The 1996 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1996. Though eligible for a second term, incumbent governor Mike Lowry chose not to run for reelection following a series of personal and public scandals, including allegations of sexual harassment. This gubernatorial race was especially significant in that it resulted in the first Asian American governor in the mainland United States (after George Ariyoshi of island state Hawaii), Democrat Gary Locke.

Primary election

Candidates

Democratic

Republican

Results

General election

Candidates

Campaign Controversies:

Debates

Results

Results by county

This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which Kittitas County has voted for a Democrat.

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Subsequent controversies:

The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission opened an investigation in 1997 relating to campaign contributions received from the Chinese Americans and foreign nationals. In example, the Ling Chen Zhe Buddhist temple, where a $5000 cash donation was accepted, returned and five $1000 donations were given in its place. Together with official campaign events held at the Harmony Palace restaurant, co-owned by a leader of the Chinese gang Ghost Shadows. In total, six fundraising events for the Locke campaign were organized by John Huang, who donated $750 personally, with similar occurrences at each one. This investigation was subsequently picked up by the IRS, as part of a probe into the 1996 Campaign Finance Scandal who requested records extending to 1990, the time of Locke's campaign for King County executive. Locke testified before Congress in 2006 and denied knowingly accepting campaign contributions from Chinese foreign agents. In 2015, the Locke gubernatorial campaign plead guilty to breaking three campaign fundraising laws relating to the limits for individual contribution, timely reporting of contributions, and failure to deposit cash contributions. Ellen Craswell battled cancer immediately following the election, retired in 2005, and died in 2008.