United States · Election results history · 1986 Senate · Washington

Election 1986 Results

Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.

1986 US Senate election in Washington

Brock Adams (Democrat) beat Slade Gorton (Republican) in Washington in 1986, 50.7% to 48.7%, a margin of 2.0 points and 26,540 votes.

Washington changed party: in 1980 it went Republican, for Slade Gorton.

Republicans led in 21 of the 39 counties as they stood then and Democrats in 18. The largest, King, cast 445,544 votes and went to the Democrat by 7.7 points. The closest was Pend Oreille, where 3 votes separated the two parties.

United States

Results

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Or set the national mood Turnout

Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

Senate

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Brock Adams won	Democratic	677,471	50.7%
Slade Gorton	Republican	650,931	48.7%
All other candidates		8,965	0.7%
Total		1,337,367

Every county

County	Democrat	Republican	Others	Total	Margin
King	238,720 53.6%	204,547 45.9%	2,277	445,544	D+7.7
Pierce	66,038 52.2%	59,470 47.0%	917	126,425	D+5.2
Snohomish	54,837 50.7%	52,615 48.7%	686	108,138	D+2.1
Spokane	52,149 48.2%	55,354 51.2%	597	108,100	R+3.0
Clark	28,692 53.9%	24,280 45.6%	291	53,263	D+8.3
Kitsap	25,277 52.9%	22,131 46.3%	380	47,788	D+6.6
Thurston	23,960 50.5%	23,113 48.7%	383	47,456	D+1.8
Yakima	19,532 43.3%	25,155 55.7%	448	45,135	R+12.5
Whatcom	19,123 51.3%	17,879 48.0%	267	37,269	D+3.3
Benton	11,312 32.4%	23,098 66.2%	488	34,898	R+33.8
Skagit	12,487 48.4%	13,134 50.9%	192	25,813	R+2.5
Cowlitz	12,143 58.7%	8,465 40.9%	91	20,699	D+17.8
Grays Harbor	12,857 63.3%	7,243 35.7%	205	20,305	D+27.6
Lewis	8,246 43.6%	10,445 55.2%	237	18,928	R+11.6
Clallam	8,675 49.2%	8,835 50.1%	117	17,627	R+0.9
Island	6,390 40.8%	9,138 58.3%	136	15,664	R+17.5
Chelan	6,338 41.4%	8,812 57.6%	156	15,306	R+16.2
Grant	6,039 39.8%	8,991 59.3%	130	15,160	R+19.5
Walla Walla	5,729 41.0%	8,173 58.5%	80	13,982	R+17.5
Mason	6,674 54.1%	5,582 45.2%	86	12,342	D+8.8
Whitman	4,919 44.3%	6,117 55.1%	75	11,111	R+10.8
Okanogan	5,069 49.6%	5,074 49.6%	82	10,225	level
Stevens	4,409 43.2%	5,729 56.1%	78	10,216	R+12.9
Franklin	3,649 41.1%	5,132 57.8%	98	8,879	R+16.7
Kittitas	4,041 48.5%	4,264 51.1%	34	8,339	R+2.7
Douglas	3,205 42.9%	4,229 56.6%	36	7,470	R+13.7
Jefferson	3,924 53.7%	3,332 45.6%	49	7,305	D+8.1
Pacific	4,329 61.9%	2,600 37.2%	68	6,997	D+24.7
Asotin	3,328 51.3%	3,105 47.8%	58	6,491	D+3.4
Klickitat	3,148 58.9%	2,142 40.1%	51	5,341	D+18.8
San Juan	2,157 46.8%	2,417 52.4%	38	4,612	R+5.6
Lincoln	1,716 40.6%	2,478 58.7%	30	4,224	R+18.0
Adams	1,303 35.7%	2,328 63.8%	19	3,650	R+28.1
Pend Oreille	1,710 49.8%	1,707 49.8%	14	3,431	D+0.1
Skamania	2,312 78.5%	602 20.4%	31	2,945	D+58.1
Ferry	938 53.5%	799 45.6%	15	1,752	D+7.9
Columbia	627 36.9%	1,069 62.9%	3	1,699	R+26.0
Wahkiakum	920 60.8%	574 37.9%	19	1,513	D+22.9
Garfield	549 41.4%	773 58.3%	3	1,325	R+16.9

Counties as they stood in 1986; some have since been split, merged or renamed. Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Sources and how the results were checked.

Washington Senate elections we hold

Year	Winner	Margin
2024	Maria Cantwell (D)	D+18.5
2022	Patty Murray (D)	D+14.6
2018	Maria Cantwell (D)	D+16.9
2016	Patty Murray (D)	D+18.0
2012	Maria Cantwell (D)	D+20.9
2010	Patty Murray (D)	D+4.7
2006	Maria Cantwell (D)	D+16.9
2004	Patty Murray (D)	D+12.2
2000	Maria Cantwell (D)	D+0.1
1998	Patty Murray (D)	D+16.8
1994	Slade Gorton (R)	R+11.5
1992	Patty Murray (D)	D+8.0
1988	Slade Gorton (R)	R+2.2
1986	Brock Adams (D)	D+2.0
1982	Henry M. Jackson (D)	D+44.7
1980	Slade Gorton (R)	R+8.3
1976	Henry M. Jackson (D)	D+47.6
1974	Warren Magnuson (D)	D+24.6
1970	Scoop Jackson (D)	D+66.4
1968	Warren Magnuson (D)	D+29.1
1964	Scoop Jackson (D)	D+44.4
1962	Warren Magnuson (D)	D+4.8
1958	Scoop Jackson (D)	D+35.9
1956	Warren Magnuson (D)	D+22.2
1952	Scoop Jackson (D)	D+12.7
1950	Warren Magnuson (D)	D+7.4
1946	Harry P. Cain (R)	R+9.1
1944	Warren Magnuson (D)	D+10.7
1940	Monrad C. Wallgren (D)	D+8.3
1938	Homer T. Bone (D)	D+25.5
1934	Lewis Schwellenbach (D)	D+26.9
1932	Homer T. Bone (D)	D+27.9
1928	Clarence C. Dill (D)	D+7.0
1926	Wesley L. Jones (R)	R+4.8
1922	Clarence C. Dill (D)	D+1.3
1920	Wesley L. Jones (R)	R+38.6
1916	Miles Poindexter (R)	R+18.3
1914	Wesley L. Jones (R)	R+11.2

1986 US Senate election in Washington

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