2008 Washington State Auditor election
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November 4, 2008
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  Sonntag: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% McEntee: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2008 Washington State Auditor election was held on November 4, 2008, to elect the Washington State Auditor, concurrently with the 2008 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. Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning that all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two move on to the general election.
Four-term incumbent Democratic State Auditor Brian Sonntag was re-elected to his fifth and final term in office, defeating Republican Ricard "Dick" McEntee with 64% of the vote.[1] As of 2026, this is the last election where any candidate for state auditor received over 60% of the vote.
The top-two primary was held on August 19.
Primary election
Democratic Party
Advanced to general
- Brian Sonntag, incumbent state auditor (1993–2013)[2]
Republican Party
Advanced to general
- Richard "Dick" McEntee, business consultant[3]
Constitution Party
Eliminated in primary
- Glenn Freeman, chairman of the Washington Constitution Party[4]
Endorsements
Brian Sonntag (D)
Newspapers
Results
Sonntag
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
McEntee
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Sonntag
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 80–90%
McEntee
- 40–50%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian Sonntag (incumbent) | 812,352 | 59.48 | |
| Republican | J. Richard (Dick) McEntee | 459,327 | 33.63 | |
| Constitution | Glenn Freeman | 94,148 | 6.89 | |
| Total votes | 1,365,827 | 100.00 | ||
By county
| County[7] | Brian Sonntag Democratic |
J. Richard (Dick) McEntee Republican |
Glenn Freeman Constitution |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 973 | 38.67% | 1,322 | 52.54% | 221 | 8.78% | -349 | -13.87% | 2,516 |
| Asotin | 2,594 | 49.06% | 2,216 | 41.91% | 477 | 9.02% | 378 | 7.15% | 5,287 |
| Benton | 15,665 | 41.49% | 18,725 | 49.59% | 3,370 | 8.92% | -3,060 | -8.10% | 37,760 |
| Chelan | 7,940 | 47.26% | 7,693 | 45.79% | 1,166 | 6.94% | 247 | 1.47% | 16,799 |
| Clallam | 11,480 | 52.94% | 8,531 | 39.34% | 1,673 | 7.72% | 2,949 | 13.60% | 21,684 |
| Clark | 38,538 | 53.11% | 28,472 | 39.24% | 5,549 | 7.65% | 10,066 | 13.87% | 72,559 |
| Columbia | 618 | 43.04% | 690 | 48.05% | 128 | 8.91% | -72 | -5.01% | 1,436 |
| Cowlitz | 12,283 | 57.04% | 7,363 | 34.19% | 1,889 | 8.77% | 4,920 | 22.85% | 21,535 |
| Douglas | 3,914 | 47.04% | 3,796 | 45.62% | 610 | 7.33% | 118 | 1.42% | 8,320 |
| Ferry | 868 | 44.08% | 878 | 44.59% | 223 | 11.33% | -10 | -0.51% | 1,969 |
| Franklin | 4,452 | 41.01% | 5,423 | 49.95% | 982 | 9.04% | -971 | -8.94% | 10,857 |
| Garfield | 320 | 42.38% | 392 | 51.92% | 43 | 5.70% | -72 | -9.54% | 755 |
| Grant | 5,900 | 40.25% | 7,242 | 49.41% | 1,516 | 10.34% | -1,342 | -9.16% | 14,658 |
| Grays Harbor | 10,988 | 64.39% | 4,745 | 27.81% | 1,332 | 7.81% | 6,243 | 36.58% | 17,065 |
| Island | 13,525 | 56.52% | 8,807 | 36.80% | 1,599 | 6.68% | 4,718 | 19.72% | 23,931 |
| Jefferson | 8,528 | 66.86% | 3,473 | 27.23% | 754 | 5.91% | 5,055 | 39.63% | 12,755 |
| King | 238,186 | 70.16% | 83,629 | 24.63% | 17,672 | 5.21% | 154,557 | 45.53% | 339,487 |
| Kitsap | 38,919 | 59.91% | 21,888 | 33.69% | 4,158 | 6.40% | 17,031 | 26.22% | 64,965 |
| Kittitas | 4,851 | 50.52% | 3,993 | 41.59% | 758 | 7.89% | 858 | 8.94% | 9,602 |
| Klickitat | 2,560 | 49.89% | 2,110 | 41.12% | 461 | 8.98% | 450 | 8.77% | 5,131 |
| Lewis | 8,657 | 45.59% | 8,510 | 44.82% | 1,821 | 9.59% | 147 | 0.77% | 18,988 |
| Lincoln | 1,647 | 43.85% | 1,764 | 46.96% | 345 | 9.19% | -117 | -3.12% | 3,756 |
| Mason | 10,170 | 60.69% | 5,264 | 31.41% | 1,324 | 7.90% | 4,906 | 29.28% | 16,758 |
| Okanogan | 4,027 | 46.71% | 3,791 | 43.97% | 804 | 9.32% | 236 | 2.74% | 8,622 |
| Pacific | 4,322 | 64.73% | 1,838 | 27.53% | 517 | 7.74% | 2,484 | 37.20% | 6,677 |
| Pend Oreille | 1,663 | 44.29% | 1,629 | 43.38% | 463 | 12.33% | 34 | 0.91% | 3,755 |
| Pierce | 93,234 | 63.20% | 45,600 | 30.91% | 8,683 | 5.89% | 47,634 | 32.29% | 147,517 |
| San Juan | 4,273 | 65.61% | 1,862 | 28.59% | 378 | 5.80% | 2,411 | 37.02% | 6,513 |
| Skagit | 16,866 | 56.88% | 10,748 | 36.25% | 2,036 | 6.87% | 6,118 | 20.63% | 29,650 |
| Skamania | 1,285 | 53.39% | 892 | 37.06% | 230 | 9.56% | 393 | 16.33% | 2,407 |
| Snohomish | 84,724 | 60.16% | 46,152 | 32.77% | 9,957 | 7.07% | 38,572 | 27.39% | 140,833 |
| Spokane | 54,761 | 51.99% | 41,215 | 39.13% | 9,355 | 8.88% | 13,546 | 12.86% | 105,331 |
| Stevens | 4,955 | 40.32% | 5,745 | 46.75% | 1,590 | 12.94% | -790 | -6.43% | 12,290 |
| Thurston | 42,394 | 66.27% | 17,819 | 27.86% | 3,756 | 5.87% | 24,575 | 38.42% | 63,969 |
| Wahkiakum | 770 | 56.49% | 468 | 34.34% | 125 | 9.17% | 302 | 22.16% | 1,363 |
| Walla Walla | 6,167 | 46.73% | 5,985 | 45.35% | 1,044 | 7.91% | 182 | 1.38% | 13,196 |
| Whatcom | 26,515 | 56.75% | 17,204 | 36.82% | 3,001 | 6.42% | 9,311 | 19.93% | 46,720 |
| Whitman | 4,150 | 52.04% | 3,256 | 40.83% | 569 | 7.13% | 894 | 11.21% | 7,975 |
| Yakima | 18,670 | 46.17% | 18,197 | 45.00% | 3,569 | 8.83% | 473 | 1.17% | 40,436 |
| Totals | 812,352 | 59.48% | 459,327 | 33.63% | 94,148 | 6.89% | 353,025 | 25.85% | 1,365,827 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Chelan (largest city: Wenatchee)
- Douglas (largest city: East Wenatchee)
- Klickitat (largest city: Goldendale)
- Lewis (largest city: Centralia)
- Okanogan (largest city: Omak)
- Yakima (largest city: Yakima)
By congressional district
| District[8] | Sonntag | McEntee | Freeman | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 64% | 30% | 6% | Jay Inslee |
| 2nd | 57% | 35% | 7% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 57% | 36% | 8% | Brian Baird |
| 4th | 45% | 47% | 9% | Doc Hastings |
| 5th | 50% | 41% | 9% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 63% | 30% | 6% | Norm Dicks |
| 7th | 82% | 14% | 4% | Jim McDermott |
| 8th | 60% | 34% | 6% | Dave Reichert |
| 9th | 63% | 31% | 6% | Adam Smith |
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian Sonntag (incumbent) | 1,770,977 | 63.54 | –0.35 | |
| Republican | J. Richard (Dick) McEntee | 1,016,396 | 36.46 | +4.23 | |
| Total votes | 2,787,373 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County[10] | Brian Sonntag
Democratic |
J. Richard (Dick) McEntee
Republican |
Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,935 | 43.44% | 2,519 | 56.56% | -584 | -13.11% | 4,454 |
| Asotin | 4,559 | 50.18% | 4,527 | 49.82% | 32 | 0.35% | 9,086 |
| Benton | 30,868 | 45.25% | 37,356 | 54.75% | -6,488 | -9.51% | 68,224 |
| Chelan | 15,101 | 50.79% | 14,632 | 49.21% | 469 | 1.58% | 29,733 |
| Clallam | 19,974 | 56.66% | 15,279 | 43.34% | 4,695 | 13.32% | 35,253 |
| Clark | 94,216 | 55.61% | 75,201 | 44.39% | 19,015 | 11.22% | 169,417 |
| Columbia | 960 | 46.92% | 1,086 | 53.08% | -126 | -6.16% | 2,046 |
| Cowlitz | 25,017 | 59.81% | 16,811 | 40.19% | 8,206 | 19.62% | 41,828 |
| Douglas | 6,940 | 49.01% | 7,219 | 50.99% | -279 | -1.97% | 14,159 |
| Ferry | 1,596 | 49.49% | 1,629 | 50.51% | -33 | -1.02% | 3,225 |
| Franklin | 8,550 | 45.75% | 10,140 | 54.25% | -1,590 | -8.51% | 18,690 |
| Garfield | 548 | 43.56% | 710 | 56.44% | -162 | -12.88% | 1,258 |
| Grant | 11,150 | 43.54% | 14,458 | 56.46% | -3,308 | -12.92% | 25,608 |
| Grays Harbor | 18,257 | 66.28% | 9,288 | 33.72% | 8,969 | 32.56% | 27,545 |
| Island | 22,550 | 58.30% | 16,131 | 41.70% | 6,419 | 16.59% | 38,681 |
| Jefferson | 13,108 | 70.48% | 5,490 | 29.52% | 7,618 | 40.96% | 18,598 |
| King | 605,331 | 73.85% | 214,326 | 26.15% | 391,005 | 47.70% | 819,657 |
| Kitsap | 72,292 | 61.86% | 44,569 | 38.14% | 27,723 | 23.72% | 116,861 |
| Kittitas | 8,763 | 53.53% | 7,606 | 46.47% | 1,157 | 7.07% | 16,369 |
| Klickitat | 5,075 | 54.54% | 4,230 | 45.46% | 845 | 9.08% | 9,305 |
| Lewis | 16,552 | 51.36% | 15,673 | 48.64% | 879 | 2.73% | 32,225 |
| Lincoln | 2,459 | 45.13% | 2,990 | 54.87% | -531 | -9.74% | 5,449 |
| Mason | 17,052 | 63.81% | 9,670 | 36.19% | 7,382 | 27.63% | 26,722 |
| Okanogan | 8,258 | 53.16% | 7,276 | 46.84% | 982 | 6.32% | 15,534 |
| Pacific | 6,867 | 66.83% | 3,409 | 33.17% | 3,458 | 33.65% | 10,276 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,980 | 48.96% | 3,107 | 51.04% | -127 | -2.09% | 6,087 |
| Pierce | 200,319 | 64.97% | 107,998 | 35.03% | 92,321 | 29.94% | 308,317 |
| San Juan | 6,851 | 70.72% | 2,836 | 29.28% | 4,015 | 41.45% | 9,687 |
| Skagit | 31,459 | 60.57% | 20,475 | 39.43% | 10,984 | 21.15% | 51,934 |
| Skamania | 2,851 | 56.60% | 2,186 | 43.40% | 665 | 13.20% | 5,037 |
| Snohomish | 191,555 | 64.00% | 107,751 | 36.00% | 83,804 | 28.00% | 299,306 |
| Spokane | 111,063 | 54.83% | 91,503 | 45.17% | 19,560 | 9.66% | 202,566 |
| Stevens | 9,179 | 44.34% | 11,521 | 55.66% | -2,342 | -11.31% | 20,700 |
| Thurston | 80,844 | 68.36% | 37,410 | 31.64% | 43,434 | 36.73% | 118,254 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,274 | 60.26% | 840 | 39.74% | 434 | 20.53% | 2,114 |
| Walla Walla | 11,402 | 50.43% | 11,209 | 49.57% | 193 | 0.85% | 22,611 |
| Whatcom | 56,309 | 61.19% | 35,712 | 38.81% | 20,597 | 22.38% | 92,021 |
| Whitman | 9,060 | 56.63% | 6,939 | 43.37% | 2,121 | 13.26% | 15,999 |
| Yakima | 37,853 | 52.18% | 34,684 | 47.82% | 3,169 | 4.37% | 72,537 |
| Totals | 1,770,977 | 63.54% | 1,016,396 | 36.46% | 754,581 | 27.07% | 2,787,373 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Columbia (largest city: Dayton)
- Douglas (largest city: East Wenatchee)
- Ferry (largest city: Republic)
- Pend Oreille (largest city: Newport)
By congressional district
Sonntag won eight of nine congressional districts, including two that elected Republicans.[11]
| District | Sonntag | McEntee | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 67% | 33% | Jay Inslee |
| 2nd | 61% | 39% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 59% | 41% | Brian Baird |
| 4th | 49% | 51% | Doc Hastings |
| 5th | 53% | 47% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 66% | 34% | Norm Dicks |
| 7th | 85% | 15% | Jim McDermott |
| 8th | 63% | 37% | Dave Reichert |
| 9th | 66% | 34% | Adam Smith |
References
- ↑ https://www.historylink.org/file/8896
- ↑ "2008 Primary Candidates Who Have Filed". eledataweb.votewa.gov. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
- ↑ https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/jul/19/eastern-washington-candidates-vie-for-state/
- ↑ Raderstrong, Jeff (August 4, 2008). "Third parties say top-two primary hurts their chances". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
'We didn't have to have a separate convention to get signatures,' said Freeman, who is running for state auditor.
- ↑ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (August 6, 2008). "Re-elect Brian Sonntag". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
- ↑ Reed, Sam (August 19, 2008). "State Auditor". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 2, 2025. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
- ↑ Reed, Sam (August 19, 2008). "State Auditor - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 1, 2025. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "2008 Primary Data". sos.wa.gov. Archived from the original on June 25, 2025.
- ↑ Reed, Sam (November 4, 2008). "State Auditor". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
- ↑ Reed, Sam (November 4, 2008). "State Auditor - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on March 18, 2025. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
- ↑ "2008 General Data". sos.wa.gov. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024.