 He served continuously under Republican Governor Daniel J. Evans (1965–1977), Democrat Dixy Lee Ray (1977–1981), Republican John Spellman (1981–1985), and for the first term of Democrat Booth Gardner (1985–1989).In his last race, he won comfortably with 63% of the vote.Cherberg stepped down in the 1988 race having served as lieutenant governor for nearly one third of Washington state's history at the time; at his death, he was the longest serving lieutenant governor in United States history.