| Election Name: | 2024 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Washington |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2020 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 2020 |
| Next Election: | 2028 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 2028 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 2024 |
| Image1: | File:Bob Ferguson at his 2023 Shrimp Feed 02 (cropped).jpg |
| Candidate1: | Bob Ferguson |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 2,143,368 |
| Percentage1: | 55.51% |
| Candidate2: | Dave Reichert |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,709,818 |
| Percentage2: | 44.28% |
| Map Size: | 275px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Jay Inslee |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Bob Ferguson |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 2024 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2024. The top-two primary was held on August 6. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jay Inslee was eligible to seek re-election to a fourth term but decided that he would not do so. The Democratic nominee, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, defeated the Republican nominee, former Congressman Dave Reichert, to succeed Inslee.[1] Inslee, who previously served in the U.S. House, was first elected governor in 2012 and won re-election in 2016 and 2020.
Washington has not had a Republican governor since John Spellman left office in 1985,[2] the longest streak of Democratic leadership of any state in the country and the third-longest streak of one-party leadership after South Dakota (which has not had a Democratic governor since Harvey Wollman left office in 1979) and Utah (which has not had a Democratic governor since Scott Matheson left office nine days prior to Spellman in 1985).[3] [4] [5] Ferguson defeated Reichert with 55.51% of the vote in the general election.[6] He also became the first Democrat to win Clallam County since 2000.
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 advance to the general election.
The filing deadline was May 10, 2024. On that day, two candidates named Bob Ferguson entered the race at the behest of a conservative activist who sought people with the same surname as Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is considered the Democratic frontrunner.[7] The two new candidates—a retired state employee and a U.S. Army veteran—resigned from the race on May 13, the deadline to withdraw, after questions about the legality of their campaigns arose. Washington's state statutes prohibit a new candidate with the same surname as an already-filed candidate from running with the intent to confuse or mislead voters.[8]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Semi Bird (R) | Bob Ferguson (D) | Mark Mullet (D) | Dave Reichert (R) | Undecided | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D) | data-sort-value="2024-02-16" | July 24–25, 2024 | 581 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 10% | 39% | 5% | 28% | 18% | ||
| SurveyUSA | July 10–13, 2024 | 564 (LV) | ± 5.2% | 7% | 42% | 4% | 33% | 14% | |||
| RMG Research | May 20–23, 2024 | 800 (RV) | – | 4% | 33% | 5% | 31% | 21% | |||
| Cascade PBS/Elway Research | May 13–16, 2024 | 403 (RV) | ± 5.0% | 5% | 22% | 6% | 20% | 47% | |||
| Public Policy Polling (D) | May 15–16, 2024 | 615 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 11% | 35% | 4% | 28% | 22% | |||
| Echelon Insights | March 18–21, 2024 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.7% | 7% | 23% | 5% | 28% | 37% | |||
| Public Policy Polling (D) | February 13–14, 2024 | 789 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 9% | 35% | 4% | 27% | 25% | |||
| Echelon Insights | December 9–13, 2023 | 500 (RV) | ± 5.5% | 5% | 27% | 3% | 28% | 37% | |||
| Public Policy Polling (D) | November 14–15, 2023 | 700 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 10% | 31% | 5% | 31% | 22% |
| Source | Ranking | As of | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[27] | August 27, 2024 | ||
| Inside Elections[28] | September 1, 2023 | ||
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[29] | June 4, 2024 | ||
| RCP[30] | July 13, 2024 | ||
| Elections Daily[31] | July 12, 2023 | ||
| CNalysis[32] | August 17, 2024 |
| Campaign finance reports as of November 5th, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | ||||
| Bob Ferguson (D) | $14,091,789 | $13,939,376 | $152,413 | ||||
| Dave Reichert (R) | $6,729,173 | $6,226,422 | $502,751 | ||||
| Source: Washington State Public Disclosure Commission[33] | |||||||
| Date | Ferguson | Reichert | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2024 | Participant | Participant | YouTube | |
| September 18, 2024 | Participant | Participant | align=left | YouTube |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin | Bob Ferguson (D) | Dave Reichert (R) | Other | Undecided | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Co. | November 2–3, 2024 | 450 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 54% | 40% | 1% | 5% | ||
| ActiVote | October 3–29, 2024 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 59% | 41% | – | – | ||
| ActiVote | data-sort-value="2024-10-17" | September 14 – October 20, 2024 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 58% | 42% | – | – | |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | data-sort-value="2024-10-17" | October 16–17, 2024 | 571 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 48% | 41% | – | 10% | |
| Strategies 360 | October 11–16, 2024 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 51% | 41% | – | 8% | ||
| SurveyUSA | October 9–14, 2024 | 703 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 50% | 34% | – | 16% | ||
| Cascade PBS/Elway Research | October 8–12, 2024 | 401 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 51% | 37% | 1% | 11% | ||
| RMG Research (R) | data-sort-value="2024-08-15" | September 18–20, 2024 | 800 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 48% | 40% | 3% | 9% | |
| Cascade PBS/Elway Research | September 3–6, 2024 | 403 (RV) | ± 5.0% | 50% | 39% | 3% | 9% | ||
| Cygnal (R) | data-sort-value="2024-08-30" | August 28–30, 2024 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 48% | 45% | – | 8% | |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | data-sort-value="2024-07-25" | July 24–25, 2024 | 581 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 49% | 43% | – | 8% | |
| DHM Research | data-sort-value="2024-08-16" | July 12–17, 2024 | 500 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 45% | 32% | 10% | 12% | |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | May 15–16, 2024 | 615 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 48% | 42% | – | 10% | ||
| Echelon Insights (R) | March 18–21, 2024 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.7% | 30% | 39% | – | 31% | ||
| Public Policy Polling (D) | February 13–14, 2024 | 789 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 46% | 42% | – | 11% | ||
| Echelon Insights (R) | December 9–13, 2023 | 500 (LV) | ± 5.5% | 35% | 39% | – | 26% | ||
| Public Policy Polling (D) | November 14–15, 2023 | 700 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 44% | 46% | – | 9% |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic