1936 Washington gubernatorial election

The 1936 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1936. Incumbent Democrat Clarence D. Martin defeated Republican nominee Roland H. Hartley with 69.36% of the vote.

1936 Washington gubernatorial election

← 1932 November 3, 1936 1940 →
 
Nominee Clarence D. Martin Roland H. Hartley
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 466,550 189,141
Percentage 69.36% 28.12%

County results
Martin:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Clarence D. Martin
Democratic

Elected Governor

Clarence D. Martin
Democratic

Martin's popular vote share is the largest achieved by any gubernatorial candidate in Washington. This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which a candidate swept every county in the state. As of 2020, this is also the most recent election in which a Democrat has carried Adams County and Columbia County. Additionally, Chelan County, Garfield County, Lincoln County, San Juan County, Walla Walla County, and Whitman County would not vote Democratic again until 1988.

Primary election

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The primary election was held on September 8, 1936.[1] Washington adopted a blanket primary starting with the 1936 elections. All candidates appeared on the same ballot, with the highest candidate for each party becoming that party's nominee. This system was eventually ruled unconstitutional in the early 2000s.

Candidates

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Results

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Blanket primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Clarence D. Martin (incumbent) 166,313 33.05%
Democratic John C. Stevenson 129,388 25.71%
Democratic Otto A. Case 86,752 17.24%
Republican Roland H. Hartley 59,371 11.80%
Republican Walter F. Meier 23,892 4.75%
Democratic H. G. Stevenson 13,556 2.69%
Republican Ralph Horr 13,023 2.59%
Democratic A. E. Judd 3,582 0.71%
Democratic Eugene J. A. Lord 2,356 0.47%
Republican John Calvin Richards 1,588 0.32%
Republican Erle J. Barnes 1,052 0.21%
Republican Frank W. Harris 888 0.18%
Democratic Roscoe A. Seeds 752 0.15%
Democratic James W. Bryan 684 0.14%
Total votes 503,197 100.00%

General election

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Candidates

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Major party candidates

  • Clarence D. Martin, Democratic
  • Roland H. Hartley, Republican

Other candidates

  • Ove M. Nelson, Union
  • John F. McKay, Socialist
  • William Morley Bouck, Farmer–Labor
  • Malcolm M. Moore, Christian
  • Harold P. Brockway, Communist
  • Eugene V. Solie, Socialist Labor

Results

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1936 Washington gubernatorial election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Clarence D. Martin (incumbent) 466,550 69.36% +12.07%
Republican Roland H. Hartley 189,141 28.12% −5.63%
Union Ove M. Nelson 6,349 0.94%
Socialist John F. McKay 4,221 0.63% −1.00%
Farmer–Labor William Morley Bouck 1,994 0.30%
Christian Malcolm M. Moore 1,947 0.29%
Communist Harold P. Brockway 1,939 0.29% −0.12%
Socialist Labor Eugene V. Solie 466 0.07% +0.00%
Majority 277,409 41.24%
Total votes 672,607 100.00%
Democratic hold Swing +17.70%

Results by county

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County Clarence D. Martin
Democratic
Roland H. Hartley
Republican
Ove M. Nelson
Union
John F. McKay
Socialist
All Others
Various
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 2,008 76.18% 611 23.18% 8 0.30% 4 0.15% 5 0.19% 1,397 53.00% 2,636
Asotin 2,178 66.30% 1,009 30.72% 74 2.25% 15 0.46% 9 0.27% 1,169 35.59% 3,285
Benton 2,470 56.82% 1,716 39.48% 131 3.01% 13 0.30% 17 0.39% 754 17.35% 4,347
Chelan 8,624 65.21% 4,441 33.58% 70 0.53% 29 0.22% 60 0.45% 4,183 31.63% 13,224
Clallam 5,521 66.95% 2,335 28.32% 289 3.50% 18 0.22% 83 1.01% 3,186 38.64% 8,246
Clark 13,360 74.93% 3,950 22.15% 273 1.53% 128 0.72% 120 0.67% 9,410 52.77% 17,831
Columbia 1,267 54.26% 970 41.54% 79 3.38% 7 0.30% 12 0.51% 297 12.72% 2,335
Cowlitz 10,393 75.21% 2,995 21.67% 224 1.62% 105 0.76% 101 0.73% 7,398 53.54% 13,818
Douglas 2,303 68.62% 988 29.44% 28 0.83% 25 0.74% 12 0.36% 1,315 39.18% 3,356
Ferry 1,090 73.60% 366 24.71% 13 0.88% 10 0.68% 2 0.14% 724 48.89% 1,481
Franklin 1,780 70.08% 670 26.38% 54 2.13% 15 0.59% 21 0.83% 1,110 43.70% 2,540
Garfield 926 57.48% 674 41.84% 10 0.62% 0 0.00% 1 0.06% 252 15.64% 1,611
Grant 4,158 84.12% 735 14.87% 16 0.32% 22 0.45% 12 0.24% 3,423 69.25% 4,943
Grays Harbor 17,053 81.08% 3,430 16.31% 368 1.75% 51 0.24% 130 0.62% 13,623 64.77% 21,032
Island 1,814 66.40% 798 29.21% 36 1.32% 14 0.51% 70 2.56% 1,016 37.19% 2,732
Jefferson 2,307 68.42% 1,013 30.04% 18 0.53% 10 0.30% 24 0.71% 1,294 38.37% 3,372
King 135,740 66.75% 63,857 31.40% 659 0.32% 1,350 0.66% 1,746 0.86% 71,883 35.35% 203,352
Kitsap 12,389 76.96% 3,255 20.22% 105 0.65% 41 0.25% 308 1.91% 9,134 56.74% 16,098
Kittitas 4,654 65.84% 2,314 32.73% 66 0.93% 25 0.35% 10 0.14% 2,340 33.10% 7,069
Klickitat 2,613 69.94% 1,043 27.92% 48 1.28% 9 0.24% 23 0.62% 1,570 42.02% 3,736
Lewis 10,663 65.45% 4,957 30.43% 298 1.83% 57 0.35% 317 1.95% 5,706 35.02% 16,292
Lincoln 3,582 71.80% 1,355 27.16% 25 0.50% 11 0.22% 16 0.32% 2,227 44.64% 4,989
Mason 3,110 73.25% 925 21.79% 129 3.04% 19 0.45% 63 1.48% 2,185 51.46% 4,246
Okanogan 5,447 65.05% 2,598 31.02% 272 3.25% 20 0.24% 37 0.44% 2,849 34.02% 8,374
Pacific 4,466 71.71% 1,607 25.80% 55 0.88% 13 0.21% 87 1.40% 2,859 45.91% 6,228
Pend Oreille 1,718 63.00% 941 34.51% 20 0.73% 22 0.81% 26 0.95% 777 28.49% 2,727
Pierce 51,299 76.32% 13,853 20.61% 557 0.83% 334 0.50% 1,170 1.74% 37,446 55.71% 67,213
San Juan 856 55.19% 623 40.17% 54 3.48% 3 0.19% 15 0.97% 233 15.02% 1,551
Skagit 10,313 67.15% 4,669 30.40% 127 0.83% 24 0.16% 225 1.47% 5,644 36.75% 15,358
Skamania 1,649 75.92% 493 22.70% 12 0.55% 9 0.41% 9 0.41% 1,156 53.22% 2,172
Snohomish 25,499 73.56% 8,143 23.49% 269 0.78% 251 0.72% 503 1.45% 17,356 50.07% 34,665
Spokane 48,823 70.95% 17,939 26.07% 476 0.69% 973 1.41% 605 0.88% 30,884 44.88% 68,816
Stevens 4,543 66.42% 2,101 30.72% 87 1.27% 70 1.02% 39 0.57% 2,442 35.70% 6,840
Thurston 11,629 75.56% 3,333 21.66% 227 1.47% 62 0.40% 140 0.91% 8,296 53.90% 15,391
Wahkiakum 1,083 70.32% 425 27.60% 22 1.43% 4 0.26% 6 0.39% 658 42.73% 1,540
Walla Walla 6,388 55.86% 4,723 41.30% 277 2.42% 26 0.23% 21 0.18% 1,665 14.56% 11,435
Whatcom 17,253 69.45% 6,968 28.05% 147 0.59% 299 1.20% 174 0.70% 10,285 41.40% 24,841
Whitman 7,794 66.23% 3,854 32.75% 58 0.49% 44 0.37% 18 0.15% 3,940 33.48% 11,768
Yakima 17,787 57.16% 12,464 40.06% 668 2.15% 89 0.29% 109 0.35% 5,323 17.11% 31,117
Totals 466,550 69.36% 189,141 28.12% 6,349 0.94% 4,221 0.63% 6,346 0.94% 277,409 41.24% 672,607

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Election Search Results: September 1936 Primary". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "Elections Search Results: November 1936 General". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved August 9, 2024.