I notice that Gorton served from 1981-87 in the seat now held by Sen. Murray and from 1989-2001 in the seat now held by Sen. Cantwell. What’s the story here? Was he appointed to a vacant seat after retiring?
Gather round, boys and girls, and I’ll tell you all about Slade Gorton’s career:
In 1980, Slate Gorton, then the Washington Attorney General, ran for the US Senate against Warren Magnuson, who had been a member of the Senate since 1944. That year, Gorton defeated Magnuson.
In 1986, however, Gorton lost his re-election bid to Brock Adams, former Secretary of Transportation under Carter and six-term Congressman from Seattle.
Two years later, however, the Senator representing the other Washington Senate seat, Dan Evans, retired after slightly less than one term (Evans, the former Governor, had been elected to replace the late Scoop Jackson.) Gorton easily won the Republican nomination, and defeated then-Congressman, later Governor Mike Lowry in the general election.
I looks like he lost the 1986 Senate election, and got elected back again in 1988. An official page saying this.