2004 Washington State Auditor election
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November 2, 2004
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 Sonntag: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Baker: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2004 Washington State Auditor election was held on November 2, 2004, to elect the Washington State Auditor, concurrently with the 2004 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington. Primary elections took place on September 14.[1]
Three-term incumbent Democratic State Auditor Brian Sonntag was re-elected to his fourth term in office, defeating Republican perennial candidate Will Baker with 64% of the vote.[2]
Democratic primary
[edit source]Candidates
[edit source]Nominee
[edit source]- Brian Sonntag, incumbent state auditor (1993–2013)[3]
Results
[edit source]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian Sonntag (incumbent) | 617,233 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 617,233 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
[edit source]Candidates
[edit source]Nominee
[edit source]Results
[edit source]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Will Baker | 410,710 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 410,710 | 100.00% | ||
Libertarian primary
[edit source]Candidates
[edit source]Nominee
[edit source]- Jason G. Bush[5]
Results
[edit source]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian | Jason G. Bush | 12,577 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 12,577 | 100.00% | ||
General election
[edit source]Endorsements
[edit source]Brian Sonntag (D)
- Newspapers
Results
[edit source]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian Sonntag (incumbent) | 1,668,575 | 63.89 | +6.26 | |
| Republican | Will Baker | 841,772 | 32.23 | –4.66 | |
| Libertarian | Jason G. Bush | 101,161 | 3.87 | –1.60 | |
| Total votes | 2,611,508 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
[edit source]| County[7] | Brian Sonntag Democratic |
Will Baker Republican |
Jason G. Bush Libertarian |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,102 | 45.17% | 2,379 | 51.12% | 173 | 3.72% | -277 | -5.95% | 4,654 |
| Asotin | 4,016 | 49.99% | 3,699 | 46.04% | 319 | 3.97% | 317 | 3.95% | 8,034 |
| Benton | 28,170 | 46.63% | 29,785 | 49.31% | 2,453 | 4.06% | -1,615 | -2.67% | 60,408 |
| Chelan | 13,865 | 51.41% | 12,169 | 45.12% | 938 | 3.48% | 1,696 | 6.29% | 26,972 |
| Clallam | 18,914 | 58.02% | 12,218 | 37.48% | 1,465 | 4.49% | 6,696 | 20.54% | 32,597 |
| Clark | 86,794 | 55.97% | 61,999 | 39.98% | 6,279 | 4.05% | 24,795 | 15.99% | 155,072 |
| Columbia | 960 | 50.05% | 878 | 45.78% | 80 | 4.17% | 82 | 4.28% | 1,918 |
| Cowlitz | 24,685 | 62.81% | 13,098 | 33.33% | 1,515 | 3.86% | 11,587 | 29.48% | 39,298 |
| Douglas | 6,099 | 49.11% | 5,897 | 47.48% | 423 | 3.41% | 202 | 1.63% | 12,419 |
| Ferry | 1,519 | 50.30% | 1,345 | 44.54% | 156 | 5.17% | 174 | 5.76% | 3,020 |
| Franklin | 7,149 | 47.18% | 7,408 | 48.89% | 595 | 3.93% | -259 | -1.71% | 15,152 |
| Garfield | 554 | 47.76% | 555 | 47.84% | 51 | 4.40% | -1 | -0.09% | 1,160 |
| Grant | 10,738 | 44.77% | 12,264 | 51.13% | 983 | 4.10% | -1,526 | -6.36% | 23,985 |
| Grays Harbor | 17,459 | 67.46% | 7,424 | 28.68% | 999 | 3.86% | 10,035 | 38.77% | 25,882 |
| Island | 20,141 | 57.87% | 13,444 | 38.63% | 1,217 | 3.50% | 6,697 | 19.24% | 34,802 |
| Jefferson | 12,007 | 69.34% | 4,600 | 26.56% | 710 | 4.10% | 7,407 | 42.77% | 17,317 |
| King | 585,916 | 73.01% | 186,960 | 23.30% | 29,584 | 3.69% | 398,956 | 49.72% | 802,460 |
| Kitsap | 69,496 | 62.89% | 36,774 | 33.28% | 4,230 | 3.83% | 32,722 | 29.61% | 110,500 |
| Kittitas | 8,286 | 56.33% | 5,849 | 39.76% | 574 | 3.90% | 2,437 | 16.57% | 14,709 |
| Klickitat | 4,446 | 53.33% | 3,458 | 41.48% | 433 | 5.19% | 988 | 11.85% | 8,337 |
| Lewis | 14,839 | 51.02% | 13,008 | 44.73% | 1,235 | 4.25% | 1,831 | 6.30% | 29,082 |
| Lincoln | 2,425 | 46.85% | 2,538 | 49.03% | 213 | 4.12% | -113 | -2.18% | 5,176 |
| Mason | 14,822 | 63.78% | 7,403 | 31.85% | 1,016 | 4.37% | 7,419 | 31.92% | 23,241 |
| Okanogan | 7,808 | 53.10% | 6,169 | 41.95% | 727 | 4.94% | 1,639 | 11.15% | 14,704 |
| Pacific | 6,400 | 67.11% | 2,795 | 29.31% | 342 | 3.59% | 3,605 | 37.80% | 9,537 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,975 | 52.10% | 2,429 | 42.54% | 306 | 5.36% | 546 | 9.56% | 5,710 |
| Pierce | 196,761 | 66.63% | 88,129 | 29.84% | 10,417 | 3.53% | 108,632 | 36.79% | 295,307 |
| San Juan | 6,303 | 69.22% | 2,334 | 25.63% | 469 | 5.15% | 3,969 | 43.59% | 9,106 |
| Skagit | 29,033 | 59.87% | 17,607 | 36.31% | 1,855 | 3.83% | 11,426 | 23.56% | 48,495 |
| Skamania | 2,660 | 56.97% | 1,725 | 36.95% | 284 | 6.08% | 935 | 20.03% | 4,669 |
| Snohomish | 171,867 | 63.33% | 89,152 | 32.85% | 10,359 | 3.82% | 82,715 | 30.48% | 271,378 |
| Spokane | 103,382 | 55.39% | 75,486 | 40.44% | 7,780 | 4.17% | 27,896 | 14.95% | 186,648 |
| Stevens | 8,389 | 45.97% | 8,866 | 48.59% | 993 | 5.44% | -477 | -2.61% | 18,248 |
| Thurston | 71,374 | 68.72% | 28,267 | 27.21% | 4,228 | 4.07% | 43,107 | 41.50% | 103,869 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,197 | 59.88% | 704 | 35.22% | 98 | 4.90% | 493 | 24.66% | 1,999 |
| Walla Walla | 10,836 | 51.82% | 9,258 | 44.27% | 817 | 3.91% | 1,578 | 7.55% | 20,911 |
| Whatcom | 48,451 | 60.44% | 28,462 | 35.51% | 3,250 | 4.05% | 19,989 | 24.94% | 80,163 |
| Whitman | 9,129 | 56.36% | 6,355 | 39.24% | 713 | 4.40% | 2,774 | 17.13% | 16,197 |
| Yakima | 36,608 | 53.54% | 28,882 | 42.24% | 2,882 | 4.22% | 7,726 | 11.30% | 68,372 |
| Totals | 1,668,575 | 63.89% | 841,772 | 32.23% | 101,161 | 3.87% | 826,803 | 31.66% | 2,611,508 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Chelan (largest city: Wenatchee)
- Columbia (largest city: Dayton)
- Douglas (largest city: East Wenatchee)
- Ferry (largest city: Republic)
- Lewis (largest city: Centralia)
- Okanogan (largest city: Omak)
- Yakima (largest city: Yakima)
References
[edit source]- ↑ "Reed asks voters to participate in state primaries". September 8, 2004.
- ↑ "State offices". November 3, 2004.
- 1 2 "GOP regrets its state auditor candidate". August 8, 2004.
- 1 2 3 Reed, Sam (September 14, 2004). "Elections Search Results September 2004 Primary". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ↑ "This Will Has a Way". October 9, 2006.
- ↑ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (October 31, 2004). "The Seattle Times endorses ..." The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- 1 2 Reed, Sam (November 2, 2004). "Elections Search Results November 2004 General State Auditor". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
