2012 Washington gubernatorial election

The 2012 Washington gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012. Candidates in the election were chosen in an August 7, 2012 primary election, under the state's nonpartisan blanket primary system, which allows voters to vote for any candidate running in the race, regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates who received the most votes in the primary election qualified for the general election.
Incumbent Governor Christine Gregoire decided to retire rather than seek a third term. She endorsed fellow Democrat Jay Inslee, a U.S. Congressman, as her successor. On March 20, 2012, Inslee resigned from Congress in order to focus on his gubernatorial campaign.
Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna, the Attorney General of Washington, advanced to the general election. Inslee narrowly won the election, and McKenna conceded three days later.

Primary election

Declined

Dave Reichert, U.S. Representative ''''

Independent candidates

Christian Joubert
L. Dale Sorgen, computer programmer and former pastor
James White

Polling

Poll source

Date
administered

Sample
size

Margin
of error

Rob
McKenna

Jay
Inslee

Lisa
Brown

Dow
Constantine

Clint
Didier

Bill
Bryant

Brian
Sonntag

Aaron
Reardon

Undecided

Chism Strategies

June 28–30, 2011

408

± 5.0%

20%

17%

49%

General election

Candidates

Debates

, October 2, 2012 - C-SPAN

Polling

Aggregate polls

Source of poll aggregation	Dates administered	Dates updated	Jay Inslee	Rob McKenna	Other/Undecided	Margin
Real Clear Politics	October 14 – November 3, 2012	November 3, 2012	47.3%	46.3%	6.4%	Inslee +1.0%

Poll source	Date administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Jay Inslee	Rob McKenna	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	November 1–3, 2012	932	± 3.2%	50%	48%	2%
KING5/SurveyUSA	October 28–31, 2012	555	± 4.2%	47%	46%	7%
KCTS 9/Washington Poll	October 18–31, 2012	632	± 3.9%	49%	46%	6%
Elway Poll	October 18–21, 2012	451	± 4.5%	45%	47%	10%
Strategies360	October 17–20, 2012	500	± 4.4%	45%	45%	10%
Public Policy Polling/WCV	October 15–16, 2012	574	± n/a%	48%	42%	10%
KCTS 9/Washington Poll	October 1–16, 2012	782	± 3.5%	48%	45%	8%
Rasmussen Reports	October 14, 2012	500	± 4.5%	47%	45%	9%
SurveyUSA	October 12–14, 2012	543	± 4.3%	47%	44%	9%
SurveyUSA	September 28–30, 2012	540	± 4.3%	48%	42%	10%
Rasmussen Reports	September 26, 2012	500	± 4.5%	46%	45%	9%
Public Elway Poll	September 9–12, 2012	405	± 5%	44%	41%	15%
Public Policy Polling	September 7–9, 2012	563	± 4.2%	48%	42%	10%
Survey USA	September 7–9, 2012	524	± 4.4%	49%	44%	7%
Survey USA	August 2–3, 2012	524	± 4.4%	48%	45%	7%
Elway Poll	July 18–22, 2012	405	± 5.0%	43%	36%	21%
Survey USA	July 16–17, 2012	630	± 4.0%	41%	42%	16%
Public Policy Polling	June 14–17, 2012	1,073	± 3.0%	40%	43%	17%
Elway Poll	June 13–16, 2012	408	± 5.0%	40%	42%	18%
Strategies360	May 22–24, 2012	500	± 4.4%	39%	43%	18%
Survey USA	May 8–9, 2012	557	± 4.2%	38%	40%	22%
Grove Insights	March 26–28, 2012	500	± 4.4%	38%	34%	28%
Grove Insights	February 21–23, 2012	500	± 4.4%	38%	38%	24%
Public Policy Polling	February 16–19, 2012	1,264	± 2.8%	42%	42%	16%
Survey USA	February 13–15, 2012	572	± 4.2%	39%	49%	12%
Elway Poll	February 7–9, 2012	405	± 5.0%	36%	45%	19%
Survey USA	January 12–16, 2012	617	± 4.0%	43%	46%	11%
Survey USA	November 21–23, 2011	549	± 4.3%	38%	44%	17%
Washington Poll	October 10–30, 2011	938	± 3.2%	38%	44%	18%
Survey USA	September 21–22, 2011	529	± 4.3%	38%	44%	18%
Survey USA	June 24–26, 2011	600	± 4.4%	47%	44%	9%
Public Policy Polling	May 12–15, 2011	1,098	± 3.0%	38%	40%	22%
Survey USA	April 27–28, 2011	610	± 4.0%	41%	48%	11%

Christine Gregoire vs. Rob McKenna

Poll source	Date administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Christine Gregoire	Rob McKenna	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 12–15, 2011	1,098	± 3.0%	40%	49%	11%
Survey USA	April 27–28, 2011	610	± 4.0%	40%	52%	7%

Christine Gregoire vs. Dave Reichert

Poll source	Date administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Christine Gregoire	Dave Reichert	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 12–15, 2011	1,098	± 3.0%	45%	41%	14%
Survey USA	April 27–28, 2011	610	± 4.0%	44%	48%	8%

Jay Inslee vs. Dave Reichert

Poll source	Date administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Jay Inslee	Dave Reichert	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	May 12–15, 2011	1,098	± 3.0%	42%	36%	22%
Survey USA	April 27–28, 2011	610	± 4.0%	44%	46%	10%

Lisa Brown vs. Rob McKenna

Poll source	Date administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Lisa Brown	Rob McKenna	Undecided
Public Policy Polling	July 27-August 1, 2010	1,204	± 2.8%	29%	47%	24%

Results

The race was close throughout the night, with results too close to call after 60 percent of ballots were counted. Inslee was declared the winner early in the morning three days later; McKenna conceded later in the evening.
Inslee won only eight of the state's 39 counties, relying on heavy margins in the Seattle metropolitan area to push him to victory.

By county

;Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Inslee won five of ten congressional districts, with the remaining five going to McKenna, including one that elected a Democrat.

District	Inslee	McKenna	Representative
	48%	52%	Suzan DelBene
	54%	46%	Rick Larsen
	46%	54%	Jaime Herrera Beutler
	37%	63%	Doc Hastings
	42%	58%	Cathy McMorris Rodgers
	51%	49%	Norm Dicks
	51%	49%	Derek Kilmer
	74%	26%	Jim McDermott
	43%	57%	Dave Reichert
	61%	39%	Adam Smith
	51%	49%	Denny Heck

2012 Washington gubernatorial election

Primary election

Democratic candidates

Declined

Republican candidates

Declined

Independent candidates

Polling

General election

Candidates

Debates

Polling

Results

By county

By congressional district