| Election Name: | 1940 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Washington |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Washington (1923–1967).svg |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1936 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1936 |
| Next Election: | 1944 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1944 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1940 |
| Image1: | File:Mayor Arthur B. Langlie (12290) (3x4a).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Arthur B. Langlie |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 392,522 |
| Percentage1: | 50.24% |
| Nominee2: | Clarence Dill |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 386,706 |
| Percentage2: | 49.49% |
| Map Size: | 275px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Clarence D. Martin |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Arthur B. Langlie |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
The 1940 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Republican nominee Arthur B. Langlie narrowly defeated Democratic nominee Clarence Dill with 50.24% of the vote. Langlie's 0.74% margin of victory is the third-closest in state history. This is the only gubernatorial election in Washington in which King County has voted for the losing candidate.
The primary election was held on September 10, 1940.[1] At the time, Washington used a blanket primary for nominations, with all candidates appearing on the same ballot and the highest candidate for each party being nominated. Incumbent governor Clarence D. Martin lost the Democratic nomination.
Major party candidates
Other candidates
| County | Arthur B. Langlie Republican | Clarence Dill Democratic | John Brockway Communist | P. J. Ater Socialist Labor | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adams | 1,858 | 64.25% | 1,034 | 35.75% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 824 | 28.49% | 2,892 | ||||||||||||
| Asotin | 1,881 | 53.42% | 1,640 | 46.58% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 241 | 6.84% | 3,521 | ||||||||||||
| Benton | 3,017 | 59.30% | 2,069 | 40.66% | 2 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 948 | 18.63% | 5,088 | ||||||||||||
| Chelan | 9,919 | 65.16% | 5,301 | 34.82% | 2 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 4,618 | 30.34% | 15,223 | ||||||||||||
| Clallam | 4,520 | 47.50% | 4,958 | 52.11% | 31 | 0.33% | 6 | 0.06% | -438 | -4.60% | 9,515 | ||||||||||||
| Clark | 10,788 | 50.24% | 10,641 | 49.56% | 17 | 0.08% | 27 | 0.13% | 147 | 0.68% | 21,473 | ||||||||||||
| Columbia | 1,831 | 68.22% | 852 | 31.74% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 979 | 36.48% | 2,684 | ||||||||||||
| Cowlitz | 8,461 | 48.09% | 9,070 | 51.55% | 31 | 0.18% | 32 | 0.18% | -609 | -3.46% | 17,594 | ||||||||||||
| Douglas | 2,444 | 61.65% | 1,519 | 38.32% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 925 | 23.34% | 3,964 | ||||||||||||
| Ferry | 574 | 31.52% | 1,246 | 68.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.05% | -672 | -36.90% | 1,821 | ||||||||||||
| Franklin | 1,451 | 49.34% | 1,486 | 50.53% | 4 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | -35 | -1.19% | 2,941 | ||||||||||||
| Garfield | 1,242 | 72.84% | 463 | 27.16% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 779 | 45.69% | 1,705 | ||||||||||||
| Grant | 2,154 | 39.49% | 3,298 | 60.46% | 0 | 0.00% | 3 | 0.05% | -1,144 | -20.97% | 5,455 | ||||||||||||
| Grays Harbor | 11,008 | 47.51% | 12,094 | 52.20% | 50 | 0.22% | 18 | 0.08% | -1,086 | -4.69% | 23,170 | ||||||||||||
| Island | 1,629 | 53.90% | 1,389 | 45.96% | 3 | 0.10% | 1 | 0.03% | 240 | 7.94% | 3,022 | ||||||||||||
| Jefferson | 1,891 | 52.25% | 1,725 | 47.67% | 2 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.03% | 166 | 4.59% | 3,619 | ||||||||||||
| King | 114,296 | 48.38% | 121,013 | 51.22% | 792 | 0.34% | 139 | 0.06% | -6,717 | -2.84% | 236,240 | ||||||||||||
| Kitsap | 8,860 | 45.94% | 10,394 | 53.89% | 24 | 0.12% | 9 | 0.05% | -1,534 | -7.95% | 19,287 | ||||||||||||
| Kittitas | 4,348 | 50.51% | 4,251 | 49.38% | 7 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.02% | 97 | 1.13% | 8,608 | ||||||||||||
| Klickitat | 2,351 | 50.56% | 2,292 | 49.29% | 0 | 0.00% | 7 | 0.15% | 59 | 1.27% | 4,650 | ||||||||||||
| Lewis | 10,219 | 54.77% | 8,408 | 45.06% | 26 | 0.14% | 5 | 0.03% | 1,811 | 9.71% | 18,658 | ||||||||||||
| Lincoln | 3,200 | 57.48% | 2,367 | 42.52% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 833 | 14.96% | 5,567 | ||||||||||||
| Mason | 2,558 | 49.18% | 2,602 | 50.03% | 39 | 0.75% | 2 | 0.04% | -44 | -0.85% | 5,201 | ||||||||||||
| Okanogan | 5,019 | 53.00% | 4,449 | 46.98% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 570 | 6.02% | 9,469 | ||||||||||||
| Pacific | 3,421 | 49.51% | 3,474 | 50.27% | 14 | 0.20% | 1 | 0.01% | -53 | -0.77% | 6,910 | ||||||||||||
| Pend Oreille | 1,368 | 44.85% | 1,682 | 55.15% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -314 | -10.30% | 3,050 | ||||||||||||
| Pierce | 33,726 | 42.76% | 44,870 | 56.89% | 207 | 0.26% | 71 | 0.09% | -11,144 | -14.13% | 78,874 | ||||||||||||
| San Juan | 871 | 52.88% | 776 | 47.12% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 95 | 5.77% | 1,647 | ||||||||||||
| Skagit | 9,909 | 55.48% | 7,920 | 44.34% | 28 | 0.16% | 5 | 0.03% | 1,989 | 11.14% | 17,862 | ||||||||||||
| Skamania | 889 | 43.69% | 1,146 | 56.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -257 | -12.63% | 2,035 | ||||||||||||
| Snohomish | 18,458 | 46.09% | 21,412 | 53.47% | 144 | 0.36% | 34 | 0.08% | 2,954 | 7.38% | 40,048 | ||||||||||||
| Spokane | 38,393 | 48.98% | 39,901 | 50.90% | 51 | 0.07% | 41 | 0.05% | -1,508 | -1.92% | 78,386 | ||||||||||||
| Stevens | 3,595 | 44.26% | 4,527 | 55.73% | 0 | 0.00% | 1 | 0.01% | -932 | -11.47% | 8,123 | ||||||||||||
| Thurston | 9,558 | 51.66% | 8,912 | 48.17% | 28 | 0.15% | 2 | 0.01% | 646 | 3.49% | 18,500 | ||||||||||||
| Wahkiakum | 924 | 51.97% | 844 | 47.47% | 7 | 0.39% | 3 | 0.17% | 80 | 4.50% | 1,778 | ||||||||||||
| Walla Walla | 9,227 | 67.81% | 4,376 | 32.16% | 2 | 0.01% | 2 | 0.01% | 4,851 | 35.65% | 13,607 | ||||||||||||
| Whatcom | 15,762 | 56.00% | 12,256 | 43.54% | 122 | 0.43% | 7 | 0.02% | 3,506 | 12.46% | 28,147 | ||||||||||||
| Whitman | 8,368 | 65.82% | 4,340 | 34.14% | 4 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | 4,028 | 31.68% | 12,713 | ||||||||||||
| Yakima | 22,534 | 58.86% | 15,709 | 41.04% | 34 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.01% | 6,825 | 17.83% | 38,281 | ||||||||||||
| Totals | 392,522 | 50.24% | 386,706 | 49.49% | 1,674 | 0.21% | 426 | 0.05% | 5,816 | 0.74% | 781,328 | ||||||||||||