1992Final results
1992 election for Washington's 1st District
U.S. House · Washington
Maria Cantwell (D) won with 54.9% of the vote, defeating Gary Nelson (R) by 12.9 points.
Maria CantwellDemocrat · winner
54.9%148,844
Gary NelsonRepublican
42.0%113,897
Patrick L. RuckertIndependent
1.6%4,322
Anne FlemingNatural Law
1.6%4,211
271,274 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1992
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Maria CantwellGary Nelson
$657.5K
Raised by the campaign
$260.2K
$654.2K
Spent by the campaign
$258.2K
$3.2K
Cash on hand
$2K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1992.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1992
The candidates
Maria Cantwell (D)Gary Nelson (R)
Also on the ballot: Patrick L. Ruckert (Independent), 1.6%; Anne Fleming (Natural Law), 1.6%