The 1908 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908. Republican nominee Samuel G. Cosgrove defeated Democratic nominee John Pattison with 62.56% of the vote.
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![]() County results Cosgrove: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Primary election
editPrimary elections were held on September 8, 1908.[1] When Washington began using primary elections to nominate candidates, it used a form of ranked-choice voting although the original method was quite different from the modern understanding of RCV. If four or more candidates registered for a party's nomination for a particular office, voters in the primary were to make a first choice and second choice among the candidates. If a candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, he was declared the winner. Otherwise, the second choice votes were added to the first choice votes for all candidates and whoever had the highest number of combined votes was declared the winner, even if that was not a majority.[2]
Democratic party
editCandidates
edit- John Pattison, Mayor of Colfax
- A.J. Splawn
- William Blackman
- Jimmie Durkin
- Patrick S. Byrne
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John Pattison | 4,179 | 32.35% | |
Democratic | A.J. Splawn | 3,479 | 26.93% | |
Democratic | Jimmie Durkin | 2,240 | 17.34% | |
Democratic | William Blackman | 1,907 | 14.76% | |
Democratic | Patrick S. Byrne | 1,115 | 8.63% | |
Total votes | 12,920 | 100.00% |
Since no candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, the second choice votes were counted.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John Pattison | 6,268 | 24.30% | |
Democratic | A.J. Splawn | 6,050 | 23.46% | |
Democratic | William Blackman | 5,844 | 22.66% | |
Democratic | Jimmie Durkin | 4,398 | 17.05% | |
Democratic | Patrick S. Byrne | 3,230 | 12.52% | |
Total votes | 25,790 | 100.00% |
Republican party
editCandidates
edit- Samuel G. Cosgrove, attorney
- Albert E. Mead, incumbent Governor
- Henry McBride, former Governor
- John D. Atkinson
- William M. Ridpath
- Robert B. Brown
- Oscar H. Neil
- J.W. Robinson
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Henry McBride | 33,509 | 32.85% | |
Republican | Albert E. Mead (incumbent) | 32.357 | 31.72% | |
Republican | Samuel G. Cosgrove | 25,519 | 25.02% | |
Republican | John D. Atkinson | 4,084 | 4.00% | |
Republican | William M. Ridpath | 3,298 | 3.23% | |
Republican | J.W. Robinson | 1,488 | 1.46% | |
Republican | Oscar H. Neil | 1,136 | 1.11% | |
Republican | Robert B. Brown | 604 | 0.59% | |
Total votes | 101,995 | 100.00% |
Since no candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, the second choice votes were counted.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Samuel G. Cosgrove | 57,667 | 28.30% | |
Republican | Albert E. Mead (incumbent) | 49,402 | 24.24% | |
Republican | Henry McBride | 47,594 | 23.35% | |
Republican | John D. Atkinson | 21,527 | 10.56% | |
Republican | William M. Ridpath | 10,702 | 5.25% | |
Republican | Robert B. Brown | 5,973 | 2.93% | |
Republican | Oscar H. Neil | 5,830 | 2.86% | |
Republican | J.W. Robinson | 5,108 | 2.51% | |
Total votes | 203,803 | 100.00% |
General election
editCandidates
editMajor party candidates
- Samuel G. Cosgrove, Republican
- John Pattison, Democratic
Other candidates
- George Boomer, Socialist
- Arthur S. Caton, Prohibition
Results
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Samuel G. Cosgrove | 110,190 | 62.56% | +11.21% | |
Democratic | John Pattison | 58,126 | 33.00% | −7.87% | |
Socialist | George Boomer | 4,311 | 2.45% | −2.68% | |
Prohibition | Arthur S. Caton | 3,514 | 1.99% | +0.07% | |
Majority | 52,064 | 29.56% | |||
Total votes | 176,141 | 100.00% | |||
Republican hold | Swing | +19.08% |
Results by county
editCounty[5] | Samuel G. Cosgrove Republican |
John Pattison Democratic |
George Boomer Socialist |
Arthur S. Caton Prohibition |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 1,033 | 56.98% | 750 | 41.37% | 0 | 0.00% | 30 | 1.65% | 283 | 15.61% | 1,813 |
Asotin | 693 | 65.07% | 338 | 31.74% | 12 | 1.13% | 22 | 2.07% | 355 | 33.33% | 1,065 |
Benton | 913 | 60.54% | 479 | 31.76% | 94 | 6.23% | 22 | 1.46% | 434 | 28.78% | 1,508 |
Chehalis | 3,422 | 69.54% | 1,186 | 24.10% | 266 | 5.41% | 47 | 0.96% | 2,236 | 45.44% | 4,921 |
Chelan | 1,776 | 66.57% | 851 | 31.90% | 0 | 0.00% | 41 | 1.54% | 925 | 34.67% | 2,668 |
Clallam | 987 | 67.70% | 459 | 31.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 12 | 0.82% | 528 | 36.21% | 1,458 |
Clark | 2,555 | 65.00% | 1,136 | 28.90% | 169 | 4.30% | 71 | 1.81% | 1,419 | 36.10% | 3,931 |
Columbia | 872 | 56.92% | 632 | 41.25% | 0 | 0.00% | 28 | 1.83% | 240 | 15.67% | 1,532 |
Cowlitz | 1,619 | 70.15% | 623 | 26.99% | 37 | 1.60% | 29 | 1.26% | 996 | 43.15% | 2,308 |
Douglas | 2,017 | 56.04% | 1,559 | 43.32% | 0 | 0.00% | 23 | 0.64% | 458 | 12.73% | 3,599 |
Ferry | 512 | 55.77% | 402 | 43.79% | 0 | 0.00% | 4 | 0.44% | 110 | 11.98% | 918 |
Franklin | 688 | 58.21% | 470 | 39.76% | 7 | 0.59% | 17 | 1.44% | 218 | 18.44% | 1,182 |
Garfield | 601 | 61.20% | 354 | 36.05% | 17 | 1.73% | 10 | 1.02% | 247 | 25.15% | 982 |
Island | 505 | 67.88% | 157 | 21.10% | 67 | 9.01% | 15 | 2.02% | 348 | 46.77% | 744 |
Jefferson | 885 | 67.87% | 392 | 30.06% | 19 | 1.46% | 8 | 0.61% | 493 | 37.81% | 1,304 |
King | 23,632 | 61.95% | 13,939 | 36.54% | 0 | 0.00% | 574 | 1.50% | 9,693 | 25.41% | 38,145 |
Kitsap | 1,987 | 64.33% | 751 | 24.31% | 297 | 9.61% | 54 | 1.75% | 1,236 | 40.01% | 3,089 |
Kittitas | 1,772 | 62.73% | 1,002 | 35.47% | 0 | 0.00% | 51 | 1.81% | 770 | 27.26% | 2,825 |
Klickitat | 1,328 | 69.42% | 549 | 28.70% | 0 | 0.00% | 36 | 1.88% | 779 | 40.72% | 1,913 |
Lewis | 3,214 | 63.59% | 1,472 | 29.13% | 298 | 5.90% | 70 | 1.39% | 1,742 | 34.47% | 5,054 |
Lincoln | 2,107 | 58.28% | 1,453 | 40.19% | 21 | 0.58% | 34 | 0.94% | 654 | 18.09% | 3,615 |
Mason | 587 | 63.67% | 322 | 34.92% | 0 | 0.00% | 13 | 1.41% | 265 | 28.74% | 922 |
Okanogan | 1,530 | 57.98% | 1,028 | 38.95% | 68 | 2.58% | 13 | 0.49% | 502 | 19.02% | 2,639 |
Pacific | 1,470 | 70.13% | 537 | 25.62% | 80 | 3.82% | 9 | 0.43% | 933 | 44.51% | 2,096 |
Pierce | 11,586 | 67.10% | 4,701 | 27.23% | 649 | 3.76% | 331 | 1.92% | 6,885 | 39.87% | 17,267 |
San Juan | 621 | 74.11% | 143 | 17.06% | 72 | 8.59% | 2 | 0.24% | 478 | 57.04% | 838 |
Skagit | 3,110 | 63.97% | 1,367 | 28.12% | 321 | 6.60% | 64 | 1.32% | 1,743 | 35.85% | 4,862 |
Skamania | 350 | 73.53% | 119 | 25.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 7 | 1.47% | 231 | 48.53% | 476 |
Snohomish | 5,913 | 60.45% | 2,700 | 27.60% | 573 | 5.86% | 595 | 6.08% | 3,213 | 32.85% | 9,781 |
Spokane | 11,700 | 59.82% | 6,869 | 35.12% | 597 | 3.05% | 393 | 2.01% | 4,831 | 24.70% | 19,559 |
Stevens | 2,613 | 57.48% | 1,554 | 34.18% | 292 | 6.42% | 87 | 1.91% | 1,059 | 23.30% | 4,546 |
Thurston | 2,001 | 64.22% | 985 | 31.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 130 | 4.17% | 1,016 | 32.61% | 3,116 |
Wahkiakum | 495 | 78.95% | 132 | 21.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 363 | 57.89% | 627 |
Walla Walla | 2,670 | 57.85% | 1,881 | 40.76% | 30 | 0.65% | 34 | 0.74% | 789 | 17.10% | 4,615 |
Whatcom | 5,341 | 66.88% | 2,273 | 28.46% | 164 | 2.05% | 208 | 2.60% | 3,068 | 38.42% | 7,986 |
Whitman | 3,053 | 49.34% | 2,946 | 47.61% | 0 | 0.00% | 189 | 3.05% | 107 | 1.73% | 6,188 |
Yakima | 4,032 | 66.66% | 1,615 | 26.70% | 161 | 2.66% | 241 | 3.98% | 2,417 | 39.96% | 6,049 |
Totals | 110,190 | 62.56% | 58,126 | 33.00% | 4,311 | 2.45% | 3,514 | 1.99% | 52,064 | 29.56% | 176,141 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Elections Search Results: September 1908 Primary". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ "Primary Election Law of Washington". Washington Standard. August 7, 1908. p. 1. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Washington Secretary of State. "Governor". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the Primary Election Held September 8, 1908. Olympia, Washington. pp. 4-5 & 12-13.
- ^ "Elections Search Results: November 1908 General". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Washington Secretary of State. "For Governor". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the General Election Held November 3, 1908. Olympia, Washington. p. 22.