The 1988 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 8, 1988. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Daniel J. Evans decided to retire instead of running for re-election to a full term, after being appointed to the seat in 1983, and won election to a partial term that same year. Republican former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton, who had just lost a re-election bid in 1986, won the open seat.[1] As of 2024, this is the last time Washington simultaneously voted for different parties for President and for Senate, as Democrat Michael Dukakis won the state in the concurrent presidential election.
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County results Gorton: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% Lowry: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican | Slade Gorton | 335,846 | 35.90% | |
Democratic | Mike Lowry | 297,399 | 31.79% | |
Democratic | Don Bonker | 241,170 | 25.78% | |
Republican | Douglas J. Smith | 31,512 | 3.37% | |
Washington Taxpayers | William C. Goodloe | 26,224 | 2.80% | |
Socialist Workers | Daniel B. Fein | 3,312 | 0.35% | |
Total votes | 935,463 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Slade Gorton | 944,359 | 51.09 | |
Democratic | Mike Lowry | 904,183 | 48.91 | |
Majority | 40,176 | 2.17 | ||
Turnout | 1,848,542 | |||
Republican hold |