In 1988, Pat Robertson won the R primary in Washington!
This Super Tuesday, Rick Santorum picked up a few Southern states, and I am speculating a North/South split between the moderate Romney and more conservative Santorum. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,_2012) I looked up past (R) primaries to see if a similar regional split has occurred in years past. I noticed that in 1988, that crazy preacher man Pat Robertson (known for his evangelical worldview and loony public statements) actually won the Washington primary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,_1988). And 24 years and 6 elections later, the state now has same-sex marriage...even with four Republican state senators supporting (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/03/us-gay-marriage-washington-idUSTRE81204O20120203)! Wow, it's really hard to believe that Republicans in this state actually took Robertson seriously enough to vote for him as a candidate.
The last time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_Washington_%28state%29) a Republican was elected governor of WA was in 1980 (John Spellman). However, Washington has always had (R) secretary of state since '65, and current WA attorney general Rob McKenna is R (serving since 2005). The current (D) duo of Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell have been in the US Senate since 2001. According to this Seattle Post Intelligencer profile (http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Gorton-The-man-who-took-on-Frank-Zappa-and-2298912.php), the last (R) US Senator from Washington, Slade Gorton, was a tough questioner to Def. Secy. Donald Rumsfeld during the 9/11 commission hearings. During the '90s, he "was the lone GOP senator to champion tighter fuel-efficiency standards for new cars and sport utility vehicles", and he later "became a scathing critic of BP's corporate culture after serving on a (Susan) Baker-chaired panel that probed a 2005 refinery explosion that killed 14 workers." (Susan Baker is the wife of former Treas. Secy. James Baker.) Given that former (R) senator from Oregon Mark Hatfield also dissented from the general GOP line by opposing the Vietnam War and 1995 balanced budget amendment, I also wonder if the progressive Pacific Northwest also was a safe haven for moderate Republicans. If so it is astounding how Pat Robertson could win the primary in Washington.
In fact, I visited the state in 2006, specifically Seattle and Mt. Rainier. Loved it there.