2016 United States presidential election in Washington (state)


The 2016 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 8, 2016 as part of the 2016 United States presidential election. Washington was won by Hillary Clinton, who won the state with 54.3% of the vote over Donald Trump's 38.07%. All of the state's 12 electoral votes were assigned to Clinton, though four defected. Trump prevailed in the presidential election nationally.
In the presidential primaries, Washington voters chose Republican Party's nominee; the Democratic Party used the caucus system, and Green Party nominee was chosen in a convention.

Background

Washington has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1988. While the state's Senate was majority Republican in 2016, both of Washington's United States Senators are Democrats, as well as a majority of the state's U.S. House delegation. Barack Obama defeated John McCain by 17.08% in 2008 and Mitt Romney by 14.93% in 2012.

Primary elections

Democratic caucus

Bernie Sanders bested Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential caucus on March 26, 2016:
The state also held a non-binding presidential primary on May 24, the same date as the state's Republican primary. Hillary Clinton won the preference vote.

Republican primary

Four candidates appeared on the Republican presidential primary ballot on May 24, 2016:
This state's Green Party state convention was on May 15. Ballots were emailed to members within a week after the convention.

General election

Polling

State voting history

Washington joined the Union in November 1889 and has participated in all elections from 1892 onwards.
Since 1900, Washington voted Democratic 51.72 percent of the time and Republican 44.83 percent of the time. Since 1988, Washington had voted for the Democratic Party in each presidential election, and the same was expected to happen in 2016.

Results

Analysis

Hillary Clinton won the election in Washington with 54.3 percent of the vote, a slightly reduced percentage from President Obama in 2012. However, Washington was among the states in which Hillary Clinton outperformed Barack Obama's winning margin in 2012, despite the Democratic nominee losing the Electoral College this time. Donald Trump received 38.1 percent of the vote. This was the first presidential election in which the Republican Party won Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties since 1928 and 1952 respectively. It was also the first time the GOP had won Cowlitz County since Ronald Reagan in 1980, and the first Republican win in Mason County since Reagan in 1984.
Despite Clinton's victory, four Democratic electors defected. Three voted for Colin Powell, making him the first African-American Republican to receive electoral votes, while a Native American activist cast his vote for Faith Spotted Eagle, making her the first Native American to receive an electoral vote for president.
Powell became the first Republican to receive electoral votes from Washington state since Ronald Reagan in 1984. However, overall it was the eighth consecutive election in which Washington voted Democratic, and the twelfth in a row in which it voted the same way as neighboring Oregon.

By county

By congressional district

Clinton won 7 of 10 congressional districts including one represented by a Republican.
DistrictTrumpClintonRepresentative
38%54%Suzan DelBene
35%57%Rick Larsen
49%43%Jaime Herrera Beutler
58%35%Dan Newhouse
52%39%Cathy McMorris Rodgers
40%52%Derek Kilmer
12%82%Jim McDermott
12%82%Pramila Jayapal
45%48%Dave Reichert
23%71%Adam Smith
40%51%Dennis Heck