2016 United States presidential election in Washington (state)
2016 United States presidential election in Washington (state) Turnout 78.76% (of registered voters) 2.49%[ 1]
County results
Congressional district results
Precinct results
Clinton
30–40%
40–50%
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90–100%
Trump
30–40%
40–50%
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90–100%
Tie/No Data
Results by county showing number of votes by size and candidates by color
Treemap of the popular vote by county
The 2016 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election . Washington was won by Hillary Clinton , who won the state with 52.54% of the vote over Donald Trump 's 36.83%, a margin of 15.71%. All of the state's 12 electoral votes were assigned to Clinton, though four defected . Trump prevailed in the presidential election nationally.
In the presidential primaries , Washington voters chose the Republican Party's nominee; the Democratic Party used the caucus system , and the Green Party 's nominee was chosen in a convention. Although Clinton's 52.5% percent of the vote was a reduction from Barack Obama 's 55.8% in 2012 ,[ 2] Trump receiving an even greater drop in percentage compared to Mitt Romney 's 41.0% made Washington one of 11 states (along with the District of Columbia) where Clinton improved upon Obama's margin of victory.[ 3] This was the first presidential election in which the Republican Party won Grays Harbor and Pacific counties since 1928 and 1952 , respectively.[ 4]
This election was also the first time that the Republican Party had won Cowlitz County since 1980 , and the first time they had won Mason County since 1984 .[ 5] Additionally, Trump became the first Republican ever to win the White House without carrying Island County , as well as the first to do so without carrying Whitman County since William McKinley in 1900 .[citation needed ] Despite Clinton's victory, four Democratic electors defected :[ 6] Three voted for former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell , making him the first African-American Republican to receive electoral votes,[ 7] while Native American activist Robert Satiacum Jr. cast his vote for fellow activist Faith Spotted Eagle , making her the first Native American to receive an electoral vote for president.[ 8]
Primaries and Caucuses
Washington has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1988 . While the state's Senate was majority Republican in 2016, both of Washington's United States Senators are Democrats, as well as a majority of the state's U.S. House delegation. Barack Obama defeated John McCain by 17.08% in 2008 and Mitt Romney by 14.87% in 2012 .
Primary elections
Democratic caucus
County results of the Washington Democratic presidential caucus, 2016. Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders bested Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential caucus on March 26, 2016:
The state also held a non-binding presidential primary on May 24, the same date as the state's Republican primary. Hillary Clinton won the preference vote.
Washington Democratic caucuses, March 26, 2016
Candidate
District delegates
Estimated delegates
Count
Percentage
Pledged
Unpledged
Total
Bernie Sanders
19,159
72.72%
74
0
74
Hillary Clinton
7,140
27.10%
27
10
37
Others
Uncommitted
46
0.18%
0
7
7
Total
26,345
100%
101
17
118
Source: [ 9]
Republican primary
Four candidates appeared on the Republican presidential primary ballot on May 24, 2016:
Washington Republican primary, May 24, 2016
Candidate
Votes
Percentage
Actual delegate count
Bound
Unbound
Total
Donald Trump
455,023
75.46%
41
0
41
Ted Cruz (withdrawn)
65,172
10.81%
0
0
0
John Kasich (withdrawn)
58,954
9.78%
0
0
0
Ben Carson (withdrawn)
23,849
3.96%
0
0
0
Uncommitted
3
0
3
Unprojected delegates:
0
0
0
Total:
602,998
100.00%
44
0
44
Source: The Green Papers
Green convention
This state's Green Party state convention was on May 15. Ballots were emailed to members within a week after the convention.[ 10]
Washington Green Party Convention, May 15, 2016.
Candidate
Votes
Percentage
National delegates
Jill Stein
-
91.7
5
William Kreml
-
-
-
Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza Curry
-
-
-
Kent Mesplay
-
-
-
Darryl Cherney
-
-
-
Total
-
-
5
General election
Predictions
Polling
Democrat Hillary Clinton won every pre-election poll and all but one by double digits. The average of the final three polls showed Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump 50.3% to 36%.[ 19]
State voting history
Washington joined the Union in November 1889 and has participated in all elections from 1892 onwards.
Since 1900, Washington voted Democratic 51.72 percent of the time and Republican 44.83 percent of the time. Since 1988, Washington had voted for the Democratic Party in each presidential election, and the same was expected to happen in 2016.[ 20]
Results
2016 United States presidential election in Washington (state)[ 21]
Party
Candidate
Running mate
Votes
Percentage
Electoral votes
Democratic
Hillary Clinton
Tim Kaine
1,742,718
52.54%
8
Republican
Donald Trump
Mike Pence
1,221,747
36.83%
0
Libertarian
Gary Johnson
William Weld
160,879
4.85%
0
Write-ins
107,805
3.25%
0
Green
Jill Stein
Ajamu Baraka
58,417
1.76%
0
Constitution
Darrell Castle
Scott Bradley
17,623
0.53%
0
Socialist Workers
Alyson Kennedy
Osborne Hart
4,307
0.13%
0
Socialism and Liberation
Gloria La Riva
Eugene Puryear
3,523
0.11%
0
Republican
Colin Powell
0
0.00%
3
Independent
Faith Spotted Eagle
Winona LaDuke
0
0.00%
1
Total
3,317,019
100.00%
12
By county
County
Hillary Clinton Democratic
Donald Trump Republican
Various candidates Other parties
Margin
Total
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
Adams
1,299
27.16%
3,083
64.47%
400
8.37%
-1,784
-37.31%
4,782
Asotin
3,134
31.42%
5,741
57.56%
1,099
11.02%
-2,607
-26.14%
9,974
Benton
26,360
31.53%
47,194
56.46%
10,038
12.01%
-20,834
-24.93%
83,592
Chelan
13,032
37.85%
18,114
52.61%
3,287
9.54%
-5,082
-14.76%
34,433
Clallam
17,677
43.61%
18,794
46.37%
4,062
10.02%
-1,117
-2.76%
40,533
Clark
92,757
44.49%
92,441
44.34%
23,287
11.17%
316
0.15%
208,485
Columbia
526
23.60%
1,497
67.16%
206
9.24%
-971
-43.56%
2,229
Cowlitz
17,908
37.99%
24,185
51.30%
5,049
10.71%
-6,277
-13.31%
47,142
Douglas
4,918
30.93%
9,603
60.39%
1,380
8.68%
-4,685
-29.46%
15,901
Ferry
1,098
30.13%
2,202
60.43%
344
9.44%
-1,104
-30.30%
3,644
Franklin
8,886
36.10%
13,206
53.65%
2,522
10.25%
-4,320
-17.55%
24,614
Garfield
279
22.04%
851
67.22%
136
10.74%
-572
-45.18%
1,266
Grant
7,810
26.69%
18,518
63.29%
2,930
10.02%
-10,708
-36.60%
29,258
Grays Harbor
12,020
41.02%
14,067
48.01%
3,214
10.97%
-2,047
-6.99%
29,301
Island
20,960
47.34%
18,465
41.71%
4,848
10.95%
2,495
5.63%
44,273
Jefferson
12,656
60.62%
6,037
28.91%
2,186
10.47%
6,619
31.71%
20,879
King
718,322
69.85%
216,389
21.04%
93,789
9.11%
501,983
48.81%
1,028,450
Kitsap
63,156
49.05%
49,018
38.07%
16,596
12.88%
14,138
10.98%
128,770
Kittitas
7,489
38.18%
10,100
51.49%
2,026
10.33%
-2,611
-13.31%
19,615
Klickitat
4,194
37.87%
5,789
52.28%
1,091
9.85%
-1,595
-14.41%
11,074
Lewis
9,654
27.43%
21,992
62.48%
3,553
10.09%
-12,338
-35.05%
35,199
Lincoln
1,244
21.23%
4,108
70.09%
509
8.68%
-2,864
-48.86%
5,861
Mason
11,993
41.35%
13,677
47.16%
3,333
11.49%
-1,684
-5.81%
29,003
Okanogan
6,298
35.87%
9,610
54.74%
1,648
9.39%
-3,312
-18.87%
17,556
Pacific
4,620
42.11%
5,360
48.85%
992
9.04%
-740
-6.74%
10,972
Pend Oreille
1,934
27.57%
4,373
62.33%
709
10.10%
-2,439
-34.76%
7,016
Pierce
172,538
47.92%
146,824
40.78%
40,655
11.30%
25,714
7.14%
360,017
San Juan
7,172
64.42%
2,688
24.14%
1,274
11.44%
4,484
40.28%
11,134
Skagit
26,690
45.97%
24,736
42.60%
6,633
11.43%
1,954
3.37%
58,059
Skamania
2,232
38.29%
2,928
50.23%
669
11.48%
-696
-11.94%
5,829
Snohomish
185,227
52.22%
128,255
36.16%
41,252
11.62%
56,972
16.06%
354,734
Spokane
93,767
39.72%
113,435
48.06%
28,848
12.22%
-19,668
-8.34%
236,050
Stevens
5,767
24.65%
15,161
64.80%
2,467
10.55%
-9,394
-40.15%
23,395
Thurston
68,798
51.27%
48,624
36.23%
16,769
12.50%
20,174
15.04%
134,191
Wahkiakum
832
34.25%
1,344
55.33%
253
10.42%
-512
-21.08%
2,429
Walla Walla
9,694
36.96%
13,651
52.05%
2,883
10.99%
-3,957
-15.09%
26,228
Whatcom
60,340
53.24%
40,599
35.82%
12,400
10.94%
19,741
17.42%
113,339
Whitman
8,146
45.19%
7,403
41.06%
2,479
13.75%
743
4.13%
18,028
Yakima
31,291
39.24%
41,735
52.34%
6,715
8.42%
-10,444
-13.10%
79,741
Totals
1,742,718
52.54%
1,221,747
36.83%
352,531
10.63%
520,971
15.71%
3,316,996
County Flips: Democratic Hold
Gain from Republican
Republican Hold
Gain from Democratic
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[ 22]
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
By congressional district
Clinton won 7 of 10 congressional districts including one represented by a Republican.[ 23]
See also
Notes
References
^ Secretary of State: Kim Wyman. "November 8, 2016 General Election Results" . www.sos.wa.gov . Retrieved June 9, 2019 .
^ "Washington Election Results 2016" . The New York Times . August 1, 2017. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved June 9, 2019 .
^ "2016 Presidential General Election Results - Vote Swing - D-R Margin Change from Previous Election" . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections . Retrieved December 1, 2023 .
^ Wheel, Robert. "The 2016 Streak Breakers" . Center for Politics . Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Retrieved November 13, 2016 .
^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’ ; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review ; June 29, 2016
^ Houghton, Ashley (July 6, 2020). "Faithless Electors" . FairVote . Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2023 .
^ Cheney, Kyle (December 19, 2016). "Trump wins Electoral College vote" . Politico . Retrieved December 1, 2023 .
^ Pearce, Matt (December 20, 2016). "How Faith Spotted Eagle became the first Native American to win an electoral vote for president" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 1, 2023 .
^ The Green Papers
^ Green Party of Washington State. "Spring Gathering 2016" . Facebook .
^ "Our final map has Clinton winning with 352 electoral votes. Compare your picks with ours" . Los Angeles Times . November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016 .
^ Chalian, David (November 4, 2016). "Road to 270: CNN's new election map" . CNN . Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
^ "2016 Electoral Scorecard" . The Cook Political Report . November 7, 2016. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
^ "2016 Electoral Map Prediction" . Electoral-vote.com . November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
^ "Presidential Ratings" . The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved August 16, 2021 .
^ Sabato, Larry J. (November 7, 2016). "2016 President" . University of Virginia Center for Politics . Retrieved March 3, 2019 .
^ "2016 Election Maps - Battle for White House" . RealClearPolitics. Retrieved November 13, 2016 .
^ "Electoral Scorecard: Map shifts again in Trump's favor, as Clinton holds edge" . Fox News . November 7, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016 .
^ "RealClearPolitics - Election 2016 - Washington: Trump vs. Clinton" . www.realclearpolitics.com . Retrieved July 26, 2021 .
^ "Washington Presidential Election 2016 Results LIVE Updates" . Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016 .
^ Federal Election Commission (December 2017). "Federal Elections 2016" (PDF) . p. 43. Retrieved December 8, 2021 .
^ Bump, Philip. "The counties that flipped parties to swing the 2016 election" . Washington Post . ISSN 0190-8286 . Retrieved September 1, 2020 .
^ FINAL 2016Gen - Cong by District (PDF) . wei.sos.wa.gov (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2017.
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