1936 Washington gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1936 Washington gubernatorial election
Country:	Washington
Flag Image:	Flag of Washington (1923–1967).svg
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1932 Washington gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	1932
Next Election:	1940 Washington gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1940
Election Date:	November 3, 1936
Image1:	File:Clarence Daniel Martin.jpg
Nominee1:	Clarence D. Martin
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	466,550
Percentage1:	69.36%
Nominee2:	Roland H. Hartley
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	189,141
Percentage2:	28.12%
Map Size:	275px
Governor
Before Election:	Clarence D. Martin
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	Clarence D. Martin
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1936 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1936. Incumbent Democrat Clarence D. Martin defeated Republican nominee Roland H. Hartley with 69.36% of the vote.

Martin's popular vote share is the largest achieved by any gubernatorial candidate in Washington. This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which a candidate swept every county in the state. As of 2020, this is also the most recent election in which a Democrat has carried Adams County and Columbia County. Additionally, Chelan County, Garfield County, Lincoln County, San Juan County, Walla Walla County, and Whitman County would not vote Democratic again until 1988.

Primary election

The primary election was held on September 8, 1936.^[1] Washington adopted a blanket primary starting with the 1936 elections. All candidates appeared on the same ballot, with the highest candidate for each party becoming that party's nominee. This system was eventually ruled unconstitutional in the early 2000s.

Candidates

• Erle J. Barnes (R)
• James W. Bryan (R)
• Otto A. Case (D), Washington State Treasurer
• Frank W. Harris (R)
• Roland H. Hartley (R), former Governor
• Ralph Horr (R), former U.S. Representative
• A. E. Judd (D)
• Eugene J. A. Lord (D)
• Clarence D. Martin (D), incumbent Governor
• Walter F. Meier (R)
• John Calvin Richards (R)
• Roscoe A. Seeds (D)
• H. G. Stevenson (D)
• John C. Stevenson (D), radio announcer and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1934

Results

General election

Candidates

Major party candidates

• Clarence D. Martin, Democratic
• Roland H. Hartley, Republican

Other candidates

• Ove M. Nelson, Union
• John F. McKay, Socialist
• William Morley Bouck, Farmer–Labor
• Malcolm M. Moore, Christian
• Harold P. Brockway, Communist
• Eugene V. Solie, Socialist Labor

Results by county

County	Clarence D. Martin Democratic		Roland H. Hartley Republican		Ove M. Nelson Union		John F. McKay Socialist		All Others Various		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		2,008		76.18%		611		23.18%		8		0.30%		4		0.15%		5		0.19%		1,397		53.00%		2,636
	Asotin		2,178		66.30%		1,009		30.72%		74		2.25%		15		0.46%		9		0.27%		1,169		35.59%		3,285
	Benton		2,470		56.82%		1,716		39.48%		131		3.01%		13		0.30%		17		0.39%		754		17.35%		4,347
	Chelan		8,624		65.21%		4,441		33.58%		70		0.53%		29		0.22%		60		0.45%		4,183		31.63%		13,224
	Clallam		5,521		66.95%		2,335		28.32%		289		3.50%		18		0.22%		83		1.01%		3,186		38.64%		8,246
	Clark		13,360		74.93%		3,950		22.15%		273		1.53%		128		0.72%		120		0.67%		9,410		52.77%		17,831
	Columbia		1,267		54.26%		970		41.54%		79		3.38%		7		0.30%		12		0.51%		297		12.72%		2,335
	Cowlitz		10,393		75.21%		2,995		21.67%		224		1.62%		105		0.76%		101		0.73%		7,398		53.54%		13,818
	Douglas		2,303		68.62%		988		29.44%		28		0.83%		25		0.74%		12		0.36%		1,315		39.18%		3,356
	Ferry		1,090		73.60%		366		24.71%		13		0.88%		10		0.68%		2		0.14%		724		48.89%		1,481
	Franklin		1,780		70.08%		670		26.38%		54		2.13%		15		0.59%		21		0.83%		1,110		43.70%		2,540
	Garfield		926		57.48%		674		41.84%		10		0.62%		0		0.00%		1		0.06%		252		15.64%		1,611
	Grant		4,158		84.12%		735		14.87%		16		0.32%		22		0.45%		12		0.24%		3,423		69.25%		4,943
	Grays Harbor		17,053		81.08%		3,430		16.31%		368		1.75%		51		0.24%		130		0.62%		13,623		64.77%		21,032
	Island		1,814		66.40%		798		29.21%		36		1.32%		14		0.51%		70		2.56%		1,016		37.19%		2,732
	Jefferson		2,307		68.42%		1,013		30.04%		18		0.53%		10		0.30%		24		0.71%		1,294		38.37%		3,372
	King		135,740		66.75%		63,857		31.40%		659		0.32%		1,350		0.66%		1,746		0.86%		71,883		35.35%		203,352
	Kitsap		12,389		76.96%		3,255		20.22%		105		0.65%		41		0.25%		308		1.91%		9,134		56.74%		16,098
	Kittitas		4,654		65.84%		2,314		32.73%		66		0.93%		25		0.35%		10		0.14%		2,340		33.10%		7,069
	Klickitat		2,613		69.94%		1,043		27.92%		48		1.28%		9		0.24%		23		0.62%		1,570		42.02%		3,736
	Lewis		10,663		65.45%		4,957		30.43%		298		1.83%		57		0.35%		317		1.95%		5,706		35.02%		16,292
	Lincoln		3,582		71.80%		1,355		27.16%		25		0.50%		11		0.22%		16		0.32%		2,227		44.64%		4,989
	Mason		3,110		73.25%		925		21.79%		129		3.04%		19		0.45%		63		1.48%		2,185		51.46%		4,246
	Okanogan		5,447		65.05%		2,598		31.02%		272		3.25%		20		0.24%		37		0.44%		2,849		34.02%		8,374
	Pacific		4,466		71.71%		1,607		25.80%		55		0.88%		13		0.21%		87		1.40%		2,859		45.91%		6,228
	Pend Oreille		1,718		63.00%		941		34.51%		20		0.73%		22		0.81%		26		0.95%		777		28.49%		2,727
	Pierce		51,299		76.32%		13,853		20.61%		557		0.83%		334		0.50%		1,170		1.74%		37,446		55.71%		67,213
	San Juan		856		55.19%		623		40.17%		54		3.48%		3		0.19%		15		0.97%		233		15.02%		1,551
	Skagit		10,313		67.15%		4,669		30.40%		127		0.83%		24		0.16%		225		1.47%		5,644		36.75%		15,358
	Skamania		1,649		75.92%		493		22.70%		12		0.55%		9		0.41%		9		0.41%		1,156		53.22%		2,172
	Snohomish		25,499		73.56%		8,143		23.49%		269		0.78%		251		0.72%		503		1.45%		17,356		50.07%		34,665
	Spokane		48,823		70.95%		17,939		26.07%		476		0.69%		973		1.41%		605		0.88%		30,884		44.88%		68,816
	Stevens		4,543		66.42%		2,101		30.72%		87		1.27%		70		1.02%		39		0.57%		2,442		35.70%		6,840
	Thurston		11,629		75.56%		3,333		21.66%		227		1.47%		62		0.40%		140		0.91%		8,296		53.90%		15,391
	Wahkiakum		1,083		70.32%		425		27.60%		22		1.43%		4		0.26%		6		0.39%		658		42.73%		1,540
	Walla Walla		6,388		55.86%		4,723		41.30%		277		2.42%		26		0.23%		21		0.18%		1,665		14.56%		11,435
	Whatcom		17,253		69.45%		6,968		28.05%		147		0.59%		299		1.20%		174		0.70%		10,285		41.40%		24,841
	Whitman		7,794		66.23%		3,854		32.75%		58		0.49%		44		0.37%		18		0.15%		3,940		33.48%		11,768
	Yakima		17,787		57.16%		12,464		40.06%		668		2.15%		89		0.29%		109		0.35%		5,323		17.11%		31,117
Totals	466,550	69.36%	189,141	28.12%	6,349	0.94%	4,221	0.63%	6,346	0.94%	277,409	41.24%	672,607

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Chelan
• Skamania

Notes and References

1. Web site: Election Search Results: September 1936 Primary . Washington Secretary of State . August 9, 2024.