Washington held its general election on November 6, 2012, deciding 124 legislative seats and 9 statewide offices led by the governorship. Control shifted: the Senate moved from a 27-22 Democratic majority to organization by a bipartisan coalition.
Highlights
- Democrats kept the governorship but lost working control of the Senate. Jay Inslee (D) beat Rob McKenna (R) by about 3 points, and McKenna conceded. The election left Democrats a 26-23 Senate majority, but in December Sens. Rodney Tom (D) and Tim Sheldon (D) joined all 23 Republicans in a coalition, with Tom proposed as majority leader and Sheldon as president pro tempore. By the January session, that coalition majority ran the floor and key committees.
- Republicans gained a Senate seat on net:
- Haugen was one of 4 legislators to lose in November. Under the top-two system, which advances the top two primary finishers regardless of party, two of the others lost to fellow Republicans:
- Democrats kept their House majority. Roger Freeman (D) unseated Rep. Katrina Asay (R) by about 10 points in House District 30. Two House races finished inside 200 votes: Monica Stonier (D) won Probst's open House District 17 seat by about 140 votes over Julie Olson (R), and Rep. Mark Hargrove (R) held House District 47 by about 160.
- Down the ballot, Bob Ferguson (D) won the open, Republican-held attorney general's office, beating Reagan Dunn (R) by about 7 points. Kim Wyman (R), the only Republican to win statewide, kept the secretary of state's office in her party's hands by less than a point over Kathleen Drew (D). Democrats held the other contested offices.
- Voters decided 8 statewide measures. They upheld the Legislature's same-sex marriage law in Referendum 74, which opponents conceded would pass; legalized and regulated marijuana for adults through Initiative 502; authorized up to 40 public charter schools by about a point in Initiative 1240; and, with about 64%, voted to continue requiring a two-thirds legislative vote for tax increases in Initiative 1185. Among the measures voters rejected was SJR 8223, a proposal on university investments.
Legislature
- House (98 seats): 56 D, 42 R before the election, 55 D, 43 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
- Senate (49 seats): 27 D, 22 R before the election, 26 D, 23 R after; control moved from Democrats to a bipartisan coalition.
Statewide races
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|
| Advisory Vote 1 | Eliminate a business and occupation tax deduction for certain financial institutions’ interest on residential loans | Failed (43% yes) |
| Advisory Vote 2 | Extend the expiration of a tax on possession of petroleum products and reduce the tax rate. | Failed (45% yes) |
| Initiative 1185 | Require either two-thirds legislative approval or a voter approval to raise taxes. | Passed (64% yes) |
| Initiative 1240 | Authorize up to 40 public charter schools in Washington | Passed (51% yes) |
| Initiative 502 | Legalize and regulate the production, possession, delivery, and distribution of marijuana. | Passed (56% yes) |
| Referendum 74 | Legalize same-sex marriage. | Passed (54% yes) |
| SJR 8221 | Phase-down the debt limit percentage and modify the calculation date, period, and the term general state revenues | Passed (63% yes) |
| SJR 8223 | Authorize state research universities to invest specified public funds as authorized by the legislature. | Failed (44% yes) |