Dixie Lee Ray

Washington hasn't elected a Republican Governor since 1980, when John Spellman beat Jim McDermott, who had ousted incumbent Dixie Lee Ray in the Democratic primary.  Since that election, 49 other states have elected a Republican Governor. 

If Christine Gregoire, now trailing Dino Rossi in a Rasmussen Reports poll released today, loses her bid for re-election to a second term, she will be the first incumbent Governor to get tossed by the voters since Republican John Spellman lost to Democrat Booth Gardner in 1984.  Four years earlier, Democratic Gov. Dixie Lee Ray lost the Democratic primary to now-U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, who went on to lose the general to Spellman -- and the '84 primary to Gardner.