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1996 Washington gubernatorial election

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Field	Value
election_name	1996 Washington gubernatorial election
country	Washington
type	presidential
ongoing	no
previous_election	1992 Washington gubernatorial election
previous_year	1992
next_election	2000 Washington gubernatorial election
next_year	2000
election_date	November 5, 1996
image1	File:Gary Locke (cropped).jpg
image_size	150x150px
nominee1	Gary Locke
party1	Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote1	1,296,492
percentage1	57.96%
image2	File:Ellen Craswell 1977 (cropped).jpg
nominee2	Ellen Craswell
party2	Republican Party (United States)
popular_vote2	940,538
percentage2	42.04%
map_image	1996 Washington gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
map_size	275px
map_caption	County results
Locke:
Craswell:
title	Governor
before_election	Mike Lowry
before_party	Democratic Party (United States)
after_election	Gary Locke
after_party	Democratic Party (United States)

Locke:
Craswell:

The 1996 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1996. Though eligible for a second term, incumbent governor Mike Lowry chose not to run for reelection following a series of personal and public scandals, including allegations of sexual harassment. This gubernatorial race was especially significant in that it resulted in the first Asian American governor in the mainland United States (after George Ariyoshi of island state Hawaii), Democrat Gary Locke.

Primary election

Candidates

Democratic

Max Englerius
Jay Inslee, U.S. representative from the 4th congressional district and future governor
Gary Locke, King County Executive and former state representative
Norm Rice, current mayor of Seattle
Mohammad H. Said
Briam Zetlen

Republican

Nona Brazier
Ellen Craswell, president pro tempore of the Washington Senate
Dale Foreman, majority leader of the Washington House of Representatives
Warren E. Hanson
Norm Maleng, King County Prosecuting Attorney
Pam Roach, state senator
Bob Tharp
Jim Waldo

Results

General election

Candidates

Gary Locke (D), King County Executive and former state representative
- Third-generation Chinese-American
- Campaigned on election reform, worker retraining, and the development of social services
- Cultivated an image of technocratic expertise
Ellen Craswell (R), president pro tempore of the Washington Senate
- Born-again Christian
- Campaigned on tax cuts, restructuring of state government, and an application of biblical principles to social reform
- Likened her policy positions to Reaganite conservatism, espousing a philosophy of small government, rights and freedoms, together with moral values

Campaign controversies

Gary Locke's race drew many donors from the Asian-American community, including local Buddhist temples. He also raised significant funds from national donors in California and New York.
Ellen Craswell integrated evangelical prayer networks with her fundraising and mobilization network, reaching more than 1000 small donors in October, whereas Locke received large contributions from business groups and Seattle elites.
Craswell opposed expanding school funding and suggested cutting English as a second language programs, delegating curriculum control to local school boards, and eliminating the superintendent of public instruction.
An independent political action committee made false claims that two sitting senators had endorsed Locke in a mailer. They later recanted.
The WA State GOP ran television ads, stating Locke's support for a harm reduction program including sex education, counseling and condom distribution provided material support for prostitution.

Debates

Complete video of debate, September 26, 1996 - C-SPAN
Complete video of debate, October 9, 1996 - C-SPAN

Results

Results by county

This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Kittitas County voted for a Democrat.

County	Gary Locke
Democratic	Ellen Craswell
Republican	Margin	Total votes cast	#	%	#	%	#	%	Totals	1,296,492	57.96%	940,538	42.04%	355,954	15.91%	2,237,030
	Adams		1,829		40.13%		2,729		59.87%		-900		-19.75%		4,558
	Asotin		3,696		50.89%		3,567		49.11%		129		1.78%		7,263
	Benton		25,899		48.34%		27,682		51.66%		-1,783		-3.33%		53,581
	Chelan		9,928		42.23%		13,584		57.77%		-3,656		-15.55%		23,512
	Clallam		14,536		49.31%		14,941		50.69%		-405		-1.37%		29,477
	Clark		58,400		52.65%		52,525		47.35%		5,875		5.30%		110,925
	Columbia		863		44.10%		1,094		55.90%		-231		-11.80%		1,957
	Cowlitz		19,175		58.07%		13,843		41.93%		5,332		16.15%		33,018
	Douglas		4,353		40.27%		6,456		59.73%		-2,103		-19.46%		10,809
	Ferry		1,251		44.76%		1,544		55.24%		-293		-10.48%		2,795
	Franklin		5,685		46.66%		6,499		53.34%		-814		-6.68%		12,184
	Garfield		511		40.56%		749		59.44%		-238		-18.89%		1,260
	Grant		8,916		41.04%		12,807		58.96%		-3,891		-17.91%		21,723
	Grays Harbor		15,851		60.66%		10,278		39.34%		5,573		21.33%		26,129
	Island		14,874		52.59%		13,409		47.41%		1,465		5.18%		28,283
	Jefferson		8,268		59.18%		5,702		40.82%		2,566		18.37%		13,970
	King		490,284		67.03%		241,134		32.97%		249,150		34.06%		731,418
	Kitsap		50,121		54.84%		41,275		45.16%		8,846		9.68%		91,396
	Kittitas		6,609		53.17%		5,822		46.83%		787		6.33%		12,431
	Klickitat		3,337		49.20%		3,445		50.80%		-108		-1.59%		6,782
	Lewis		11,377		42.15%		15,613		57.85%		-4,236		-15.69%		26,990
	Lincoln		1,947		38.92%		3,055		61.08%		-1,108		-22.15%		5,002
	Mason		11,421		55.30%		9,231		44.70%		2,190		10.60%		20,652
	Okanogan		5,489		42.36%		7,468		57.64%		-1,979		-15.27%		12,957
	Pacific		5,699		62.85%		3,368		37.15%		2,331		25.71%		9,067
	Pend Oreille		2,308		46.94%		2,609		53.06%		-301		-6.12%		4,917
	Pierce		131,194		55.43%		105,500		44.57%		25,694		10.86%		236,694
	San Juan		4,567		63.19%		2,660		36.81%		1,907		26.39%		7,227
	Skagit		21,522		52.81%		19,232		47.19%		2,290		5.62%		40,754
	Skamania		1,915		52.04%		1,765		47.96%		150		4.08%		3,680
	Snohomish		126,425		57.40%		93,827		42.60%		32,598		14.80%		220,252
	Spokane		84,740		53.30%		74,249		46.70%		10,491		6.60%		158,989
	Stevens		6,687		40.62%		9,777		59.38%		-3,090		-18.77%		16,464
	Thurston		53,106		61.10%		33,813		38.90%		19,293		22.20%		86,919
	Wahkiakum		1,013		56.47%		781		43.53%		232		12.93%		1,794
	Walla Walla		9,710		50.11%		9,669		49.89%		41		0.21%		19,379
	Whatcom		34,679		54.02%		29,517		45.98%		5,162		8.04%		64,196
	Whitman		8,743		55.60%		6,981		44.40%		1,762		11.21%		15,724
	Yakima		29,564		47.76%		32,338		52.24%		-2,774		-4.48%		61,902

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Asotin
Clark
Cowlitz
Island
Kitsap
Mason
Skagit
Skamania
Spokane
Wahkiakum
Walla Walla
Whatcom
Whitman

Subsequent controversies

The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission opened an investigation in 1997 relating to campaign contributions received from the Chinese Americans and foreign nationals. In example, the Ling Chen Zhe Buddhist temple, where a $5000 cash donation was accepted, returned and five $1000 donations were given in its place. Together with official campaign events held at the Harmony Palace restaurant, co-owned by a leader of the Chinese gang Ghost Shadows. In total, six fundraising events for the Locke campaign were organized by John Huang, who donated $750 personally, with similar occurrences at each one.

This investigation was subsequently picked up (as part of a probe into the 1996 campaign finance scandal) by the IRS, who requested records extending to 1990, the time of Locke's campaign for King County executive. Locke testified before Congress in 2006 and denied knowingly accepting campaign contributions from Chinese foreign agents. In 2015, the Locke gubernatorial campaign plead guilty to breaking three campaign fundraising laws relating to the limits for individual contribution, timely reporting of contributions, and failure to deposit cash contributions.

Ellen Craswell suffered from cancer immediately following the election, retired in 2005, and died in 2008.

References

(February 23, 1996). "Lowry Declares He's Out Of Running Surprise Announcement Throws Governor's Race Wide Open {{!}} The Spokesman-Review".
"Elections Search Results September 1996 Primary". Washington Secretary of State.
Washington Secretary of State. "Official Returns of the Washington State Primary September 17, 1996".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
(September 3, 1996). "Craswell Has Higher Calling For Government Gop Governor Candidate Puts God In Her Campaign {{!}} The Spokesman-Review".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
(1 September 1996). "CRASWELL'S CAMPAIGN IS BIG ON ORGANIZATION, NOT FUNDING". Columbian.
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
(11 October 1996). "LOCKE, CRASWELL DIFFER ON EDUCATION TOO LOCKE: INCREASE SPENDING CRASWELL: STRETCH EXISTING DOLLARS". Spokesman Review.
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
"Elections Search Results November 1996 General". Washington Secretary of State.
Washington Secretary of State. "Official Returns of the State General Election November 5, 1996".
"{{!}} The Seattle Times Subscribers Archives".
Atkins, Drew. "The scandals of former Gov. Gary Locke {{!}} Cascade PBS".
(8 August 1998). "INVESTIGATORS SEEK 2ND LOOK AT LOCKE FUND-RAISING LISTS IRS REQUESTING RECORDS BACK TO '90". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
(2006-10-09). "The grilling of Gary Locke".
(27 October 2015). "Locke campaign admits to three fund-raising violations". Kitsap Sun.
(2008-04-08). "Former state Sen. Ellen Craswell dies; she ran for governor as conservative".

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