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.
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November 6, 2012
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   Owen: 50–60% 60–70% Finkbeiner: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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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.[1]
Candidates
editDemocratic Party
editAdvanced to general
edit- Brad Owen, incumbent lieutenant governor (1997–2017)[2]
Republican Party
editAdvanced to general
edit- Bill Finkbeiner, former state senator (1995–2007)[3]
Eliminated in primary
edit- Glenn Anderson, state representative (2001–2013)[4]
Third-party and independent candidates
editPrimary election
editEndorsements
editBrad Owen (D)
- Newspapers
Results
edit
Owen
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Finkbeiner
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Anderson
- 30–40%
Tie
- 30–40%
Owen
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brad Owen (incumbent) | 648,110 | 48.51 | |
| Republican | Bill Finkbeiner | 352,195 | 26.36 | |
| Independent Republican | Glenn Anderson | 229,318 | 17.17 | |
| Independent | Jimmy Deal | 53,694 | 4.02 | |
| Independent | Clifford Mark Greene | 46,534 | 3.48 | |
| Independent | Dave T. Sumner IV | 6,057 | 0.45 | |
| Total votes | 1,335,908 | 100.00 | ||
General election
editPolling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Brad Owen (D) |
Bill Finkbeiner (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elway Research[8] | October 18–21, 2012 | 451 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 42% | 32% | 26% |
| Elway Research[9] | September 9–12, 2012 | 405 (RV) | ± 5.0% | 43% | 27% | 29% |
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brad Owen (incumbent) | 1,575,133 | 53.68 | –7.12 | |
| Republican | Bill Finkbeiner | 1,359,212 | 46.32 | +7.12 | |
| Total votes | 2,934,345 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
edit| County[11] | Brad Owen
Democratic |
Bill Finkbeiner
Republican |
Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,598 | 35.38% | 2,919 | 64.62% | -1,321 | -29.25% | 4,517 |
| Asotin | 4,187 | 44.91% | 5,137 | 55.09% | -950 | -10.19% | 9,324 |
| Benton | 30,014 | 40.01% | 44,997 | 59.99% | -14,983 | -19.97% | 75,011 |
| Chelan | 12,528 | 41.16% | 17,910 | 58.84% | -5,382 | -17.68% | 30,438 |
| Clallam | 18,887 | 52.02% | 17,419 | 47.98% | 1,468 | 4.04% | 36,306 |
| Clark | 87,537 | 48.77% | 91,944 | 51.23% | -4,407 | -2.46% | 179,481 |
| Columbia | 752 | 35.69% | 1,355 | 64.31% | -603 | -28.62% | 2,107 |
| Cowlitz | 22,299 | 52.96% | 19,804 | 47.04% | 2,495 | 5.93% | 42,103 |
| Douglas | 5,360 | 37.50% | 8,934 | 62.50% | -3,574 | -25.00% | 14,294 |
| Ferry | 1,373 | 42.23% | 1,878 | 57.77% | -505 | -15.53% | 3,251 |
| Franklin | 9,085 | 41.56% | 12,775 | 58.44% | -3,690 | -16.88% | 21,860 |
| Garfield | 450 | 37.69% | 744 | 62.31% | -294 | -24.62% | 1,194 |
| Grant | 9,435 | 35.88% | 16,860 | 64.12% | -7,425 | -28.24% | 26,295 |
| Grays Harbor | 17,116 | 61.79% | 10,585 | 38.21% | 6,531 | 23.58% | 27,701 |
| Island | 20,046 | 50.31% | 19,797 | 49.69% | 249 | 0.62% | 39,843 |
| Jefferson | 11,970 | 62.98% | 7,036 | 37.02% | 4,934 | 25.96% | 19,006 |
| King | 529,218 | 59.24% | 364,133 | 40.76% | 165,085 | 18.48% | 893,351 |
| Kitsap | 64,669 | 55.08% | 52,741 | 44.92% | 11,928 | 10.16% | 117,410 |
| Kittitas | 7,722 | 45.54% | 9,235 | 54.46% | -1,513 | -8.92% | 16,957 |
| Klickitat | 4,508 | 46.27% | 5,234 | 53.73% | -726 | -7.45% | 9,742 |
| Lewis | 13,764 | 42.49% | 18,631 | 57.51% | -4,867 | -15.02% | 32,395 |
| Lincoln | 1,996 | 35.64% | 3,604 | 64.36% | -1,608 | -28.71% | 5,600 |
| Mason | 16,074 | 58.92% | 11,209 | 41.08% | 4,865 | 17.83% | 27,283 |
| Okanogan | 7,272 | 45.25% | 8,798 | 54.75% | -1,526 | -9.50% | 16,070 |
| Pacific | 5,785 | 57.68% | 4,245 | 42.32% | 1,540 | 15.35% | 10,030 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,653 | 41.85% | 3,687 | 58.15% | -1,034 | -16.31% | 6,340 |
| Pierce | 179,295 | 55.40% | 144,351 | 44.60% | 34,944 | 10.80% | 323,646 |
| San Juan | 6,216 | 62.08% | 3,797 | 37.92% | 2,419 | 24.16% | 10,013 |
| Skagit | 26,501 | 50.79% | 25,672 | 49.21% | 829 | 1.59% | 52,173 |
| Skamania | 2,494 | 48.84% | 2,612 | 51.16% | -118 | -2.31% | 5,106 |
| Snohomish | 172,154 | 55.36% | 138,836 | 44.64% | 33,318 | 10.71% | 310,990 |
| Spokane | 99,673 | 47.32% | 110,978 | 52.68% | -11,305 | -5.37% | 210,651 |
| Stevens | 7,854 | 37.04% | 13,351 | 62.96% | -5,497 | -25.92% | 21,205 |
| Thurston | 70,353 | 58.42% | 50,078 | 41.58% | 20,275 | 16.84% | 120,431 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,103 | 51.93% | 1,021 | 48.07% | 82 | 3.86% | 2,124 |
| Walla Walla | 9,684 | 41.08% | 13,892 | 58.92% | -4,208 | -17.85% | 23,576 |
| Whatcom | 50,174 | 51.85% | 46,598 | 48.15% | 3,576 | 3.70% | 96,772 |
| Whitman | 7,499 | 46.87% | 8,501 | 53.13% | -1,002 | -6.26% | 16,000 |
| Yakima | 35,835 | 48.59% | 37,914 | 51.41% | -2,079 | -2.82% | 73,749 |
| Totals | 1,575,133 | 53.68% | 1,359,212 | 46.32% | 215,921 | 7.36% | 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
editOwen won six of ten congressional districts.[12]
| District | Owen | Finkbeiner | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 50.5% | 49.5% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 57% | 43% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 49% | 51% | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
| 4th | 42% | 58% | Doc Hastings |
| 5th | 46% | 54% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 58% | 42% | Derek Kilmer |
| 7th | 63% | 37% | Jim McDermott |
| 8th | 49% | 51% | Dave Reichert |
| 9th | 62% | 38% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 57% | 43% | Denny Heck |
References
edit- ↑ https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/inslee-to-be-next-washington-governor-as-gops-mckenna-concedes-race
- ↑ https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2012/apr/24/lt-governor-brad-owen-plans-to-run-for-fifth-2/
- ↑ https://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/former-gop-sen-finkbeiner-of-kirkland-to-run-for-lieutenant-governor/
- ↑ https://patch.com/washington/sammamish/anderson-officially-announces-campaign-for-lieutenant-governor
- 1 2 3 "2012 Primary Candidates Who Have Filed". eledataweb.votewa.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ↑ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (June 18, 2012). "The Times recommends: Re-elect Lt. Gov. Brad Owen". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ↑ Reed, Sam (August 7, 2012). "Lt. Governor". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on October 7, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ↑ Elway Research
- ↑ Elway Research
- ↑ Reed, Sam (November 6, 2012). "Lt. Governor". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 21, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ↑ Reed, Sam (November 6, 2012). "Lt. Governor - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ↑ "2012 General Data". sos.wa.gov. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024.