2022 Washington Secretary of State special election
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   Hobbs: 20–30% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Anderson: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington (state) |
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The 2022 Washington Secretary of State special election was held on November 8, 2022. Incumbent Kim Wyman, a Republican, resigned from the office on November 19, 2021, to become the senior election security lead for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Biden administration's Department of Homeland Security.[1] Washington governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, announced he would appoint state senator Steve Hobbs as her replacement, the first Democrat to hold the office in more than fifty years.[2]
In the primary election, Hobbs easily took first place. The race for the second spot in the general election was a close three-way battle between state senator Keith Wagoner and technician Bob Hagglund, both Republicans, and Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, an Independent. After a week of tabulation, Anderson was declared the winner, with the three candidates separated by just over 14,000 votes—less than 1% of the total.[3] Brad Klippert, a Republican state representative, ran a write-in campaign in the general election.
Hobbs narrowly won the general election with 49.8% of the vote, over 7% less than the vote share won by Patty Murray in the concurrent Senate race. This marked the first time since 1960 that a Democrat was elected Washington Secretary of State.
Primary election
[edit]Democratic Party
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Steve Hobbs, incumbent Washington Secretary of State[4]
- Marquez Tiggs[5]
Republican Party
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Tamborine Borrelli,[a] director of the Washington Election Integrity Coalition United and Independent candidate for Washington's 10th congressional district in 2018[6][7]
- Bob Hagglund, technician[5][8]
- Mark Miloscia, former state senator (2015–2019)[9][10]
- Keith Wagoner, state senator (2018–present)[11][12]
Independents and third parties
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Julie Anderson (nonpartisan), Pierce County auditor[13]
- Kurtis Engle (Union)[5]
Forum
[edit]| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Nonpartisan | Republican | Unity | Republican | Democratic | Republican | Democratic | Republican |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||||||||
| Julie Anderson | Tamborine Borrelli | Kurtis Engle | Bob Hagglund | Steve Hobbs | Mark Miloscia | Marquez Tiggs | Keith Wagoner | |||||
| 1[14] | Jul. 14, 2022 | League of Women Voters of Washington The Spokesman-Review TVW |
Laurel Demkovich | TVW[15] | P | N | N | P | P | P | P | N |
Endorsements
[edit]Julie Anderson (NP)
County officials
- Vicki Dalton, Spokane County auditor (Democrat)[16]
- Greg Kimsey, Clark County auditor (Republican)[16]
Organizations
- National Women's Political Caucus of Washington[17]
Labor unions
Newspapers
- The News Tribune (co-endorsed with Hobbs)[19]
Steve Hobbs (D)
Statewide officials
- Bob Ferguson, Attorney General of Washington (2013–present)[16]
- Gary Locke, 21st Governor of Washington (1997–2005)[20]
- Pat McCarthy, Washington State Auditor (2017–present)[16]
Organizations
- King County Democratic Party[21]
Labor unions
Newspapers
- The Herald[23]
- The News Tribune (co-endorsed with Anderson)[19]
- The Seattle Times[24]
- The Stranger[25]
Keith Wagoner (R)
Statewide officials
- Ralph Munro, former Secretary of State of Washington (1981–2001)[16]
- Sam Reed, former Secretary of State of Washington (2001–2013)[16]
State legislators
- John Braun, Minority Leader of the Washington State Senate[16]
Organizations
- King County Republican Party[16]
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Julie Anderson (NP) |
Tamborine Borrelli (R) |
Kurtis Engle (I) |
Bob Hagglund (R) |
Steve Hobbs (D) |
Mark Miloscia (R) |
Marquez Tiggs (D) |
Keith Wagoner (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[26][A] | June 1–2, 2022 | 1,039 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 5% | 5% | 1% | 5% | 17% | 2% | 3% | 6% | 56% |
| Public Policy Polling (D)[27][A] | February 17–18, 2022 | 700 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 11% | – | – | – | 33% | – | – | 30% | 25% |
Results
[edit]
Hobbs
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Wagoner
- 20–30%
Hagglund
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Steve Hobbs (incumbent) | 747,993 | 39.96% | |
| Nonpartisan | Julie Anderson | 240,035 | 12.82% | |
| Republican | Keith Wagoner | 227,842 | 12.17% | |
| Republican | Bob Hagglund | 225,633 | 12.06% | |
| Republican | Mark Miloscia | 187,774 | 10.03% | |
| Democratic | Marquez Tiggs | 148,716 | 7.95% | |
| Republican | Tamborine Borrelli | 86,748 | 4.63% | |
| Unity | Kurtis Engle | 6,887 | 0.37% | |
| Total votes | 1,871,628 | 100.00% | ||
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[29] | Leans D | November 3, 2022 |
| Elections Daily[30] | Leans D | November 7, 2022 |
Candidates
[edit]- Julie Anderson (nonpartisan), Pierce County Auditor[31]
- Steve Hobbs (Democratic), incumbent Secretary of State[31]
- Brad Klippert (Republican, write-in), state representative, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2004 and 2006, and candidate for Washington's 4th congressional district in 2022[31]
Debates
[edit]A debate was scheduled for October 18 at the University of Puget Sound,[32] but it was canceled.[33]
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Nonpartisan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Steve Hobbs | Julie Anderson | |||||
| 1 | Aug. 17, 2022 | Association of Washington Business |
Melissa Santos | AWB[34] | P | P |
| 2 | Oct. 23, 2022 | KSPS League of Women Voters of Washington The Spokesman-Review Washington Debate Coalition |
Laurel Demkovitch | YouTube | P | P |
Endorsements
[edit]Endorsements in bold were made after the primary election.
Julie Anderson (NP)
U.S. Representatives
- Jaime Herrera Beutler, U.S. Representative for Washington's 3rd congressional district (2011–2023) (Republican)[35]
Statewide officials
- Dan Evans, former Governor of Washington (1965–1977) (Republican)[36]
- Rob McKenna, former Attorney General of Washington (2005–2013) (Republican)[37]
- Sam Reed, former Secretary of State of Washington (2001–2013) (Republican)[37]
State legislators
- T'wina Nobles, state senator (Democrat)[35]
- Emily Wicks, state representative (Democrat)[35]
Local officials
- Mike Crowley, former mayor of Tacoma (Republican)[35]
- Vicki Dalton, Spokane County auditor (Democrat)[16]
- Reagan Dunn, King County Councillor (Republican)[38]
- Greg Kimsey, Clark County auditor (Republican)[16]
- Caroline Weikel, former Snohomish County auditor[36]
- Victoria Woodards, mayor of Tacoma (Democrat)[35]
- Nadine Woodward, mayor of Spokane (Republican)[37]
Organizations
Labor unions
Newspapers
- The News Tribune (co-endorsed with Hobbs)[19]
- Tri-City Herald[39]
Steve Hobbs (D)
Federal officials
- Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator from Washington (2001–)[37]
Statewide officials
- Bob Ferguson, Attorney General of Washington (2013–present)[16]
- Gary Locke, 21st Governor of Washington (1997–2005)[20]
- Pat McCarthy, Washington State Auditor (2017–present)[16]
State legislators
- Andy Billig, Majority Leader of the Washington Senate[37]
Local officials
- Mary Hall, Mason County auditor[36]
- Paddy McGuire, Thurston County auditor[36]
Organizations
- King County Democratic Party[21]
Labor unions
- International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local 55 & 66[40]
- Washington AFL–CIO[22]
Newspapers
- The Columbian[41]
- The Herald[23]
- The News Tribune (co-endorsed with Anderson)[19]
- The Seattle Times[24]
- The Stranger[25]
Brad Klippert (R, write-in)
Organizations
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Steve Hobbs (D) |
Julie Anderson (NP) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[42][A] | October 19–20, 2022 | 782 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 33% | 34% | 32% |
| SurveyUSA[43] | October 14–19, 2022 | 589 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 40% | 29% | 30% |
| Strategies 360[44] | September 22–25, 2022 | 500 (RV) | ± 4.4% | 35% | 36% | 29% |
| 370 (LV) | ± 5.1% | 38% | 38% | 24% | ||
| The Trafalgar Group (R)[45] | September 21–24, 2022 | 1,091 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 40% | 37% | 23% |
| Elway Research[46] | September 12–15, 2022 | 403 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 31% | 29% | 40% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Steve Hobbs (incumbent) | 1,468,521 | 49.77% | +3.50% | |
| Nonpartisan | Julie Anderson | 1,351,926 | 45.82% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 129,933 | 4.40% | +4.28% | ||
| Total votes | 2,950,380 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By congressional district
[edit]Despite losing the state, Anderson won six of ten congressional districts, including four that elected Democrats and two that elected Republicans.[48]
| District | Hobbs | Anderson | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 55% | 41% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 51% | 43% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 42% | 53% | Jaime Herrera Beutler (117th Congress) |
| Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (118th Congress) | |||
| 4th | 32% | 59% | Dan Newhouse |
| 5th | 38% | 55% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 47% | 49% | Derek Kilmer |
| 7th | 75% | 24% | Pramila Jayapal |
| 8th | 44% | 51% | Kim Schrier |
| 9th | 62% | 35% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 46% | 50% | Marilyn Strickland |
Notes
[edit]Partisan clients
References
[edit]- ^ O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 26, 2021). "Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman resigns to join Biden administration". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
- ^ "Inslee selects Democratic Sen. Steve Hobbs to temporarily replace Republican Wyman as secretary of state". The Seattle Times. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Washington will elect non-Republican as secretary of state for the first time since 1960". The Seattle Times. August 9, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ "Gov. Inslee announces pick for Washington's new Secretary of State". Crosscut. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c Demkovich, Laurel (May 26, 2022). "Eight candidates vying for Washington secretary of state". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ "Leader behind slew of voter fraud lawsuits in Washington files to run for secretary of state". MyNorthwest.com. April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
- ^ "Know Your Candidates 2022: Tamborine Borrelli (R), running for WA secretary of state". KATU (TV). July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Know Your Candidates 2022: Bob Hagglund (R), running for WA secretary of state". KATU (TV). July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Filing Week surprise: Fundamentalist Mark Miloscia jumps into Secretary of State contest". May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Know Your Candidates 2022: Mark Miloscia (R), running for WA secretary of state". KATU (TV). July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senator becomes first GOP candidate for secretary of state". Everett Herald. November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "Know Your Candidates 2022: Keith Wagoner (R), running for WA secretary of state". KATU (TV). July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ Sailor, Craig (December 16, 2021). "Pierce Auditor Julie Anderson announces bid for Secretary of State as nonpartisan". The News Tribune. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Sowersby, Shauna (June 15, 2022). "Secretary of State candidates want to change the office". The Olympian. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ TVW
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l O'Sullivan, Joseph (July 13, 2022). "Election security a key issue in the WA secretary of state race". Crosscut.com. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ a b "Our 2022 Endorsements". National Women's Political Caucus of Washington. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ a b "Election Endorsements". International Association of Fire Fighters Local 31. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "TNT: Support Anderson, Hobbs for WA Secretary of State". The News Tribune. July 16, 2022. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Ng, Assunta (December 9, 2021). "How Steve Hobbs won the Secretary of State job". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "2022 Endorsements". www.kcdems.org. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Lott, Jeremy. "Washington unions endorse mostly Democrats, capital gains tax". The Center Square. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "Editorial: Hobbs edges Anderson for Secretary of State". The Herald. July 17, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Times recommends: Steve Hobbs for Secretary of State". The Seattle Times. July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Stranger's Endorsements for the August 2, 2022, Primary Election". The Stranger. July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (August 19, 2022). "Canvass of the Returns of the Primary Held on August 2, 2022" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 22, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ "Secretary of State and Attorney General: What to Watch for Next Week in Key Statewide Contests". Sabato's Crystal Ball. November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Solomon, Zack (November 7, 2022). "Elections Daily Secretary of State Ratings". Elections Daily. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "WA Republicans are pushing this write-in for Secretary of State | Crosscut".
- ^ Brunner, Jim (September 16, 2022). "Debates in WA set for U.S. Senate, House, secretary of state races". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Gutman, David (May 6, 2023). "Second WA Senate debate remains unconfirmed; secretary of state debate canceled". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ AWB
- ^ a b c d e "Democrats accuse independent Secretary of State candidate of being a Republican". The Olympian. November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d O'Sullivan, Joseph (October 13, 2022). "WA's secretary of state race is a special election — in more ways than one". Crosscut.com. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Demkovich, Laurel (September 25, 2022). "Candidates for Washington secretary of state disagree on experience, election management, cybersecurity". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Nonpartisan secretary of state candidate attacked by Democrats". October 12, 2022.
- ^ "2 excellent candidates vie for WA Secretary of State. Here's the Tri-City Herald's pick". Tri-City Herald. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "SMART Local 66 – General Election Endorsements". October 21, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "In Our View: Hobbs stronger choice for secretary of state".
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ SurveyUSA
- ^ Strategies 360
- ^ The Trafalgar Group (R)
- ^ Elway Research
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (December 7, 2022). "Canvass of the Returns of the General Election Held on November 8, 2022" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 22, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ "2022Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 29, 2022.
External links
[edit]Official campaign websites