1889 Washington gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1889 Washington gubernatorial election
Country:	Washington
Flag Year:	1889
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Next Election:	1892 Washington gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1892
Election Date:	October 1, 1889
Nominee1:	Elisha P. Ferry
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	33,711
Percentage1:	57.67%
Nominee2:	Eugene Semple
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	24,732
Percentage2:	42.31%
Map Size:	275px
Governor of Washington Territory
Before Election:	Miles Conway Moore
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
Posttitle:	Governor of Washington
After Election:	Elisha P. Ferry
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 1889 Washington gubernatorial election took place on October 1, 1889, to elect the first Governor of Washington shortly before it was admitted as a U.S. state. Both candidates, Republican Elisha P. Ferry and Democrat Eugene Semple, previously served as Territorial Governor, a position appointed by the President of the United States.^[1]

Ferry won the election by nearly 9,000 votes out of 58,000 cast,^[2] and took office in Olympia on November 18, 1889, a week after President Benjamin Harrison signed Washington's statehood into law.^{[3] [4]} This was the only election in Washington's history in which King County did not cast the most votes of any county.

General election

Results by county

County	Elisha P. Ferry Republican		Eugene Semple Democratic		Scattering Write-in		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%
	Adams		260		64.84%		141		35.16%		0		0.00%		119		29.68%		401
	Asotin		171		57.77%		125		42.23%		0		0.00%		46		15.54%		296
	Chehalis		897		59.33%		615		40.67%		0		0.00%		282		18.65%		1,512
	Clallam		222		48.90%		232		51.10%		0		0.00%		-10		-2.20%		454
	Clark		1,216		63.73%		692		36.27%		0		0.00%		524		27.46%		1,908
	Columbia		666		50.68%		648		49.32%		0		0.00%		18		1.37%		1,314
	Cowlitz		663		65.13%		355		34.87%		0		0.00%		308		30.26%		1,018
	Douglas		353		57.12%		265		42.88%		0		0.00%		88		14.24%		618
	Franklin		38		29.92%		89		70.08%		0		0.00%		-51		-40.16%		127
	Garfield		517		55.29%		418		44.71%		0		0.00%		99		10.59%		935
	Island		180		64.29%		100		35.71%		0		0.00%		80		28.57%		280
	Jefferson		867		57.72%		633		42.14%		2		0.13%		234		15.58%		1,502
	King		4,319		55.96%		3,398		44.03%		1		0.01%		921		11.93%		7,718
	Kitsap		619		67.80%		289		31.65%		5		0.55%		330		36.14%		913
	Kittitas		1,339		53.62%		1,158		46.38%		0		0.00%		181		7.25%		2,497
	Klickitat		686		64.23%		382		35.77%		0		0.00%		304		28.46%		1,068
	Lewis		1,219		58.41%		868		41.59%		0		0.00%		351		16.82%		2,087
	Lincoln		1,104		56.13%		863		43.87%		0		0.00%		241		12.25%		1,967
	Mason		322		51.44%		304		48.56%		0		0.00%		18		2.88%		626
	Okanogan		322		60.41%		211		39.59%		0		0.00%		111		20.83%		533
	Pacific		494		76.71%		150		23.29%		0		0.00%		344		53.42%		644
	Pierce		4,362		54.72%		3,608		45.26%		1		0.01%		754		9.46%		7,971
	San Juan		264		71.74%		104		28.26%		0		0.00%		160		43.48%		368
	Skagit		949		62.64%		566		37.36%		0		0.00%		383		25.28%		1,515
	Skamania		62		46.27%		72		53.73%		0		0.00%		-10		-7.46%		134
	Snohomish		880		57.18%		659		42.82%		0		0.00%		221		14.36%		1,539
	Spokane		3,256		58.88%		2,272		41.08%		2		0.04%		984		17.79%		5,530
	Stevens		460		56.79%		350		43.21%		0		0.00%		110		13.58%		810
	Thurston		1,067		59.54%		725		40.46%		0		0.00%		342		19.08%		1,792
	Wahkiakum		284		65.59%		149		34.41%		0		0.00%		135		31.18%		433
	Walla Walla		1,433		54.72%		1,186		45.28%		0		0.00%		247		9.43%		2,619
	Whatcom		1,534		67.40%		742		32.60%		0		0.00%		792		34.80%		2,276
	Whitman		2,149		53.82%		1,844		46.18%		0		0.00%		305		7.64%		3,993
	Yakima		537		50.85%		519		49.15%		0		0.00%		18		1.70%		1,056
Totals	33,711	57.67%	24,732	42.31%	11	0.02%	8,979	15.36%	58,454

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wilma . David . September 20, 2003 . Voters elect Washington's first state officials on October 1, 1889. . . October 3, 2016.
2. Book: January 1890 . The Tribune Almanac and Political Register for 1890. . McPherson . Edward . . New York . II . 1 . 86–87 . 819535015 . . October 3, 2016.
3. News: McNerthney . Casey . February 1, 2011 . P-I archive: Inauguration of Washington's first governor . . October 3, 2016.
4. Book: Gates . Charles M. . August 1940 . Messages of the Governors of the Territory of Washington to the Legislative Assembly, 1854–1889 . . 12 . 8990968 . . October 3, 2016.