Ferguson leads governor’s race, with Brown, Upthegrove and Kuderer in line for other state jobs
Longtime Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson appears to be headed to the Governor’s Office, as he holds a narrow but significant lead over Republican Dave Reichert.
The Secretary of State will certify the final election results by Thursday, Dec. 5, therefore any results posted before the certification are unofficial, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
Here are the early results of each competitive statewide race as of Friday, Nov. 8.
Governor
Ferguson faced off against Reichert in the Washington gubernatorial race to replace longtime Gov. Jay Inslee, who chose not to run again. As of Friday, Nov. 8, Ferguson is leading the race with 55.98% of votes.
Ferguson received 44.9% of the votes during the top-two primary in August while Reichert received 27.5%.
Ferguson, who has been the state’s attorney general since 2013, supports protecting reproductive rights, partnering with tribes to combat climate change and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Reichert, a former congressman and law enforcement officer, ran on making the cost of living more affordable for Washingtonians as well as fighting crime to create a safer state.
Attorney General
Because incumbent Bob Ferguson is running for governor, Republican Pete Serrano faced off against Democrat Nick Brown in the race after they both advanced from the top-two primary in August. Serrano received 42.1% of the votes during the top-two primary, while Brown received 35.3%.
But as of Friday, Nov. 8, Brown is leading the race with 56.01% of votes.
Serrano, who was first elected into public office in 2018 as a member of the Pasco City Council, believes in government transparency and accountability. He also campaigned on addressing increasing crime rates and responsible firearm ownership.
Nick Brown served as general counsel for Inslee, and most recently served as the U.S. Attorney for the western district of Washington. Brown campaigned on his experience, and on preventing gun violence by implementing and enforcing gun laws that hold individuals accountable for violating them.
Commissioner of Public Lands
As of Friday, Nov. 8, Democrat Dave Upthegrove — who eked out a double-digit victory in the primary to make it onto the November ballot — is leading the race with 52.9% of votes over former Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler.
The Commissioner of Public Lands is tasked with overseeing the Washington Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for managing and protecting trust lands in the state.
Herrera Beutler, a California native, received 419,309 votes in the primary election, beating out the other six candidates. She was an elected member of the U.S. House and represented Washington’s 3rd Congressional District from 2011 until 2023.
Upthegrove received 396,304 votes in the primary election and narrowly defeated Sue Kuehl Pederson to move on to the general election ballot.
Insurance Commissioner
As of Friday, Nov. 8, Democrat Patricia Kuderer is leading the race with 57.02% of votes over Republican Phil Fortunato.
The race for Washington commissioner of insurance began with a total of eight candidates during the primary election in 2024, all seeking to replace retiring Commissioner Mike Kreidler.
Kuderer, a member of the Washington State Senate representing District 48, received a total of 845,148 votes during the primary election. Fortunato was the runner-up, receiving 533,560 votes in the primary.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Ferguson leads governor’s race, with Brown, Upthegrove and Kuderer in line for other state jobs."
