Washington just came off its most expensive political street fight in history. Honestly, if you weren't living under a rock in the Pacific Northwest last year, you saw the ads. They were everywhere. The Washington governor race 2024 wasn't just another hand-off between Democrats; it was a massive collision between a seasoned Attorney General and a former Sheriff that most pundits thought would be closer than it actually was.
Bob Ferguson won. That’s the headline. But the "how" and the "why" are way more interesting than just the final 55.5% to 44.3% split.
The $25 Million Tug-of-War
Money talks. In this case, it screamed. This was the first time in over a decade that the governor's mansion didn't have an incumbent sitting in it. Jay Inslee decided three terms were enough, which blew the doors wide open. Ferguson didn't just walk in; he ran with a war chest that basically doubled his opponent's. We’re talking about roughly $14 million raised by Ferguson compared to about $7 million for Dave Reichert.
But it wasn't just about the cash. It was about the "vibe" of the campaigns.
Reichert, the Republican, leaned hard into his "Sheriff Dave" persona. He talked a lot about the fentanyl crisis and how the state has the lowest number of police officers per capita in the country. It’s a real stat, by the way. He wanted to frame the race around law and order. Meanwhile, Ferguson pivoted. He made the whole thing about "protecting core freedoms," which is political code for abortion access.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Ferguson bet the farm that Washingtonians cared more about reproductive rights than they did about gas prices or crime. He was right.
Why the Washington Governor Race 2024 Broke Records
Most people think Washington is just "Seattle and everywhere else." That’s a mistake. While Ferguson crushed it in the Puget Sound—King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties—he also pulled off a shocker in Clallam County. Why does that matter? Because Clallam is a "bellwether." It has a freakish habit of picking the winner in every election. Ferguson became the first Democrat to win there since 2000.
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Check out the raw numbers from the Secretary of State:
- Bob Ferguson (D): 2,143,368 votes (55.51%)
- Dave Reichert (R): 1,709,818 votes (44.28%)
- Write-ins: 8,202 votes (0.21%)
Turnout was actually a bit of a letdown compared to 2020. We saw about 79.5% of active voters cast a ballot. That’s nearly 4 million people, which sounds like a lot, but it’s a 4.6% drop from the last presidential cycle.
The Demographic Split: Who Actually Voted?
If you look at the data from the Washington Community Alliance, the "who" tells a story of a divided state. White voters still make up the lion's share of the electorate—about 82%. They also had the highest turnout at 82.2%.
But the gaps for other groups were pretty wide:
- AAPI voters: 67.3% turnout.
- Black voters: 63.7% turnout.
- Native American voters: 59.2% turnout.
- Latino voters: 57.3% turnout.
The campaign energy was high, but it didn't hit everyone equally. The drop-off in turnout was most obvious in South King County and the Yakima Valley. These are areas with high densities of young and Latino voters. Basically, the groups Ferguson needed to shore up his future and the groups Reichert needed to flip the script stayed home in larger numbers than the retirees in the suburbs.
The "Semi Bird" Factor
You can't talk about this race without mentioning the primary drama. Dave Reichert wasn't even the "official" GOP choice at first. The state Republican party actually endorsed Semi Bird, a more populist, "Trump-aligned" candidate.
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Reichert won the primary anyway because he appealed to moderates, but the infighting hurt. Bird ended up with about 10.8% of the primary vote and then essentially refused to back Reichert in the general. When your own party is cannibalizing itself, winning a deep blue state is basically impossible.
What Happens Now?
Ferguson took office on January 15, 2025. He didn't waste any time. By May, he had already signed a $9 billion package of tax increases, which is kind of hilarious given that he spent the campaign distancing himself from "tax-and-spend" labels.
His honeymoon period was short. A July 2025 poll by Cascade PBS/Elway showed his job rating was the lowest for a new governor in 30 years. Only 32% of people thought he was doing a "good" or "great" job.
If you're following Washington politics, the next steps are pretty clear. Watch the 2026 midterms for a "temperature check" on the state legislature. If Ferguson's approval stays in the 30s, the Democrats might have a harder time holding their supermajorities. Keep an eye on the state's public safety spending—Ferguson promised $100 million for new police officers. Whether that actually happens or gets swallowed by the budget deficit is the big question.
For now, the state remains blue, but the margins in the suburbs are getting weirder. If you want to stay ahead of the next cycle, start looking at voter registration trends in Pierce and Snohomish counties. That’s where the 2028 race will be won or lost.
Actionable Insights for Washington Voters:
- Track the Budget: Monitor the Office of Financial Management for updates on the $9 billion tax package impact.
- Verify Police Staffing: Check the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) annual reports to see if the promised $100 million actually results in more boots on the ground.
- Engage Locally: The 2024 race proved that local turnout in bellwether counties like Clallam and Whitman can signal major statewide shifts before the "big" cities even report their numbers.