# 2012 United States Senate election in Washington

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The 2012 United States Senate election in Washington took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell won re-election to a third term by a significant margin, outperforming President Barack Obama's margin in the concurrent presidential election by 6%.

## Background

Maria Cantwell won re-election to serve a second term with 56.81% of the vote against Mike McGavick in the 2006 Washingtonian U.S. senatorial election.

## Top-two primary election
### Candidates
#### Democratic

* Maria Cantwell, incumbent U.S. Senator
* Timothy Wilson

#### Republican

* Michael Baumgartner, state senator
* Art Coday, physician
* Chuck Jackson, merchant mariner
* Mike the Mover, perennial candidate
* Glen R. Stockwell, president of Washington State Economic Development Corporation

##### Declined

* Bill Bryant, Port of Seattle Commission President
* Clint Didier, former NFL football player (endorsed Coday)
* Doc Hastings, U.S. Representative
* Jaime Herrera Beutler, U.S. Representative
* John Koster, Snohomish County Councilman and candidate for the 2nd congressional district in 2010 (running for the U.S. House)
* Cathy McMorris Rodgers, U.S. Representative
* Dave Reichert, U.S. Representative
* Phillip Yin, Hong Kong–based anchor for Bloomberg Television

#### Others

* Will Baker (Reform Party)

### Results

Blanket primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Maria Cantwell (incumbent) | 626,360 | 55.42 |
| | Republican | Michael Baumgartner | 344,729 | 30.50 |
| | Republican | Art Coday | 59,255 | 5.24 |
| | Democratic | Timothy Wilson | 26,850 | 2.38 |
| | Republican | Chuck Jackson | 21,870 | 1.94 |
| | Republican | Glenn R. Stockwell | 21,731 | 1.92 |
| | Republican | Mike the Mover | 16,459 | 1.46 |
| | Reform | Will Baker | 12,865 | 1.14 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,130,119 | 100.00 |

## General election
### Candidates

* Michael Baumgartner (Republican), state senator
* Maria Cantwell (Democratic), incumbent U.S. Senator

### Debates

* Complete video of debate, October 12, 2012 - C-SPAN

### Fundraising

| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
| Maria Cantwell (D) | $8,032,254 | $6,355,260 | $2,176,258 | $2,171,350 |
| Michael Baumgartner (R) | $689,690 | $422,428 | $181,841 | $45,689 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission |||||

### Top contributors

| Maria Cantwell | Contribution | Michael Baumgartner | Contribution |
| Microsoft Corp | $83,982 | Anderson Hay & Grain | $5,000 |
| EMILY's List | $77,900 | Columbia Management Systems, By Lar | $5,000 |
| Morgan & Morgan | $40,000 | Ignition Partners | $5,000 |
| League of Conservation Voters | $39,900 | Kvc Development Co | $5,000 |
| University of Washington | $35,900 | Acorn Campus Ventures | $4,000 |
| K&L Gates | $35,048 | Legacy LLC | $3,523 |
| Boeing Co. | $30,625 | Inland Empire Paper | $3,750 |
| Intellectual Ventures LLC | $27,250 | Savers Inc | $3,523 |
| McBee Strategic Consulting | $26,650 | Red Lion Hotels | $3,500 |
| Second Avenue Partners | $24,500 | National Cotton Council | $3,300 |

### Top industries

| Maria Cantwell | Contribution | Michael Baumgartner | Contribution |
| Lawyers/law firms | $696,936 | Retired | $45,756 |
| Retired | $621,231 | Financial institutions | $10,000 |
| Lobbyists | $539,418 | Financial institutions | $310,487 |
| Financial institutions | $310,487 | Agribusiness | $9,550 |
| Computers/Internet | $206,970 | Health professionals | $6,150 |
| Real estate | $179,169 | Misc. finance | $4,250 |
| Health professionals | $169,937 | Mining | $4,25 |
| Business services | $167,629 | Timber/forest products | $3,750 |
| Casinos/gambling | $165,850 | General contractors | $3,000 |
| Entertainment industry | $136,457 | Real estate | $2,950 |

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Solid D | November 1, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg Political Report | Safe D | November 2, 2012 |
| Real Clear Politics | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |

### Polling

Aggregate polls
| Source of poll aggregation | Dates administered | Dates updated | Maria Cantwell (D) | Michael Baumgartner (R) | Other/Undecided | Margin |
| Real Clear Politics | October 14 – November 3, 2012 | November 3, 2012 | 56.7% | 36.3% | 7.0% | Cantwell +20.4% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Maria Cantwell (D) | Michael Baumgartner (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Survey USA | November 21–23, 2011 | 549 | ±4.3% | 51% | 39% | — | 10% |
| Survey USA | January 12–16, 2012 | 617 | ±4.0% | 50% | 41% | — | 8% |
| Public Policy Polling | February 16–19, 2012 | 1,264 | ±2.76% | 51% | 36% | — | 13% |
| Public Policy Polling | June 14–17, 2012 | 1,073 | ±3.0% | 51% | 35% | — | 14% |
| Survey USA | July 16–17, 2012 | 630 | ±4.0% | 51% | 40% | — | 9% |
| Survey USA | September 7–9, 2012 | 524 | ±4.4% | 54% | 38% | — | 8% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 26, 2012 | 500 | ±4.5% | 57% | 37% | 1% | 5% |
| SurveyUSA | September 28–30, 2012 | 540 | ±4.3% | 53% | 40% | — | 6% |
| The Washington Poll | October 1–16, 2012 | 782 | ±3.5% | 58% | 35% | — | 7% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 14, 2012 | 500 | ±4.5% | 52% | 37% | 1% | 9% |
| KCTS 9/Washington Poll | October 18–31, 2012 | 632 | ±3.9% | 61% | 33% | — | 6% |
| Public Policy Polling | November 1–3, 2012 | 932 | ±3.2% | 57% | 39% | — | 4% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Maria Cantwell (D) | Bill Bryant (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | February 16–19, 2012 | 1,264 | ±2.76% | 50% | 36% | — | 14% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Maria Cantwell (D) | Cathy M. Rodgers (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | July 27 – August 1, 2010 | 1,204 | ±2.8% | 49% | 37% | — | 13% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 12–15, 2011 | 1,098 | ±3.0% | 50% | 31% | — | 19% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Maria Cantwell (D) | Dave Reichert (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | July 27 – August 1, 2010 | 1,204 | ±2.8% | 47% | 41% | — | 12% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 12–15, 2011 | 1,098 | ±3.0% | 49% | 35% | — | 16% |
| Survey USA | November 21–23, 2011 | 549 | ±4.3% | 48% | 41% | — | 10% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Maria Cantwell (D) | Clint Didier (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | May 12–15, 2011 | 1,098 | ±3.0% | 51% | 35% | — | 13% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Maria Cantwell (D) | Susan Hutchison (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | May 12–15, 2011 | 1,098 | ±3.0% | 49% | 35% | — | 16% |
| Survey USA | November 21–23, 2011 | 549 | ±4.3% | 49% | 38% | — | 13% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Maria Cantwell (D) | Dino Rossi (R) | Other | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | May 12–15, 2011 | 1,098 | ±3.0% | 53% | 40% | — | 8% |
| Public Policy Polling | February 16–19, 2012 | 1,264 | ±2.76% | 53% | 41% | — | 7% |

### Endorsements

State legislators
* Dale Foreman, former majority leader of the Washington House of Representatives and former chair of the Washington State Republican Party (Republican)

### Results

United States Senate election in Washington, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Maria Cantwell (incumbent) | 1,855,493 | 60.45% | +3.64% |
| | Republican | Michael Baumgartner | 1,213,924 | 39.55% | −0.36% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,069,417 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Yakima (largest city: Yakima)

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Asotin (largest city: Clarkston)
* Spokane (largest city: Spokane)
* Whitman (largest city: Pullman)

#### By congressional district

Cantwell won 8 of 10 congressional districts, including two that elected Republicans.
| District | Cantwell | Baumgartner | Representative |
| 1st | 57% | 43% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 63% | 37% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 53% | 47% | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
| 4th | 45% | 55% | Doc Hastings |
| 5th | 48% | 52% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 61% | 39% | Derek Kilmer |
| 7th | 82% | 18% | Jim McDermott |
| 8th | 55% | 45% | Dave Reichert |
| 9th | 72% | 28% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 61% | 39% | Denny Heck |