United States · Election results history · 1988 Senate · Washington

Election 1988 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.

1988 US Senate election in Washington

Slade Gorton (Republican) beat Mike Lowry (Democrat) in Washington in 1988, 51.1% to 48.9%, a margin of 2.2 points and 40,176 votes.

Washington changed party: in 1982 it went Democratic, for Henry M. Jackson.

Republicans led in 27 of the 39 counties as they stood then and Democrats in 12. The largest, King, cast 628,489 votes and went to the Democrat by 8.0 points. The closest was Pend Oreille, where 15 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
Slade Gorton won	Republican	944,359	51.1%
Mike Lowry	Democratic	904,183	48.9%
Total		1,848,542

Every county

County	Democrat	Republican	Total	Margin
King	339,402 54.0%	289,087 46.0%	628,489	D+8.0
Pierce	93,310 49.3%	96,122 50.7%	189,432	R+1.5
Snohomish	80,413 47.7%	88,307 52.3%	168,720	R+4.7
Spokane	68,482 48.2%	73,583 51.8%	142,065	R+3.6
Clark	37,435 48.0%	40,518 52.0%	77,953	R+4.0
Thurston	34,266 50.7%	33,371 49.3%	67,637	D+1.3
Kitsap	30,493 45.8%	36,125 54.2%	66,618	R+8.5
Yakima	22,785 38.2%	36,844 61.8%	59,629	R+23.6
Whatcom	24,779 49.5%	25,278 50.5%	50,057	R+1.0
Benton	8,547 19.2%	35,986 80.8%	44,533	R+61.6
Skagit	15,416 47.9%	16,747 52.1%	32,163	R+4.1
Cowlitz	14,955 52.6%	13,502 47.4%	28,457	D+5.1
Grays Harbor	14,409 59.6%	9,780 40.4%	24,189	D+19.1
Lewis	9,287 39.5%	14,254 60.5%	23,541	R+21.1
Clallam	11,235 48.9%	11,738 51.1%	22,973	R+2.2
Island	8,675 40.4%	12,806 59.6%	21,481	R+19.2
Chelan	7,711 39.0%	12,083 61.0%	19,794	R+22.1
Grant	7,265 40.0%	10,897 60.0%	18,162	R+20.0
Walla Walla	7,004 39.7%	10,647 60.3%	17,651	R+20.6
Mason	8,078 51.2%	7,692 48.8%	15,770	D+2.4
Whitman	7,256 47.5%	8,022 52.5%	15,278	R+5.0
Stevens	5,389 44.5%	6,729 55.5%	12,118	R+11.1
Okanogan	5,711 48.0%	6,189 52.0%	11,900	R+4.0
Franklin	3,225 29.6%	7,683 70.4%	10,908	R+40.9
Kittitas	5,041 47.6%	5,542 52.4%	10,583	R+4.7
Jefferson	5,388 55.6%	4,298 44.4%	9,686	D+11.3
Douglas	3,689 39.2%	5,718 60.8%	9,407	R+21.6
Pacific	4,887 59.5%	3,325 40.5%	8,212	D+19.0
Asotin	3,373 51.4%	3,195 48.6%	6,568	D+2.7
Klickitat	2,983 49.3%	3,064 50.7%	6,047	R+1.3
San Juan	2,932 51.1%	2,811 48.9%	5,743	D+2.1
Lincoln	1,932 40.8%	2,805 59.2%	4,737	R+18.4
Adams	1,606 36.0%	2,856 64.0%	4,462	R+28.0
Pend Oreille	1,855 49.8%	1,870 50.2%	3,725	R+0.4
Skamania	1,775 57.7%	1,299 42.3%	3,074	D+15.5
Ferry	1,004 50.6%	981 49.4%	1,985	D+1.2
Columbia	784 40.1%	1,170 59.9%	1,954	R+19.8
Wahkiakum	804 52.9%	716 47.1%	1,520	D+5.8
Garfield	602 45.6%	719 54.4%	1,321	R+8.9

Counties as they stood in 1988; 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

1988 US Senate election in Washington

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