2012 Washington Attorney General election

The 2012 Washington Attorney General election was held on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the other statewide elections and the gubernatorial election. Incumbent Republican State Attorney General Rob McKenna retired to run for governor. Democratic King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson won the general election over Republican King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn.

Primary election

Democratic Party Advanced to general Bob Ferguson, King County Councilmember

Democratic Party Advanced to general Reagan Dunn, King County Councilmember

Eliminated in primary Stephen Pidgeon, attorney and anti-gay activist

Declined Rob McKenna, incumbent attorney general (2005–2013) (ran for governor)

Endorsements

Results

By county +CountyReagan Dunn RepublicanBob Ferguson DemocraticStephen Pidgeon RepublicanMarginTotal votes#%#%#%#%Adams1,39758.28%65927.49%34114.23%-738-30.79%2,397Asotin1,93541.96%1,99343.21%68414.83%581.26%4,612Benton15,10650.31%10,28534.25%4,63515.44%-4,821-16.06%30,026Chelan8,22651.38%5,80636.27%1,97712.35%-2,420-15.12%16,009Clallam7,38038.73%9,12147.87%2,55213.39%1,7419.14%19,053Clark24,80937.63%30,66746.51%10,46115.87%5,8588.88%65,937Columbia56853.58%33531.60%15714.81%-233-21.98%1,060Cowlitz6,46136.06%9,20751.39%2,24712.54%2,74615.33%17,915Douglas3,76353.16%2,32832.89%98713.94%-1,435-20.27%7,078Ferry74345.89%63539.22%24114.89%-108-6.67%1,619Franklin4,61751.99%2,97333.48%1,29014.53%-1,644-18.51%8,880Garfield30254.81%17030.85%7914.34%-132-23.96%551Grant5,85250.15%3,83232.84%1,98517.01%-2,020-17.31%11,669Grays Harbor4,84435.17%7,59555.14%1,3369.70%2,75119.97%13,775Island9,30041.51%10,95948.92%2,1459.57%1,6597.40%22,404Jefferson3,33229.38%7,22163.67%7886.95%3,88934.29%11,341King133,78332.93%251,09761.81%21,3345.25%117,31428.88%406,214Kitsap21,72737.72%29,22750.74%6,64311.53%7,50013.02%57,597Kittitas3,79547.35%3,28340.96%93711.69%-512-6.39%8,015Klickitat1,62041.54%1,70843.79%57214.67%882.26%3,900Lewis7,87252.04%5,27834.89%1,97613.06%-2,594-17.15%15,126Lincoln1,54852.90%88330.18%49516.92%-665-22.73%2,926Mason5,59038.36%7,29750.07%1,68611.57%1,70711.71%14,573Okanogan3,62545.97%3,24141.10%1,02012.93%-384-4.87%7,886Pacific2,13736.37%3,19754.42%5419.21%1,06018.04%5,875Pend Oreille1,43543.20%1,37941.51%50815.29%-56-1.69%3,322Pierce58,65541.07%69,66248.77%14,51610.16%11,0077.71%142,833San Juan1,45527.68%3,30662.89%4969.44%1,85135.21%5,257Skagit10,77541.03%12,87849.04%2,6079.93%2,1038.01%26,260Skamania82938.08%1,04047.77%30814.15%2119.69%2,177Snohomish51,59238.35%67,70350.32%15,23811.33%16,11111.98%134,533Spokane37,92439.44%43,07444.80%15,15615.76%5,1505.36%96,154Stevens4,92047.57%3,51533.99%1,90718.44%-1,405-13.59%10,342Thurston19,16934.59%31,41356.68%4,8438.74%12,24422.09%55,425Wahkiakum40534.91%59050.86%16514.22%18515.95%1,160Walla Walla6,01850.02%4,59638.20%1,41811.79%-1,422-11.82%12,032Whatcom15,59636.07%22,71452.54%4,92411.39%7,11816.46%43,234Whitman2,92743.23%2,95043.57%89313.19%230.34%6,770Yakima14,49248.12%11,52938.28%4,09713.60%-2,963-9.84%30,118Totals506,52438.20%685,34651.68%134,18510.12%178,82213.49%1,326,055

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Cowlitz (largest city: Longview) Grays Harbor (largest city: Aberdeen) King (largest city: Seattle) Kitsap (largest city: Bremerton) Mason (largest city: Shelton) Snohomish (largest city: Everett) Thurston (largest city: Lacey) Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island) Whatcom (largest city: Bellingham)

By congressional district District Dunn Ferguson Pidgeon Representative 42% 47% 11%Suzan DelBene 36% 54% 10%Rick Larsen 39% 46% 14%Jaime Herrera Beutler 50% 35% 15%Doc Hastings 42% 43% 15%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 37% 53% 10%Norm Dicks 22% 75% 3%Jim McDermott 49% 41% 10%Dave Reichert 36% 59% 6%Adam Smith 38% 52% 10%Denny Heck

General election Polling Graphical summary

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin ReaganDunn (R) BobFerguson (D) UndecidedWashington PollWashington PollOctober 18–31, 2012632 (LV)± 3.9%34%45%21%Elway ResearchOctober 18–21, 2012451 (RV)± 4.5%36%38%25%Elway ResearchSeptember 9–12, 2012405 (RV)± 5.0%27%40%33%SurveyUSASeptember 7–9, 2012524 (RV)± 4.4%33%42%24%Elway ResearchJune 13–16, 2012408 (RV)± 5.0%28%26%46%Public Policy Polling (D)February 22, 20121,264 (RV)± 2.8%34%32%34%SurveyUSASeptember 26, 2011529 (RV)± 4.3%34%39%26%

Results

By county +CountyReagan Dunn RepublicanBob Ferguson DemocraticMarginTotal votes#%#%#%Adams3,13069.37%1,38230.63%-1,748-38.74%4,512Asotin5,43358.32%3,88341.68%-1,550-16.64%9,316Benton50,66068.08%23,75631.92%-26,904-36.15%74,416Chelan18,19560.23%12,01439.77%-6,181-20.46%30,209Clallam18,09450.40%17,81049.60%-284-0.79%35,904Clark94,16253.42%82,10146.58%-12,061-6.84%176,263Columbia1,49671.14%60728.86%-889-42.27%2,103Cowlitz20,49949.33%21,05650.67%5571.34%41,555Douglas9,11164.33%5,05235.67%-4,059-28.66%14,163Ferry1,97261.28%1,24638.72%-726-22.56%3,218Franklin14,21665.44%7,50834.56%-6,708-30.88%21,724Garfield80468.37%37231.63%-432-36.73%1,176Grant17,53067.26%8,53432.74%-8,996-34.52%26,064Grays Harbor12,20344.67%15,11655.33%2,91310.66%27,319Island19,99250.51%19,58749.49%-405-1.02%39,579Jefferson6,72235.97%11,96864.03%5,24628.07%18,690King312,40934.83%584,50365.17%272,09430.34%896,912Kitsap54,99947.12%61,73352.88%6,7345.77%116,732Kittitas10,07159.93%6,73340.07%-3,338-19.86%16,804Klickitat5,24254.75%4,33345.25%-909-9.49%9,575Lewis19,83161.72%12,30138.28%-7,530-23.43%32,132Lincoln3,91570.57%1,63329.43%-2,282-41.13%5,548Mason13,04848.57%13,81751.43%7692.86%26,865Okanogan9,11957.54%6,72942.46%-2,390-15.08%15,848Pacific4,53745.72%5,38654.28%8498.56%9,923Pend Oreille3,86561.19%2,45138.81%-1,414-22.39%6,316Pierce157,12148.60%166,16051.40%9,0392.80%323,281San Juan3,39234.09%6,55965.91%3,16731.83%9,951Skagit25,82049.57%26,26450.43%4440.85%52,084Skamania2,62452.22%2,40147.78%-223-4.44%5,025Snohomish142,28545.72%168,91254.28%26,6278.56%311,197Spokane118,70756.60%91,03043.40%-27,677-13.20%209,737Stevens13,85665.72%7,22634.28%-6,630-31.45%21,082Thurston52,15143.87%66,73256.13%14,58112.27%118,883Wahkiakum1,04950.70%1,02049.30%-29-1.40%2,069Walla Walla15,14964.44%8,35835.56%-6,791-28.89%23,507Whatcom43,60645.20%52,87254.80%9,2669.60%96,478Whitman8,70155.45%6,99144.55%-1,710-10.90%15,692Yakima45,29461.54%28,30738.46%-16,987-23.08%73,601Totals1,361,01046.52%1,564,44353.48%203,4336.95%2,925,453

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Cowlitz (largest city: Longview) Grays Harbor (largest city: Aberdeen) King (largest city: Seattle) Kitsap (largest city: Bremerton) Mason (largest city: Shelton) Pacific (largest city: Raymond) Pierce (largest city: Tacoma) Skagit (largest city: Mount Vernon) Snohomish (largest city: Everett) Thurston (largest city: Lacey) Whatcom (largest city: Bellingham)

By congressional district Ferguson won six of ten congressional districts. District Dunn Ferguson Representative 49% 51%Suzan DelBene 43% 57%Rick Larsen 53% 47%Jaime Herrera Beutler 65% 35%Doc Hastings 58% 42%Cathy McMorris Rodgers45%55%Norm DicksDerek Kilmer 23% 77%Jim McDermott 54% 46%Dave Reichert 36% 64%Adam Smith 46% 54%Denny Heck

References