The 2012 Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012. The top-two primary was held on August 7. Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning that all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two move on to the general election.

Incumbent Democratic lieutenant governor Brad Owen, first elected to the office in 1996, was re-elected to his fifth and final term, defeating Republican former state Senator Bill Finkbeiner.https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/inslee-to-be-next-washington-governor-as-gops-mckenna-concedes-race

Candidates Democratic Party

Advanced to general Brad Owen, incumbent lieutenant governor (1997–2017)https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2012/apr/24/lt-governor-brad-owen-plans-to-run-for-fifth-2/

Republican Party Advanced to general Bill Finkbeiner, former state senator (1995–2007)https://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/former-gop-sen-finkbeiner-of-kirkland-to-run-for-lieutenant-governor/

Eliminated in primary Glenn Anderson, state representative (2001–2013)https://patch.com/washington/sammamish/anderson-officially-announces-campaign-for-lieutenant-governor

Third-party and independent candidates Eliminated in primary Jimmy Deal (Independent) Clifford Mark Greene (Independent), perennial candidate Dave T. Sumner IV (Independent)

Primary election Endorsements

Results

By county +CountyBrad Owen DemocraticBill Finkbeiner RepublicanGlenn Anderson Independent RepublicanVarious candidates IndependentMarginTotal votes#%#%#%#%#%Adams69127.75%91536.75%72028.92%1646.59%-195-7.83%2,490Asotin1,76237.47%1,18825.27%1,29627.56%4569.70%4669.91%4,702Benton10,76835.10%10,03932.72%8,13726.52%1,7335.65%7292.38%30,677Chelan6,01336.31%5,68234.31%3,68622.26%1,1817.13%3312.00%16,562Clallam9,41447.54%5,06325.57%4,11820.80%1,2066.09%4,35121.97%19,801Clark27,71441.47%17,87726.75%16,61924.87%4,6176.91%9,83714.72%66,827Columbia37634.62%29427.07%33630.94%807.37%403.68%1,086Cowlitz8,28345.65%3,92821.65%4,29723.68%1,6389.03%3,98621.97%18,146Douglas2,49734.30%2,49934.33%1,79724.68%4876.69%-2-0.03%7,280Ferry60736.79%37922.97%53632.48%1287.76%714.30%1,650Franklin2,98833.38%3,00733.59%2,35626.32%6016.71%-19-0.21%8,952Garfield18532.12%18532.12%15727.26%498.51%00.00%576Grant3,70730.91%4,44737.08%2,89724.16%9427.85%-740-6.17%11,993Grays Harbor8,49059.30%2,49617.44%2,29616.04%1,0347.22%5,99441.87%14,316Island10,92347.82%5,80025.39%4,67320.46%1,4476.33%5,12322.43%22,843Jefferson6,75558.33%2,13318.42%1,80415.58%8897.68%4,62239.91%11,581King218,97554.40%100,42124.95%42,99410.68%40,1489.97%118,55429.45%402,538Kitsap29,45650.69%15,95227.45%8,82615.19%3,8716.66%13,50423.24%58,105Kittitas3,46341.79%2,54430.70%1,79121.61%4885.89%91911.09%8,286Klickitat1,56939.31%1,04526.18%1,04426.16%3338.34%52413.13%3,991Lewis5,65136.29%4,15726.70%4,64029.80%1,1227.21%1,0116.49%15,570Lincoln1,00432.69%1,30142.36%60819.80%1585.14%-297-9.67%3,071Mason8,69356.99%2,95919.40%2,50516.42%1,0977.19%5,73437.59%15,254Okanogan3,05837.45%2,40229.42%2,07125.36%6347.76%6568.03%8,165Pacific3,18552.24%1,06717.50%1,31621.58%5298.68%1,86930.65%6,097Pend Oreille1,24436.91%84925.19%95728.40%3209.50%2878.52%3,370Pierce69,59748.34%40,10827.86%24,17016.79%10,1017.02%29,48920.48%143,976San Juan2,82452.23%1,28523.77%87716.22%4217.79%1,53928.46%5,407Skagit12,51746.99%6,96126.13%5,41620.33%1,7446.55%5,55620.86%26,638Skamania89940.99%52623.99%57626.27%1928.76%32314.73%2,193Snohomish66,37249.19%39,20129.05%19,02114.10%10,3357.66%27,17120.14%134,929Spokane41,88943.07%26,08926.82%22,42823.06%6,8567.05%15,80016.24%97,262Stevens3,37632.14%2,79926.65%3,51033.42%8197.80%-134-1.28%10,504Thurston32,85257.39%12,17421.27%8,37614.63%3,8456.72%20,67836.12%57,247Wahkiakum54845.70%26822.35%26522.10%1189.84%28023.35%1,199Walla Walla4,55336.87%3,99132.32%2,89723.46%9077.35%5624.55%12,348Whatcom20,27647.08%11,94027.72%8,13118.88%2,7206.32%8,33619.36%43,067Whitman2,74939.63%2,03229.30%1,66423.99%4917.08%71710.34%6,936Yakima12,18740.26%6,19220.45%9,51031.41%2,3847.88%2,6778.84%30,273Totals648,11048.51%352,19526.36%229,31817.17%106,2857.96%295,91522.15%1,335,908

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Asotin (largest city: Clarkston) Clark (largest city: Vancouver) Kittitas (largest city: Ellensburg) Klickitat (largest city: Goldendale) Skamania (largest city: Carson) Spokane (largest city: Spokane) Whitman (largest city: Pullman)

By congressional district District Owen Finkbeiner Anderson Representative 46% 32% 16%Suzan DelBene 51% 26% 15%Rick Larsen 42% 25% 25%Jaime Herrera Beutler 36% 29% 28%Doc Hastings 41% 28% 24%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 53% 25% 16%Norm Dicks 61% 20% 6%Jim McDermott 42% 31% 21%Dave Reichert 55% 25% 11%Adam Smith 53% 24% 16%Denny Heck

General election Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin BradOwen (D) BillFinkbeiner (R) UndecidedElway ResearchElway ResearchOctober 18–21, 2012451 (RV)± 4.5%42%32%26%Elway ResearchElway ResearchSeptember 9–12, 2012405 (RV)± 5.0%43%27%29%

Results

By county +CountyBrad Owen DemocraticBill Finkbeiner RepublicanMarginTotal votes#%#%#%Adams1,59835.38%2,91964.62%-1,321-29.25%4,517Asotin4,18744.91%5,13755.09%-950-10.19%9,324Benton30,01440.01%44,99759.99%-14,983-19.97%75,011Chelan12,52841.16%17,91058.84%-5,382-17.68%30,438Clallam18,88752.02%17,41947.98%1,4684.04%36,306Clark87,53748.77%91,94451.23%-4,407-2.46%179,481Columbia75235.69%1,35564.31%-603-28.62%2,107Cowlitz22,29952.96%19,80447.04%2,4955.93%42,103Douglas5,36037.50%8,93462.50%-3,574-25.00%14,294Ferry1,37342.23%1,87857.77%-505-15.53%3,251Franklin9,08541.56%12,77558.44%-3,690-16.88%21,860Garfield45037.69%74462.31%-294-24.62%1,194Grant9,43535.88%16,86064.12%-7,425-28.24%26,295Grays Harbor17,11661.79%10,58538.21%6,53123.58%27,701Island20,04650.31%19,79749.69%2490.62%39,843Jefferson11,97062.98%7,03637.02%4,93425.96%19,006King529,21859.24%364,13340.76%165,08518.48%893,351Kitsap64,66955.08%52,74144.92%11,92810.16%117,410Kittitas7,72245.54%9,23554.46%-1,513-8.92%16,957Klickitat4,50846.27%5,23453.73%-726-7.45%9,742Lewis13,76442.49%18,63157.51%-4,867-15.02%32,395Lincoln1,99635.64%3,60464.36%-1,608-28.71%5,600Mason16,07458.92%11,20941.08%4,86517.83%27,283Okanogan7,27245.25%8,79854.75%-1,526-9.50%16,070Pacific5,78557.68%4,24542.32%1,54015.35%10,030Pend Oreille2,65341.85%3,68758.15%-1,034-16.31%6,340Pierce179,29555.40%144,35144.60%34,94410.80%323,646San Juan6,21662.08%3,79737.92%2,41924.16%10,013Skagit26,50150.79%25,67249.21%8291.59%52,173Skamania2,49448.84%2,61251.16%-118-2.31%5,106Snohomish172,15455.36%138,83644.64%33,31810.71%310,990Spokane99,67347.32%110,97852.68%-11,305-5.37%210,651Stevens7,85437.04%13,35162.96%-5,497-25.92%21,205Thurston70,35358.42%50,07841.58%20,27516.84%120,431Wahkiakum1,10351.93%1,02148.07%823.86%2,124Walla Walla9,68441.08%13,89258.92%-4,208-17.85%23,576Whatcom50,17451.85%46,59848.15%3,5763.70%96,772Whitman7,49946.87%8,50153.13%-1,002-6.26%16,000Yakima35,83548.59%37,91451.41%-2,079-2.82%73,749Totals1,575,13353.68%1,359,21246.32%215,9217.36%2,934,345

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Asotin (largest city: Clarkston) Clark (largest city: Vancouver) Kittitas (largest city: Ellensburg) Klickitat (largest city: Goldendale) Lewis (largest city: Centralia) Okanogan (largest city: Omak) Skamania (largest city: Carson) Spokane (largest city: Spokane) Walla Walla (largest city: Walla Walla) Whitman (largest city: Pullman) Yakima (largest city: Yakima)

By congressional district Owen won six of ten congressional districts. District Owen Finkbeiner Representative 50.5% 49.5%Suzan DelBene 57% 43%Rick Larsen 49% 51%Jaime Herrera Beutler 42% 58%Doc Hastings 46% 54%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 58% 42%Derek Kilmer 63% 37%Jim McDermott 49% 51%Dave Reichert 62% 38%Adam Smith 57% 43%Denny Heck

References