If the current margin holds in the U.S. Senate race, Republican Mike McGavick will have had the worst showing by a major party Senate candidate since GOP Seattle city attorney Doug Jewett was trounced by the legendary Scoop Jackson in 1982.

It's an amazing statistic, given that the year began with Sen. Maria Cantwell tagged as the most vulnerable Democratic senator in the country. McGavick was the Republican's dream candidate, with business and political experience and a personal bank account fat enough that he could help finance his run.

The count now gives Cantwell 56 percent of the vote and McGavick 40 percent. Libertarian Bruce Guthrie has about 1 percent and Green Aaron Dixon and Independent Robin Adair each have less than that.

Here's how other Senate races finished:

2004: Patty Murray 55 percent, Rep. George Nethercutt 43 percent

2000: Maria Canwtell 49 percent, Sen. Slade Gorton, 49 percent

1998: Murray 58 percent, Rep. Linda Smith, 42 percent

1994: Gorton 56 percent, Ron Sims 44 percent

1992: Murray 54 percent, Rod Chandler 46 percent

1988: Gorton 51 percent, Mike Lowry 49 percent

1986: Brock Adams 51 percent, Gorton 49 percent

1982: Scoop Jackson 69 percent, Jewett 24 percent