2008 Washington State Treasurer election
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November 4, 2008
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  McIntire: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Martin: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington (state) |
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The 2008 Washington State Treasurer election was held on November 4, 2008, to elect the Washington State Treasurer, concurrently with the 2008 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington. 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 State Treasurer Mike Murphy, first elected back in 1996, retired.[1] Democratic state representative James McIntire narrowly defeated Republican Assistant State Treasurer Allan Martin to succeed Murphy.[2]
The top-two primary was held on August 19.
Primary election
Democratic Party
Advanced to general
- James McIntire, state representative (1998–2009)[3]
Eliminated in primary
- ChangMook Sohn, former director of the state Revenue Forecast Council[4]
Declined
- Mike Murphy, incumbent state treasurer (1997–2009)[1]
Republican Party
Advanced to general
- Allan Martin, assistant state treasurer[5]
Endorsements
Allan Martin (R)
Statewide officials
- Mike Murphy, incumbent Washington State Treasurer (1997–2009) (Democratic)[5]
Newspapers
Results
Martin
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
McIntire
- 40–50%
Martin
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
McIntire
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Allan Martin | 613,595 | 45.33 | |
| Democratic | James McIntire | 533,443 | 39.41 | |
| Democratic | ChangMook Sohn | 206,457 | 15.25 | |
| Total votes | 1,353,495 | 100.00 | ||
By county
| County[8] | James McIntire
Democratic |
Allan Martin
Republican |
ChangMook Sohn
Democratic |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 674 | 26.96% | 1,656 | 66.24% | 170 | 6.80% | 982 | 39.28% | 2,500 |
| Asotin | 1,944 | 36.99% | 2,680 | 50.99% | 632 | 12.02% | 736 | 14.00% | 5,256 |
| Benton | 10,544 | 28.02% | 23,239 | 61.75% | 3,852 | 10.24% | 12,695 | 33.73% | 37,635 |
| Chelan | 4,556 | 26.88% | 10,849 | 64.01% | 1,543 | 9.10% | 6,293 | 37.13% | 16,948 |
| Clallam | 7,890 | 36.54% | 10,708 | 49.59% | 2,993 | 13.86% | 2,818 | 13.05% | 21,591 |
| Clark | 27,420 | 37.89% | 35,716 | 49.35% | 9,231 | 12.76% | 8,296 | 11.46% | 72,367 |
| Columbia | 364 | 25.67% | 923 | 65.09% | 131 | 9.24% | 559 | 39.42% | 1,418 |
| Cowlitz | 9,260 | 43.33% | 9,332 | 43.67% | 2,778 | 13.00% | 72 | 0.34% | 21,370 |
| Douglas | 2,353 | 28.32% | 5,307 | 63.86% | 650 | 7.82% | 2,954 | 35.55% | 8,310 |
| Ferry | 572 | 29.48% | 1,139 | 58.71% | 229 | 11.80% | 567 | 29.23% | 1,940 |
| Franklin | 3,153 | 29.04% | 6,729 | 61.98% | 974 | 8.97% | 3,576 | 32.94% | 10,856 |
| Garfield | 203 | 27.28% | 495 | 66.53% | 46 | 6.18% | 292 | 39.25% | 744 |
| Grant | 4,360 | 29.92% | 9,126 | 62.64% | 1,084 | 7.44% | 4,766 | 32.71% | 14,570 |
| Grays Harbor | 7,531 | 44.80% | 6,453 | 38.39% | 2,827 | 16.82% | -1,078 | -6.41% | 16,811 |
| Island | 8,921 | 37.48% | 11,480 | 48.24% | 3,398 | 14.28% | 2,559 | 10.75% | 23,799 |
| Jefferson | 5,807 | 46.31% | 4,611 | 36.77% | 2,121 | 16.92% | -1,196 | -9.54% | 12,539 |
| King | 156,248 | 46.48% | 121,741 | 36.21% | 58,207 | 17.31% | -34,507 | -10.26% | 336,196 |
| Kitsap | 26,406 | 41.14% | 29,170 | 45.44% | 8,617 | 13.42% | 2,764 | 4.31% | 64,193 |
| Kittitas | 3,122 | 32.86% | 5,204 | 54.77% | 1,175 | 12.37% | 2,082 | 21.91% | 9,501 |
| Klickitat | 1,968 | 38.79% | 2,600 | 51.25% | 505 | 9.95% | 632 | 12.46% | 5,073 |
| Lewis | 5,665 | 30.14% | 11,081 | 58.95% | 2,050 | 10.91% | 5,416 | 28.81% | 18,796 |
| Lincoln | 1,080 | 29.06% | 2,350 | 63.22% | 287 | 7.72% | 1,270 | 34.17% | 3,717 |
| Mason | 6,692 | 40.37% | 7,449 | 44.94% | 2,434 | 14.68% | 757 | 4.57% | 16,575 |
| Okanogan | 2,672 | 31.49% | 4,867 | 57.35% | 947 | 11.16% | 2,195 | 25.87% | 8,486 |
| Pacific | 2,699 | 40.75% | 2,483 | 37.49% | 1,441 | 21.76% | -216 | -3.26% | 6,623 |
| Pend Oreille | 1,328 | 35.66% | 2,048 | 54.99% | 348 | 9.34% | 720 | 19.33% | 3,724 |
| Pierce | 56,085 | 38.88% | 63,330 | 43.90% | 24,832 | 17.21% | 7,245 | 5.02% | 144,247 |
| San Juan | 2,958 | 45.66% | 2,391 | 36.91% | 1,129 | 17.43% | -567 | -8.75% | 6,478 |
| Skagit | 11,687 | 39.74% | 13,887 | 47.22% | 3,833 | 13.03% | 2,200 | 7.48% | 29,407 |
| Skamania | 938 | 38.97% | 1,155 | 47.99% | 314 | 13.05% | 217 | 9.02% | 2,407 |
| Snohomish | 57,366 | 40.94% | 61,841 | 44.13% | 20,919 | 14.93% | 4,475 | 3.19% | 140,126 |
| Spokane | 38,057 | 36.52% | 52,320 | 50.21% | 13,826 | 13.27% | 14,263 | 13.69% | 104,203 |
| Stevens | 3,560 | 29.35% | 7,343 | 60.55% | 1,225 | 10.10% | 3,783 | 31.19% | 12,128 |
| Thurston | 21,188 | 33.41% | 24,870 | 39.22% | 17,360 | 27.37% | 3,682 | 5.81% | 63,418 |
| Wahkiakum | 455 | 34.24% | 639 | 48.08% | 235 | 17.68% | 184 | 13.84% | 1,329 |
| Walla Walla | 3,957 | 30.08% | 7,716 | 58.66% | 1,481 | 11.26% | 3,759 | 28.58% | 13,154 |
| Whatcom | 18,405 | 39.54% | 21,217 | 45.58% | 6,929 | 14.88% | 2,812 | 6.04% | 46,551 |
| Whitman | 2,541 | 32.10% | 4,295 | 54.25% | 1,081 | 13.65% | 1,754 | 22.15% | 7,917 |
| Yakima | 12,814 | 31.57% | 23,155 | 57.04% | 4,623 | 11.39% | 10,341 | 25.48% | 40,592 |
| Totals | 533,443 | 39.41% | 613,595 | 45.33% | 206,457 | 15.25% | 80,152 | 5.92% | 1,353,495 |
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James McIntire | 1,420,022 | 51.08 | –9.21 | |
| Republican | Allan Martin | 1,360,063 | 48.92 | +12.88 | |
| Total votes | 2,780,085 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County[10] | James McIntire
Democratic |
Allan Martin
Republican |
Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,452 | 32.75% | 2,981 | 67.25% | -1,529 | -34.49% | 4,433 |
| Asotin | 3,954 | 43.58% | 5,120 | 56.42% | -1,166 | -12.85% | 9,074 |
| Benton | 24,182 | 35.60% | 43,736 | 64.40% | -19,554 | -28.79% | 67,918 |
| Chelan | 10,318 | 34.63% | 19,477 | 65.37% | -9,159 | -30.74% | 29,795 |
| Clallam | 16,812 | 47.40% | 18,655 | 52.60% | -1,843 | -5.20% | 35,467 |
| Clark | 83,133 | 49.11% | 86,151 | 50.89% | -3,018 | -1.78% | 169,284 |
| Columbia | 648 | 31.73% | 1,394 | 68.27% | -746 | -36.53% | 2,042 |
| Cowlitz | 22,517 | 53.99% | 19,187 | 46.01% | 3,330 | 7.98% | 41,704 |
| Douglas | 4,755 | 33.60% | 9,397 | 66.40% | -4,642 | -32.80% | 14,152 |
| Ferry | 1,349 | 42.00% | 1,863 | 58.00% | -514 | -16.00% | 3,212 |
| Franklin | 6,941 | 37.20% | 11,718 | 62.80% | -4,777 | -25.60% | 18,659 |
| Garfield | 386 | 31.23% | 850 | 68.77% | -464 | -37.54% | 1,236 |
| Grant | 9,285 | 36.07% | 16,457 | 63.93% | -7,172 | -27.86% | 25,742 |
| Grays Harbor | 14,995 | 55.32% | 12,111 | 44.68% | 2,884 | 10.64% | 27,106 |
| Island | 17,834 | 46.09% | 20,856 | 53.91% | -3,022 | -7.81% | 38,690 |
| Jefferson | 10,981 | 58.48% | 7,795 | 41.52% | 3,186 | 16.97% | 18,776 |
| King | 482,557 | 58.77% | 338,554 | 41.23% | 144,003 | 17.54% | 821,111 |
| Kitsap | 57,991 | 49.88% | 58,268 | 50.12% | -277 | -0.24% | 116,259 |
| Kittitas | 7,021 | 42.59% | 9,464 | 57.41% | -2,443 | -14.82% | 16,485 |
| Klickitat | 4,516 | 48.12% | 4,869 | 51.88% | -353 | -3.76% | 9,385 |
| Lewis | 12,716 | 39.41% | 19,547 | 60.59% | -6,831 | -21.17% | 32,263 |
| Lincoln | 1,861 | 34.46% | 3,540 | 65.54% | -1,679 | -31.09% | 5,401 |
| Mason | 13,266 | 49.67% | 13,441 | 50.33% | -175 | -0.66% | 26,707 |
| Okanogan | 6,713 | 43.48% | 8,727 | 56.52% | -2,014 | -13.04% | 15,440 |
| Pacific | 5,719 | 56.55% | 4,395 | 43.45% | 1,324 | 13.09% | 10,114 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,579 | 42.77% | 3,451 | 57.23% | -872 | -14.46% | 6,030 |
| Pierce | 150,685 | 49.69% | 152,539 | 50.31% | -1,854 | -0.61% | 303,224 |
| San Juan | 5,901 | 60.70% | 3,820 | 39.30% | 2,081 | 21.41% | 9,721 |
| Skagit | 25,176 | 48.58% | 26,652 | 51.42% | -1,476 | -2.85% | 51,828 |
| Skamania | 2,487 | 49.52% | 2,535 | 50.48% | -48 | -0.96% | 5,022 |
| Snohomish | 150,923 | 50.50% | 147,953 | 49.50% | 2,970 | 0.99% | 298,876 |
| Spokane | 95,304 | 47.01% | 107,422 | 52.99% | -12,118 | -5.98% | 202,726 |
| Stevens | 7,777 | 37.85% | 12,770 | 62.15% | -4,993 | -24.30% | 20,547 |
| Thurston | 59,308 | 51.04% | 56,886 | 48.96% | 2,422 | 2.08% | 116,194 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,053 | 50.48% | 1,033 | 49.52% | 20 | 0.96% | 2,086 |
| Walla Walla | 8,565 | 37.66% | 14,180 | 62.34% | -5,615 | -24.69% | 22,745 |
| Whatcom | 48,798 | 53.03% | 43,218 | 46.97% | 5,580 | 6.06% | 92,016 |
| Whitman | 7,281 | 45.57% | 8,695 | 54.43% | -1,414 | -8.85% | 15,976 |
| Yakima | 32,283 | 44.44% | 40,356 | 55.56% | -8,073 | -11.11% | 72,639 |
| Totals | 1,420,022 | 51.08% | 1,360,063 | 48.92% | 59,959 | 2.16% | 2,780,085 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Asotin (largest city: Clarkston)
- Clallam (largest city: Port Angeles)
- Clark (largest city: Vancouver)
- Ferry (largest city: Republic)
- Island (largest city: Oak Harbor)
- Kitsap (largest city: Bremerton)
- Kittitas (largest city: Ellensburg)
- Klickitat (largest city: Goldendale)
- Mason (largest city: Shelton)
- Okanogan (largest city: Omak)
- Pend Oreille (largest city: Newport)
- Pierce (largest city: Tacoma)
- Skagit (largest city: Mount Vernon)
- 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
McIntire won five of nine congressional districts, with the remaining four going to Martin, including one that elected a Democrat.[11]
| District | McIntire | Martin | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 51% | 49% | Jay Inslee |
| 2nd | 50.3% | 49.7% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 49.6% | 50.4% | Brian Baird |
| 4th | 39% | 61% | Doc Hastings |
| 5th | 45% | 55% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 52% | 48% | Norm Dicks |
| 7th | 73% | 27% | Jim McDermott |
| 8th | 46% | 54% | Dave Reichert |
| 9th | 51% | 49% | Adam Smith |
References
- ^ a b https://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article25227022.html
- ^ Shaw, Linda (November 7, 2008). "Randy Dorn defeats Bergeson for state schools post". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
...Democrat Jim McIntire defeated Republican Allan Martin for state treasurer, which was an open seat.
- ^ Gilmore, Susan (August 6, 2008). "3 running to fill state treasurer's job". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/mar/04/sohn-running-for-wa-state-treasurer/
- ^ a b https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/martin-seeks-treasurers-post/
- ^ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (August 5, 2008). "Allan Martin for state treasurer". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ Reed, Sam (August 19, 2008). "State Treasurer". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 2, 2025. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ Reed, Sam (August 19, 2008). "State Treasurer - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ^ Reed, Sam (November 4, 2008). "State Treasurer". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on March 25, 2025. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ Reed, Sam (November 4, 2008). "State Treasurer - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ "2008 General Data". sos.wa.gov. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024.