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1908 Washington gubernatorial election

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1908 Washington gubernatorial election

← 1904 November 3, 1908 1912 →
 
Nominee Samuel G. Cosgrove John Pattison
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 110,190 58,126
Percentage 62.56% 33.00%

County results
Cosgrove:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election

Albert E. Mead
Republican

Elected Governor

Samuel G. Cosgrove
Republican

The 1908 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908. Republican nominee Samuel G. Cosgrove defeated Democratic nominee John Pattison with 62.56% of the vote.

Primary election

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Primary elections were held on September 8, 1908.[1] When Washington began using primary elections to nominate candidates, it used a form of ranked-choice voting although the original method was quite different from the modern understanding of RCV. If four or more candidates registered for a party's nomination for a particular office, voters in the primary were to make a first choice and second choice among the candidates. If a candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, he was declared the winner. Otherwise, the second choice votes were added to the first choice votes for all candidates and whoever had the highest number of combined votes was declared the winner, even if that was not a majority.[2]

Democratic party

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Candidates

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  • John Pattison, Mayor of Colfax
  • A.J. Splawn
  • William Blackman
  • Jimmie Durkin
  • Patrick S. Byrne

Results

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Democratic primary results, first choice[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Pattison 4,179 32.35%
Democratic A.J. Splawn 3,479 26.93%
Democratic Jimmie Durkin 2,240 17.34%
Democratic William Blackman 1,907 14.76%
Democratic Patrick S. Byrne 1,115 8.63%
Total votes 12,920 100.00%

Since no candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, the second choice votes were counted.

Democratic primary results, combined[1][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Pattison 6,268 24.30%
Democratic A.J. Splawn 6,050 23.46%
Democratic William Blackman 5,844 22.66%
Democratic Jimmie Durkin 4,398 17.05%
Democratic Patrick S. Byrne 3,230 12.52%
Total votes 25,790 100.00%

Republican party

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Candidates

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Results

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Republican primary results, first choice[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Henry McBride 33,509 32.85%
Republican Albert E. Mead (incumbent) 32.357 31.72%
Republican Samuel G. Cosgrove 25,519 25.02%
Republican John D. Atkinson 4,084 4.00%
Republican William M. Ridpath 3,298 3.23%
Republican J.W. Robinson 1,488 1.46%
Republican Oscar H. Neil 1,136 1.11%
Republican Robert B. Brown 604 0.59%
Total votes 101,995 100.00%

Since no candidate received more than 40% of the first choice votes, the second choice votes were counted.

Republican primary results, combined[1][3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Samuel G. Cosgrove 57,667 28.30%
Republican Albert E. Mead (incumbent) 49,402 24.24%
Republican Henry McBride 47,594 23.35%
Republican John D. Atkinson 21,527 10.56%
Republican William M. Ridpath 10,702 5.25%
Republican Robert B. Brown 5,973 2.93%
Republican Oscar H. Neil 5,830 2.86%
Republican J.W. Robinson 5,108 2.51%
Total votes 203,803 100.00%

General election

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Candidates

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Major party candidates

  • Samuel G. Cosgrove, Republican
  • John Pattison, Democratic

Other candidates

  • George Boomer, Socialist
  • Arthur S. Caton, Prohibition

Results

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1908 Washington gubernatorial election[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Samuel G. Cosgrove 110,190 62.56% +11.21%
Democratic John Pattison 58,126 33.00% −7.87%
Socialist George Boomer 4,311 2.45% −2.68%
Prohibition Arthur S. Caton 3,514 1.99% +0.07%
Majority 52,064 29.56%
Total votes 176,141 100.00%
Republican hold Swing +19.08%

Results by county

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County[5] Samuel G. Cosgrove
Republican
John Pattison
Democratic
George Boomer
Socialist
Arthur S. Caton
Prohibition
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Adams 1,033 56.98% 750 41.37% 0 0.00% 30 1.65% 283 15.61% 1,813
Asotin 693 65.07% 338 31.74% 12 1.13% 22 2.07% 355 33.33% 1,065
Benton 913 60.54% 479 31.76% 94 6.23% 22 1.46% 434 28.78% 1,508
Chehalis 3,422 69.54% 1,186 24.10% 266 5.41% 47 0.96% 2,236 45.44% 4,921
Chelan 1,776 66.57% 851 31.90% 0 0.00% 41 1.54% 925 34.67% 2,668
Clallam 987 67.70% 459 31.48% 0 0.00% 12 0.82% 528 36.21% 1,458
Clark 2,555 65.00% 1,136 28.90% 169 4.30% 71 1.81% 1,419 36.10% 3,931
Columbia 872 56.92% 632 41.25% 0 0.00% 28 1.83% 240 15.67% 1,532
Cowlitz 1,619 70.15% 623 26.99% 37 1.60% 29 1.26% 996 43.15% 2,308
Douglas 2,017 56.04% 1,559 43.32% 0 0.00% 23 0.64% 458 12.73% 3,599
Ferry 512 55.77% 402 43.79% 0 0.00% 4 0.44% 110 11.98% 918
Franklin 688 58.21% 470 39.76% 7 0.59% 17 1.44% 218 18.44% 1,182
Garfield 601 61.20% 354 36.05% 17 1.73% 10 1.02% 247 25.15% 982
Island 505 67.88% 157 21.10% 67 9.01% 15 2.02% 348 46.77% 744
Jefferson 885 67.87% 392 30.06% 19 1.46% 8 0.61% 493 37.81% 1,304
King 23,632 61.95% 13,939 36.54% 0 0.00% 574 1.50% 9,693 25.41% 38,145
Kitsap 1,987 64.33% 751 24.31% 297 9.61% 54 1.75% 1,236 40.01% 3,089
Kittitas 1,772 62.73% 1,002 35.47% 0 0.00% 51 1.81% 770 27.26% 2,825
Klickitat 1,328 69.42% 549 28.70% 0 0.00% 36 1.88% 779 40.72% 1,913
Lewis 3,214 63.59% 1,472 29.13% 298 5.90% 70 1.39% 1,742 34.47% 5,054
Lincoln 2,107 58.28% 1,453 40.19% 21 0.58% 34 0.94% 654 18.09% 3,615
Mason 587 63.67% 322 34.92% 0 0.00% 13 1.41% 265 28.74% 922
Okanogan 1,530 57.98% 1,028 38.95% 68 2.58% 13 0.49% 502 19.02% 2,639
Pacific 1,470 70.13% 537 25.62% 80 3.82% 9 0.43% 933 44.51% 2,096
Pierce 11,586 67.10% 4,701 27.23% 649 3.76% 331 1.92% 6,885 39.87% 17,267
San Juan 621 74.11% 143 17.06% 72 8.59% 2 0.24% 478 57.04% 838
Skagit 3,110 63.97% 1,367 28.12% 321 6.60% 64 1.32% 1,743 35.85% 4,862
Skamania 350 73.53% 119 25.00% 0 0.00% 7 1.47% 231 48.53% 476
Snohomish 5,913 60.45% 2,700 27.60% 573 5.86% 595 6.08% 3,213 32.85% 9,781
Spokane 11,700 59.82% 6,869 35.12% 597 3.05% 393 2.01% 4,831 24.70% 19,559
Stevens 2,613 57.48% 1,554 34.18% 292 6.42% 87 1.91% 1,059 23.30% 4,546
Thurston 2,001 64.22% 985 31.61% 0 0.00% 130 4.17% 1,016 32.61% 3,116
Wahkiakum 495 78.95% 132 21.05% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 363 57.89% 627
Walla Walla 2,670 57.85% 1,881 40.76% 30 0.65% 34 0.74% 789 17.10% 4,615
Whatcom 5,341 66.88% 2,273 28.46% 164 2.05% 208 2.60% 3,068 38.42% 7,986
Whitman 3,053 49.34% 2,946 47.61% 0 0.00% 189 3.05% 107 1.73% 6,188
Yakima 4,032 66.66% 1,615 26.70% 161 2.66% 241 3.98% 2,417 39.96% 6,049
Totals 110,190 62.56% 58,126 33.00% 4,311 2.45% 3,514 1.99% 52,064 29.56% 176,141

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Elections Search Results: September 1908 Primary". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  2. ^ "Primary Election Law of Washington". Washington Standard. August 7, 1908. p. 1. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Washington Secretary of State. "Governor". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the Primary Election Held September 8, 1908. Olympia, Washington. pp. 4-5 & 12-13.
  4. ^ "Elections Search Results: November 1908 General". Washington Secretary of State. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Washington Secretary of State. "For Governor". Abstract of Votes Polled in the State of Washington at the General Election Held November 3, 1908. Olympia, Washington. p. 22.