1996 Washington gubernatorial election

For related races, see 1996 United States gubernatorial elections.

1996 Washington gubernatorial election

November 5, 1996

Nominee Gary Locke Ellen Craswell Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,296,492 940,538 Percentage 57.96% 42.04%

County results Locke:      50–60%      60–70% Craswell:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election Mike Lowry Democratic Elected Governor Gary Locke Democratic

The 1996 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1996. Though eligible for a second term, incumbent governor Mike Lowry chose not to run for reelection following a series of personal and public scandals, including allegations of sexual harassment. This gubernatorial race was especially significant in that it resulted in the first Asian American governor in the mainland United States (after George Ariyoshi of island state Hawaii), Democrat Gary Locke.

Primary election

Candidates

Democratic

• Max Englerius
• Jay Inslee, U.S. Representative from the 4th congressional district
• Gary Locke, King County Executive and former state representative
• Norm Rice, current Mayor of Seattle
• Mohammad H. Said
• Briam Zetlen

Republican

• Nona Brazier
• Ellen Craswell, president pro tempore of the Washington Senate
• Dale Foreman, majority leader of the Washington House of Representatives
• Warren E. Hanson
• Norm Maleng, King County Prosecuting Attorney
• Pam Roach, state senator
• Bob Tharp
• Jim Waldo

Results

Blanket primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gary Locke	287,762	23.65%
	Democratic	Norm Rice	212,888	17.50%
	Republican	Ellen Craswell	185,680	15.26%
	Republican	Dale Foreman	162,615	13.37%
	Democratic	Jay Inslee	118,571	9.75%
	Republican	Norm Maleng	109,088	8.97%
	Republican	Jim Waldo	63,854	5.25%
	Republican	Pam Roach	29,533	2.43%
	Republican	Nona Brazier	21,237	1.75%
	Democratic	Brian Zetlen	6,152	0.51%
	Republican	Warren E. Hanson	4,886	0.40%
	Republican	Bob Tharp	4,825	0.40%
	Socialist Workers	Jeff Powers	3,742	0.31%
	Democratic	Mohammad H. Said	3,007	0.25%
	Democratic	Max Englerius	2,837	0.23%
Total votes			1,216,677	100.00%

General election

Candidates

• Gary Locke (D), King County Executive and former state representative
  • Third Generation Chinese American
  • Campaigned on election reform, worker retraining, and the development of social services.
  • Cultivated an image of Technocratic expertise
• Ellen Craswell (R), president pro tempore of the Washington Senate
  • Born again Christian
  • Campaigned on tax cuts, restructuring of state government, and an application of biblical principles to social reform.
  • Likened her policy positions to Reaganite conservatism, espousing a philosophy of small government, rights and freedoms, together with moral values.

Campaign Controversies:

• Gary Locke's race drew many donors from the Asian American Community, including local Buddhist temples. He also raised significant funds from national donors, in California and New York.
• Ellen Craswell integrated evangelical prayer networks with her fundraising and mobilization network, reaching more that 1000 small donors in October, where Locke received large contributions from business groups and Seattle elites.
• Craswell opposed expanding school funding: suggested cutting English as Second Language programs; delegating curriculum control to local school boards; and eliminating the superintendent of public instruction.
• An independent Political action committee made false claims that two sitting senators endorsed Locke in a mailer. They later recanted.
• The WA State GOP ran television ads, stating Locke's support for a Harm reduction program including sex education, counseling and condom distribution provided material support for prostitution.

Debates

• Complete video of debate, September 26, 1996 - C-SPAN
• Complete video of debate, October 9, 1996 - C-SPAN

Results

1996 gubernatorial election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Gary Locke	1,296,492	57.96%	+5.80%
	Republican	Ellen Craswell	940,538	42.04%	−5.80%
Majority			355,954	15.91%
Total votes			2,237,030	100.00%
	Democratic hold		Swing	+11.59%

Results by county

This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Kittitas County has voted for a Democrat.

County	Gary Locke Democratic		Ellen Craswell Republican		Margin		Total votes cast
	#	%	#	%	#	%
Adams	1,829	40.13%	2,729	59.87%	-900	-19.75%	4,558
Asotin	3,696	50.89%	3,567	49.11%	129	1.78%	7,263
Benton	25,899	48.34%	27,682	51.66%	-1,783	-3.33%	53,581
Chelan	9,928	42.23%	13,584	57.77%	-3,656	-15.55%	23,512
Clallam	14,536	49.31%	14,941	50.69%	-405	-1.37%	29,477
Clark	58,400	52.65%	52,525	47.35%	5,875	5.30%	110,925
Columbia	863	44.10%	1,094	55.90%	-231	-11.80%	1,957
Cowlitz	19,175	58.07%	13,843	41.93%	5,332	16.15%	33,018
Douglas	4,353	40.27%	6,456	59.73%	-2,103	-19.46%	10,809
Ferry	1,251	44.76%	1,544	55.24%	-293	-10.48%	2,795
Franklin	5,685	46.66%	6,499	53.34%	-814	-6.68%	12,184
Garfield	511	40.56%	749	59.44%	-238	-18.89%	1,260
Grant	8,916	41.04%	12,807	58.96%	-3,891	-17.91%	21,723
Grays Harbor	15,851	60.66%	10,278	39.34%	5,573	21.33%	26,129
Island	14,874	52.59%	13,409	47.41%	1,465	5.18%	28,283
Jefferson	8,268	59.18%	5,702	40.82%	2,566	18.37%	13,970
King	490,284	67.03%	241,134	32.97%	249,150	34.06%	731,418
Kitsap	50,121	54.84%	41,275	45.16%	8,846	9.68%	91,396
Kittitas	6,609	53.17%	5,822	46.83%	787	6.33%	12,431
Klickitat	3,337	49.20%	3,445	50.80%	-108	-1.59%	6,782
Lewis	11,377	42.15%	15,613	57.85%	-4,236	-15.69%	26,990
Lincoln	1,947	38.92%	3,055	61.08%	-1,108	-22.15%	5,002
Mason	11,421	55.30%	9,231	44.70%	2,190	10.60%	20,652
Okanogan	5,489	42.36%	7,468	57.64%	-1,979	-15.27%	12,957
Pacific	5,699	62.85%	3,368	37.15%	2,331	25.71%	9,067
Pend Oreille	2,308	46.94%	2,609	53.06%	-301	-6.12%	4,917
Pierce	131,194	55.43%	105,500	44.57%	25,694	10.86%	236,694
San Juan	4,567	63.19%	2,660	36.81%	1,907	26.39%	7,227
Skagit	21,522	52.81%	19,232	47.19%	2,290	5.62%	40,754
Skamania	1,915	52.04%	1,765	47.96%	150	4.08%	3,680
Snohomish	126,425	57.40%	93,827	42.60%	32,598	14.80%	220,252
Spokane	84,740	53.30%	74,249	46.70%	10,491	6.60%	158,989
Stevens	6,687	40.62%	9,777	59.38%	-3,090	-18.77%	16,464
Thurston	53,106	61.10%	33,813	38.90%	19,293	22.20%	86,919
Wahkiakum	1,013	56.47%	781	43.53%	232	12.93%	1,794
Walla Walla	9,710	50.11%	9,669	49.89%	41	0.21%	19,379
Whatcom	34,679	54.02%	29,517	45.98%	5,162	8.04%	64,196
Whitman	8,743	55.60%	6,981	44.40%	1,762	11.21%	15,724
Yakima	29,564	47.76%	32,338	52.24%	-2,774	-4.48%	61,902
Totals	1,296,492	57.96%	940,538	42.04%	355,954	15.91%	2,237,030

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Asotin
• Clark
• Cowlitz
• Island
• Kitsap
• Mason
• Skagit
• Skamania
• Spokane
• Wahkiakum
• Walla Walla
• Whatcom
• Whitman

Subsequent controversies:

The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission opened an investigation in 1997 relating to campaign contributions received from the Chinese Americans and foreign nationals. In example, the Ling Chen Zhe Buddhist temple, where a $5000 cash donation was accepted, returned and five $1000 donations were given in its place. Together with official campaign events held at the Harmony Palace restaurant, co-owned by a leader of the Chinese gang Ghost Shadows. In total, six fundraising events for the Locke campaign were organized by John Huang, who donated $750 personally, with similar occurrences at each one.

This investigation was subsequently picked up by the IRS, as part of a probe into the 1996 Campaign Finance Scandal who requested records extending to 1990, the time of Locke's campaign for King County executive. Locke testified before Congress in 2006 and denied knowingly accepting campaign contributions from Chinese foreign agents. In 2015, the Locke gubernatorial campaign plead guilty to breaking three campaign fundraising laws relating to the limits for individual contribution, timely reporting of contributions, and failure to deposit cash contributions.

Ellen Craswell battled cancer immediately following the election, retired in 2005, and died in 2008.