2012 Washington Insurance Commissioner election

For related races, see 2012 Washington elections.

2012 Washington Insurance Commissioner election

← 2008 November 6, 2012 2016 →

Candidate Mike Kreidler John Adams Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,662,555 1,188,926 Percentage 58.30% 41.70%

County results Congressional district results Kreidler:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Adams:      50–60%      60–70%

insurance commissioner before election Mike Kreidler Democratic Elected insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler Democratic

The 2012 Washington Insurance Commissioner election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the insurance commissioner of Washington, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington. Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler was re-elected to a fourth term in a landslide.^[1]

Background

Incumbent Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, first elected in 2000 and re-elected two times, most recently in 2008, ran for re-election to a fourth term in office.^[2]

Primary election

Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two advance to the general election.

Democratic candidates

Advanced to general

• Mike Kreidler, incumbent Insurance Commissioner (2001–2025)^[2]

Republican candidates

Advanced to general

• John Adams, insurance broker^[2]

Eliminated in primary

• Scott Reilly^[2]

Third-party and independent candidates

Eliminated in primary

• Brian C. Berend (Independent)^[3]

Endorsements

Mike Kreidler (D)

Newspapers

• The Seattle Times^[4]

Results

Blanket primary results by county

  Kreidler

•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%

  Adams

•   30–40%
•   40–50%

  Reilly

•   30–40%

Blanket primary election results^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mike Kreidler (incumbent)	712,095	54.91
	Republican	John Adams	279,052	21.52
	Republican	Scott Reilly	241,377	18.61
	Independent	Brian C. Berend	64,303	4.96
Total votes			1,296,827	100.00

General election

Results

2012 Washington Insurance Commissioner election^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mike Kreidler (incumbent)	1,662,555	58.30	–3.08
	Republican	John Adams	1,188,926	41.70	+3.08
Total votes			2,851,481	100.00	N/A
	Democratic hold

By county

County results

County[7]	Mike Kreidler Democratic		John Adams Republican		Margin		Total votes
	#	%	#	%	#	%
Adams	1,463	33.49%	2,905	66.51%	-1,442	-33.01%	4,368
Asotin	3,933	43.39%	5,131	56.61%	-1,198	-13.22%	9,064
Benton	28,462	39.31%	43,933	60.69%	-15,471	-21.37%	72,395
Chelan	12,400	42.40%	16,846	57.60%	-4,446	-15.20%	29,246
Clallam	18,333	52.47%	16,610	47.53%	1,723	4.93%	34,943
Clark	87,743	50.47%	86,123	49.53%	1,620	0.93%	173,866
Columbia	677	33.50%	1,344	66.50%	-667	-33.00%	2,021
Cowlitz	21,727	53.15%	19,153	46.85%	2,574	6.30%	40,880
Douglas	5,223	38.17%	8,462	61.83%	-3,239	-23.67%	13,685
Ferry	1,300	41.71%	1,817	58.29%	-517	-16.59%	3,117
Franklin	8,535	40.09%	12,756	59.91%	-4,221	-19.83%	21,291
Garfield	359	31.41%	784	68.59%	-425	-37.18%	1,143
Grant	8,977	35.33%	16,431	64.67%	-7,454	-29.34%	25,408
Grays Harbor	15,628	58.88%	10,913	41.12%	4,715	17.76%	26,541
Island	20,744	53.81%	17,807	46.19%	2,937	7.62%	38,551
Jefferson	12,349	67.50%	5,945	32.50%	6,404	35.01%	18,294
King	613,284	70.76%	253,420	29.24%	359,864	41.52%	866,704
Kitsap	64,816	56.62%	49,669	43.38%	15,147	13.23%	114,485
Kittitas	7,437	46.15%	8,679	53.85%	-1,242	-7.71%	16,116
Klickitat	4,339	46.58%	4,977	53.42%	-638	-6.85%	9,316
Lewis	12,649	40.58%	18,522	59.42%	-5,873	-18.84%	31,171
Lincoln	1,802	33.33%	3,604	66.67%	-1,802	-33.33%	5,406
Mason	14,714	55.88%	11,619	44.12%	3,095	11.75%	26,333
Okanogan	6,944	45.06%	8,467	54.94%	-1,523	-9.88%	15,411
Pacific	5,531	57.06%	4,162	42.94%	1,369	14.12%	9,693
Pend Oreille	2,541	41.21%	3,625	58.79%	-1,084	-17.58%	6,166
Pierce	180,572	56.97%	136,366	43.03%	44,206	13.95%	316,938
San Juan	6,642	68.64%	3,035	31.36%	3,607	37.27%	9,677
Skagit	27,465	54.35%	23,068	45.65%	4,397	8.70%	50,533
Skamania	2,426	49.00%	2,525	51.00%	-99	-2.00%	4,951
Snohomish	177,861	58.42%	126,614	41.58%	51,247	16.83%	304,475
Spokane	98,790	48.14%	106,411	51.86%	-7,621	-3.71%	205,201
Stevens	7,570	37.09%	12,841	62.91%	-5,271	-25.82%	20,411
Thurston	74,631	63.60%	42,718	36.40%	31,913	27.19%	117,349
Wahkiakum	1,051	51.70%	982	48.30%	69	3.39%	2,033
Walla Walla	9,611	42.01%	13,268	57.99%	-3,657	-15.98%	22,879
Whatcom	53,270	56.65%	40,763	43.35%	12,507	13.30%	94,033
Whitman	7,423	48.65%	7,835	51.35%	-412	-2.70%	15,258
Yakima	33,333	46.21%	38,796	53.79%	-5,463	-7.57%	72,129
Totals	1,662,555	58.30%	1,188,926	41.70%	473,629	16.61%	2,851,481

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Kittitas (largest city: Ellensburg)
• Klickitat (largest city: Goldendale)
• Skamania (largest city: Carson)
• Spokane (largest city: Spokane)
• Whitman (largest city: Pullman)

Swing by county

Legend

•   Republican — +2.5-5%
•   Republican — +5-7.5%
•   Republican — +7.5-10%
•   Republican — +10-12.5%
•   Republican — +>15%

Trend relative to the state by county

Legend

•   Democratic — +2.5-5%
•   Democratic — +0-2.5%
•   Republican — +0-2.5%
•   Republican — +2.5-5%
•   Republican — +5-7.5%
•   Republican — +7.5-10%

County flips

Legend

• Democratic   Hold

  Republican   Hold   Gain from Democratic

By congressional district

Kreidler won seven of ten congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.^[8]

District	Kreidler	Adams	Representative
1st	55%	45%	Suzan DelBene
2nd	61%	39%	Rick Larsen
3rd	49.9%	50.1%	Jaime Herrera Beutler
4th	41%	59%	Doc Hastings
5th	46%	54%	Cathy McMorris Rodgers
6th	59%	41%	Derek Kilmer
7th	81%	19%	Jim McDermott
8th	52%	48%	Dave Reichert
9th	70%	30%	Adam Smith
10th	60%	40%	Denny Heck

References

1. https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/insurance-laws-and-products/205650/five-insurance-commissioner-elections-all-incumbents-re-elected
2. "2012 Primary Candidates Who Have Filed". eledataweb.votewa.gov. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
3. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/statewide-regional-candidates-file/
4. Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (July 20, 2012). "Seattle Times editorial board endorsements for 2012 primary". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
5. Reed, Sam (August 7, 2012). "Insurance Commissioner". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on March 13, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
6. Reed, Sam (November 6, 2012). "Insurance Commissioner". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
7. Reed, Sam (November 6, 2012). "Insurance Commissioner - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
8. "2012 General Data". sos.wa.gov. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024.