The 2008 Washington State Treasurer election was held on November 4, 2008, to elect the Washington State Treasurer, concurrently with the 2008 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington. Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning that all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two move on to the general election.

Incumbent Democratic State Treasurer Mike Murphy, first elected back in 1996, retired.https://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article25227022.html Democratic state representative James McIntire narrowly defeated Republican Assistant State Treasurer Allan Martin to succeed Murphy.

The top-two primary was held on August 19.

Primary election Democratic Party Advanced to general James McIntire, state representative (1998–2009)

Eliminated in primary ChangMook Sohn, former director of the state Revenue Forecast Councilhttps://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/mar/04/sohn-running-for-wa-state-treasurer/

Declined Mike Murphy, incumbent state treasurer (1997–2009)

Republican Party

Advanced to general Allan Martin, assistant state treasurerhttps://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/martin-seeks-treasurers-post/

Endorsements

Results

By county +CountyJames McIntire DemocraticAllan Martin RepublicanChangMook Sohn DemocraticMarginTotal votes#%#%#%#%Adams67426.96%1,65666.24%1706.80%98239.28%2,500Asotin1,94436.99%2,68050.99%63212.02%73614.00%5,256Benton10,54428.02%23,23961.75%3,85210.24%12,69533.73%37,635Chelan4,55626.88%10,84964.01%1,5439.10%6,29337.13%16,948Clallam7,89036.54%10,70849.59%2,99313.86%2,81813.05%21,591Clark27,42037.89%35,71649.35%9,23112.76%8,29611.46%72,367Columbia36425.67%92365.09%1319.24%55939.42%1,418Cowlitz9,26043.33%9,33243.67%2,77813.00%720.34%21,370Douglas2,35328.32%5,30763.86%6507.82%2,95435.55%8,310Ferry57229.48%1,13958.71%22911.80%56729.23%1,940Franklin3,15329.04%6,72961.98%9748.97%3,57632.94%10,856Garfield20327.28%49566.53%466.18%29239.25%744Grant4,36029.92%9,12662.64%1,0847.44%4,76632.71%14,570Grays Harbor7,53144.80%6,45338.39%2,82716.82%-1,078-6.41%16,811Island8,92137.48%11,48048.24%3,39814.28%2,55910.75%23,799Jefferson5,80746.31%4,61136.77%2,12116.92%-1,196-9.54%12,539King156,24846.48%121,74136.21%58,20717.31%-34,507-10.26%336,196Kitsap26,40641.14%29,17045.44%8,61713.42%2,7644.31%64,193Kittitas3,12232.86%5,20454.77%1,17512.37%2,08221.91%9,501Klickitat1,96838.79%2,60051.25%5059.95%63212.46%5,073Lewis5,66530.14%11,08158.95%2,05010.91%5,41628.81%18,796Lincoln1,08029.06%2,35063.22%2877.72%1,27034.17%3,717Mason6,69240.37%7,44944.94%2,43414.68%7574.57%16,575Okanogan2,67231.49%4,86757.35%94711.16%2,19525.87%8,486Pacific2,69940.75%2,48337.49%1,44121.76%-216-3.26%6,623Pend Oreille1,32835.66%2,04854.99%3489.34%72019.33%3,724Pierce56,08538.88%63,33043.90%24,83217.21%7,2455.02%144,247San Juan2,95845.66%2,39136.91%1,12917.43%-567-8.75%6,478Skagit11,68739.74%13,88747.22%3,83313.03%2,2007.48%29,407Skamania93838.97%1,15547.99%31413.05%2179.02%2,407Snohomish57,36640.94%61,84144.13%20,91914.93%4,4753.19%140,126Spokane38,05736.52%52,32050.21%13,82613.27%14,26313.69%104,203Stevens3,56029.35%7,34360.55%1,22510.10%3,78331.19%12,128Thurston21,18833.41%24,87039.22%17,36027.37%3,6825.81%63,418Wahkiakum45534.24%63948.08%23517.68%18413.84%1,329Walla Walla3,95730.08%7,71658.66%1,48111.26%3,75928.58%13,154Whatcom18,40539.54%21,21745.58%6,92914.88%2,8126.04%46,551Whitman2,54132.10%4,29554.25%1,08113.65%1,75422.15%7,917Yakima12,81431.57%23,15557.04%4,62311.39%10,34125.48%40,592Totals533,44339.41%613,59545.33%206,45715.25%80,1525.92%1,353,495

By congressional district District McIntire Martin Sohn Representative 42% 43% 15%Jay Inslee 40% 46% 14%Rick Larsen 37% 46% 17%Brian Baird 30% 60% 10%Doc Hastings 34% 53% 12%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 41% 42% 17%Norm Dicks 58% 22% 20%Jim McDermott 37% 48% 15%Dave Reichert 39% 43% 18%Adam Smith

General election

Results

By county +CountyJames McIntire DemocraticAllan Martin RepublicanMarginTotal votes#%#%#%Adams1,45232.75%2,98167.25%-1,529-34.49%4,433Asotin3,95443.58%5,12056.42%-1,166-12.85%9,074Benton24,18235.60%43,73664.40%-19,554-28.79%67,918Chelan10,31834.63%19,47765.37%-9,159-30.74%29,795Clallam16,81247.40%18,65552.60%-1,843-5.20%35,467Clark83,13349.11%86,15150.89%-3,018-1.78%169,284Columbia64831.73%1,39468.27%-746-36.53%2,042Cowlitz22,51753.99%19,18746.01%3,3307.98%41,704Douglas4,75533.60%9,39766.40%-4,642-32.80%14,152Ferry1,34942.00%1,86358.00%-514-16.00%3,212Franklin6,94137.20%11,71862.80%-4,777-25.60%18,659Garfield38631.23%85068.77%-464-37.54%1,236Grant9,28536.07%16,45763.93%-7,172-27.86%25,742Grays Harbor14,99555.32%12,11144.68%2,88410.64%27,106Island17,83446.09%20,85653.91%-3,022-7.81%38,690Jefferson10,98158.48%7,79541.52%3,18616.97%18,776King482,55758.77%338,55441.23%144,00317.54%821,111Kitsap57,99149.88%58,26850.12%-277-0.24%116,259Kittitas7,02142.59%9,46457.41%-2,443-14.82%16,485Klickitat4,51648.12%4,86951.88%-353-3.76%9,385Lewis12,71639.41%19,54760.59%-6,831-21.17%32,263Lincoln1,86134.46%3,54065.54%-1,679-31.09%5,401Mason13,26649.67%13,44150.33%-175-0.66%26,707Okanogan6,71343.48%8,72756.52%-2,014-13.04%15,440Pacific5,71956.55%4,39543.45%1,32413.09%10,114Pend Oreille2,57942.77%3,45157.23%-872-14.46%6,030Pierce150,68549.69%152,53950.31%-1,854-0.61%303,224San Juan5,90160.70%3,82039.30%2,08121.41%9,721Skagit25,17648.58%26,65251.42%-1,476-2.85%51,828Skamania2,48749.52%2,53550.48%-48-0.96%5,022Snohomish150,92350.50%147,95349.50%2,9700.99%298,876Spokane95,30447.01%107,42252.99%-12,118-5.98%202,726Stevens7,77737.85%12,77062.15%-4,993-24.30%20,547Thurston59,30851.04%56,88648.96%2,4222.08%116,194Wahkiakum1,05350.48%1,03349.52%200.96%2,086Walla Walla8,56537.66%14,18062.34%-5,615-24.69%22,745Whatcom48,79853.03%43,21846.97%5,5806.06%92,016Whitman7,28145.57%8,69554.43%-1,414-8.85%15,976Yakima32,28344.44%40,35655.56%-8,073-11.11%72,639Totals1,420,02251.08%1,360,06348.92%59,9592.16%2,780,085

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Asotin (largest city: Clarkston) Clallam (largest city: Port Angeles) Clark (largest city: Vancouver) Ferry (largest city: Republic) Island (largest city: Oak Harbor) Kitsap (largest city: Bremerton) Kittitas (largest city: Ellensburg) Klickitat (largest city: Goldendale) Mason (largest city: Shelton) Okanogan (largest city: Omak) Pend Oreille (largest city: Newport) Pierce (largest city: Tacoma) Skagit (largest city: Mount Vernon) Skamania (largest city: Carson) Spokane (largest city: Spokane) Walla Walla (largest city: Walla Walla) Whitman (largest city: Pullman) Yakima (largest city: Yakima)

By congressional district McIntire won five of nine congressional districts, with the remaining four going to Martin, including one that elected a Democrat. District McIntire Martin Representative 51% 49%Jay Inslee 50.3% 49.7%Rick Larsen 49.6% 50.4%Brian Baird 39% 61%Doc Hastings 45% 55%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 52% 48%Norm Dicks 73% 27%Jim McDermott 46% 54%Dave Reichert 51% 49%Adam Smith

References