Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory and admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. In 2008, the Census Bureau estimated the state's population at 6,549,224. Named after George Washington, it is the only U.S. state named after a president. Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone). Washington is sometimes called Washington State or the State of Washington to distinguish it from Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital. Isaac Ingalls Stevens (March 25, 1818 – September 1, 1862) was the first governor of Washington Territory, a United States Congressman, and a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War until his death at the Battle of Chantilly. Having been a firm supporter of Franklin Pierce's candidacy for President of the United States in 1852, Stevens was rewarded by President Pierce on March 2, 1853 by being named governor of the newly-created Washington Territory (a position which carried with it the title of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for that region). Stevens chose to add one more duty as he traveled west to the territory he would govern: the government was calling for a surveyor to map an appropriate railroad route across the northern United States, and with Stevens' engineering experience (and likely the favor of Pierce yet again) he won the bid, and spent most of 1853 moving slowly across the prairie, surveying his way to Washington Territory, where he took up his post at Olympia as governor in November that year. (more...) The election for governor of the U.S. state of Washington on November 2, 2004 gained national attention for its legal twists, turns and extremely close finish. Notable for being among the closest political races in United States election history, Republican Dino Rossi was declared the winner in the initial automated count and again in the subsequent automated recount. It wasn't until after a third and final hand recount did the eventual winner Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, turn the election in her favor by a margin of 129 votes, or 0.0045%. Although Gregoire was sworn in as Governor of Washington on January 12, 2005, Rossi did not formally concede and called for a re-vote due to concerns about the integrity of the election. The Republican Party filed a lawsuit in Chelan County Superior Court contesting the election, but the trial judge ruled against it, citing lack of evidence of deliberate electoral sabotage. Rossi chose not to appeal to the Washington State Supreme Court, formally conceding the election on June 6, 2005. (more...) - Nickname: The Evergreen State
- Capital city: Olympia
- Largest city: Seattle
- Governor: Christine Gregoire (D)
- Total area: 71,342 mi²
- Population (2000 census): 5,894,121
- Date admitted to the Union: November 11, 1889
- Form of Government: Democratic
- Senators: Patty Murray (D), Maria Cantwell (D)
- Representatives:(9) Jay Inslee (D), Rick Larsen (D), Brian Baird (D), Doc Hastings (R), Cathy McMorris (R), Norman Dicks (D), Jim McDermott (D), Dave Reichert (R), Adam Smith_(politician) (D)
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Coordinates: 47°30′N 120°30′W / 47.5°N 120.5°W / 47.5; -120.5 | |
