↑U.S. Election Atlas, "2008 Presidential Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014
    7. ↑Archives.gov, "About the Electors," accessed July 28, 2016
    8. ↑Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: How it works in contemporary presidential elections," April 13, 2016
    9. ↑CNN, "2008 Washington primary," accessed March 26, 2016
    10. ↑The Seattle Times, "Bernie Sanders backers demand Washington superdelegates feel the Bern," March 26, 2016
    11. ↑The Seattle Times, "Trump, Clinton win Washington state primary," May 24, 2016
    12. ↑12.012.1Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
    13. ↑The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
    14. ↑Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
    15. ↑15.015.1Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
    16. ↑16.016.1CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
    17. ↑Progressive Party
    18. ↑The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip ofAtlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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