| Election Name: | 1980 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Washington |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1976 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1976 |
| Next Election: | 1984 Washington gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
| Election Date: | November 4, 1980 |
| Image1: | File:JohnDSpellman.jpg |
| Nominee1: | John Spellman |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 981,083 |
| Percentage1: | 56.68% |
| Nominee2: | Jim McDermott |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 749,813 |
| Percentage2: | 43.32% |
| Governor | |
| Map Size: | 275px |
| Before Election: | Dixy Lee Ray |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | John Spellman |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
The 1980 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dixy Lee Ray ran for a second term, but lost in the primary to State Representative Jim McDermott. McDermott was defeated in the general election by Republican candidate John Spellman, the King County Executive., this is the last time a Republican was elected Governor of Washington, thus beginning the longest streak for Democrats holding any of the 50 state governorships once Spellman left office.
John Spellman was the first Republican to carry Franklin County, Mason County, and Pierce County since Roland H. Hartley in 1928. Franklin County has voted Republican in every subsequent gubernatorial election. Spellman is the most recent Republican to have won King County and Thurston County. Snohomish County and Whatcom County have voted Republican only once since this election.
| County | John Spellman Republican | Jim McDermott Democratic | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | |||||||||||||
| Adams | 3,259 | 68.08% | 1,528 | 31.92% | 1,731 | 36.16% | 4,787 | ||||||||
| Asotin | 3,817 | 57.17% | 2,859 | 42.83% | 958 | 14.35% | 6,676 | ||||||||
| Benton | 30,710 | 69.25% | 13,637 | 30.75% | 17,073 | 38.50% | 44,347 | ||||||||
| Chelan | 11,734 | 60.47% | 7,670 | 39.53% | 4,064 | 20.94% | 19,404 | ||||||||
| Clallam | 12,729 | 57.09% | 9,567 | 42.91% | 3,162 | 14.18% | 22,296 | ||||||||
| Clark | 39,225 | 54.79% | 32,364 | 45.21% | 6,861 | 9.58% | 71,589 | ||||||||
| Columbia | 1,352 | 66.86% | 670 | 33.14% | 682 | 33.73% | 2,022 | ||||||||
| Cowlitz | 14,160 | 50.45% | 13,910 | 49.55% | 250 | 0.89% | 28,070 | ||||||||
| Douglas | 5,248 | 60.25% | 3,462 | 39.75% | 1,786 | 20.51% | 8,710 | ||||||||
| Ferry | 956 | 47.26% | 1,067 | 52.74% | -111 | -5.49% | 2,023 | ||||||||
| Franklin | 7,249 | 61.94% | 4,454 | 38.06% | 2,795 | 23.88% | 11,703 | ||||||||
| Garfield | 974 | 65.99% | 502 | 34.01% | 472 | 31.98% | 1,476 | ||||||||
| Grant | 10,839 | 60.80% | 6,989 | 39.20% | 3,850 | 21.60% | 17,828 | ||||||||
| Grays Harbor | 12,971 | 49.76% | 13,098 | 50.24% | -127 | -0.49% | 26,069 | ||||||||
| Island | 11,285 | 61.72% | 6,998 | 38.28% | 4,287 | 23.45% | 18,283 | ||||||||
| Jefferson | 3,961 | 49.11% | 4,105 | 50.89% | -144 | -1.79% | 8,066 | ||||||||
| King | 327,941 | 55.10% | 267,218 | 44.90% | 60,723 | 10.20% | 595,159 | ||||||||
| Kitsap | 36,372 | 60.10% | 24,150 | 39.90% | 12,222 | 20.19% | 60,522 | ||||||||
| Kittitas | 5,783 | 54.53% | 4,822 | 45.47% | 961 | 9.06% | 10,605 | ||||||||
| Klickitat | 2,944 | 48.29% | 3,152 | 51.71% | -208 | -3.41% | 6,096 | ||||||||
| Lewis | 14,230 | 62.38% | 8,580 | 37.62% | 5,650 | 24.77% | 22,810 | ||||||||
| Lincoln | 3,471 | 64.52% | 1,909 | 35.48% | 1,562 | 29.03% | 5,380 | ||||||||
| Mason | 7,414 | 53.84% | 6,357 | 46.16% | 1,057 | 7.68% | 13,771 | ||||||||
| Okanogan | 6,710 | 53.89% | 5,741 | 46.11% | 969 | 7.78% | 12,451 | ||||||||
| Pacific | 3,379 | 42.08% | 4,650 | 57.92% | -1,271 | -15.83% | 8,029 | ||||||||
| Pend Oreille | 2,045 | 54.78% | 1,688 | 45.22% | 357 | 9.56% | 3,733 | ||||||||
| Pierce | 98,289 | 56.62% | 75,305 | 43.38% | 22,984 | 13.24% | 173,594 | ||||||||
| San Juan | 2,587 | 52.77% | 2,315 | 47.23% | 272 | 5.55% | 4,902 | ||||||||
| Skagit | 17,003 | 55.41% | 13,683 | 44.59% | 3,320 | 10.82% | 30,686 | ||||||||
| Skamania | 1,361 | 45.92% | 1,603 | 54.08% | -242 | -8.16% | 2,964 | ||||||||
| Snohomish | 75,203 | 55.38% | 60,587 | 44.62% | 14,616 | 10.76% | 135,790 | ||||||||
| Spokane | 84,400 | 59.76% | 56,827 | 40.24% | 27,573 | 19.52% | 141,227 | ||||||||
| Stevens | 7,178 | 62.42% | 4,322 | 37.58% | 2,856 | 24.83% | 11,500 | ||||||||
| Thurston | 31,803 | 57.90% | 23,122 | 42.10% | 8,681 | 15.81% | 54,925 | ||||||||
| Wahkiakum | 767 | 45.30% | 926 | 54.70% | -159 | -9.39% | 1,693 | ||||||||
| Walla Walla | 11,993 | 63.30% | 6,954 | 36.70% | 5,039 | 26.60% | 18,947 | ||||||||
| Whatcom | 23,722 | 51.64% | 22,215 | 48.36% | 1,507 | 3.28% | 45,937 | ||||||||
| Whitman | 9,773 | 57.60% | 7,195 | 42.40% | 2,578 | 15.19% | 16,968 | ||||||||
| Yakima | 36,246 | 60.55% | 23,612 | 39.45% | 12,634 | 21.11% | 59,858 | ||||||||
| Totals | 981,083 | 56.68% | 749,813 | 43.32% | 231,270 | 13.36% | 1,730,896 | ||||||||