Washington Secretary of State election, 2016
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August 2, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
Kim Wyman (R) |
Kim Wyman (R) |
Governor • Lt. Governor Attorney General • Secretary of State Treasurer Down Ballot Auditor • Insurance Commissioner Natural Resources Commissioner Superintendent of Schools |
May 20, 2016 |
August 2, 2016 |
October 21, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
TBD |
TBD |
Washington held an election for secretary of state on November 8, 2016. The primary was held on August 2. Incumbent Kim Wyman (R) won re-election.
Overview
The Washington secretary of state serves as the state's chief administrative officer, overseeing elections, corporations, and archives.
Heading into the 2016 election, incumbent Secretary of State Kim Wyman was the sole Republican to hold statewide office. Despite an incumbency advantage for Wyman, the race was expected to be competitive. Wyman defeated Democratic challenger Tina Podlodowski to win re-election on November 8, 2016.
Candidates
 Most recent position: Technology and nonprofit executive Past experience: Seattle city councilmember, 1995-2000 |
 Most recent position: Secretary of state since 2013 Past experience: Thurston County auditor, 2001-2012 |
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Results
Note: Washington utilizes a mail-in ballot system. Results were not finalized until 14 days after the primary election.[1]
General election
Incumbent Kim Wyman defeated Tina Podlodowski in the Washington secretary of state election.
| Washington Secretary of State, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Kim Wyman Incumbent |
54.74% | 1,713,004 | |
| Democratic | Tina Podlodowski | 45.26% | 1,416,299 | |
| Total Votes | 3,129,303 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
Incumbent Kim Wyman and Tina Podlodowski defeated Tim Turner in the Washington primary for secretary of state.
| Washington primary for secretary of state, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Kim Wyman Incumbent |
47.90% | 645,614 | |
| Democratic | Tina Podlodowski |
46.13% | 621,732 | |
| Libertarian | Tim Turner | 5.98% | 80,570 | |
| Total Votes | 1,347,916 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Context of the 2016 election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which voters select the candidate they believe should appear on the general election ballot. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. Washington utilizes a top-two primary, in which a single primary election is held for each office wherein all candidates running for that office, regardless of party affiliation, compete in the same election. The two candidates receiving the most votes move on to the general election; all voters may vote in the primary for any candidate. In this type of primary, it is possible for both candidates in the general election to belong to the same political party. The general election also mimics a runoff election in that the two candidates who compete already competed against each other in the primary election.[2][3][4]
Washington's primary elections took place on August 2, 2016. The state utilizes a mail-in ballot system, and all ballots were required to be postmarked or left in a designated dropbox by 8 p.m. on election day. Ballots were mailed to registered voters 18 days prior to the election, and preliminary results were released at 8 p.m. on election day. While some races were called by the media on election day, official results were not certified by the Washington secretary of state until 14 days after the election, which, in 2016, was on August 16.[5]
Incumbent Kim Wyman
Wyman was first elected in 2012, narrowly defeating Democrat Kathleen Drew by less than one percent in an open race. She was the only Republican to win statewide office that year and only the second woman to serve as secretary of state in Washington. Prior to her tenure in state government, Wyman serve as Thurston County auditor for 12 years.
Party control in Washington
Washington had a divided government entering the 2016 election. Democrats controlled the governorship and also held a two-seat majority in the state house. Republicans gained control of the state senate in the 2014 elections by a one-seat majority, which ended a seven-year Democratic trifecta. Ballotpedia identified both chambers of the state legislature as battleground chambers in the 2016 elections. Party control of state government had the potential to shift after the November elections, but did not. Democrats retained control of the governorship and the state house. Democrats also gained a one-seat majority in the state senate, but did not take control of the chamber due to a Democratic senator who decided to caucus with the Republicans. Republicans thereby maintained control of the state senate, which resulted in the continuation of the state's divided government.
Prior to the 2016 election, both of Washington's U.S. Senate seats had been occupied by Democrats since 2001, and the state's electoral votes had gone to the Democratic presidential candidate every election cycle since 1988.[6] Senator Patty Murray (D) won re-election and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton won the state's presidential electoral votes in the November general election.
The office of secretary of state in Washington had been held by Republicans since 1964, and it was the only statewide office Republicans dominated in the decades leading up to the election.[7] Though Washington voters tended to re-elect incumbent secretaries of state by large margins, Secretary Kim Wyman won the 2012 open election for the office by just 0.8 percent. Challengers also narrowed the winning margins: Sam Reed won re-election in 2004 by just 6 percent—he won re-election in 2000 and 2008 by margins of 70 and 31 percent, respectively.
Campaigns
Race background
Democratic candidate Tina Podlodowski has been portrayed by media outlets such as The Seattle Times as a formidable challenger to incumbent Kim Wyman's (R) re-election efforts. Wyman is the sole Republican serving in statewide office and has been touted by the Republican Party as a "rising star."[8] Podlodowski has received widespread support from influential organizations such as EMILY's List, which has historically invested heavily in Washington state elections in support of Democratic candidates.[9][10] As of July 2016, she had a slight lead in fundraising over Wyman.
Former Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) warned in April 2016 in a GOP fundraising letter that Wyman was in the "crosshairs" of "liberal national groups" that were seeking to undermine her campaign. Ballotpedia's fact-checking desk later found McKenna's claim to be false. However, Washington Republicans are preparing for a competitive election—in his letter McKenna set a fundraising goal of $1 million to help keep Wyman in office in a contest he declared would be "a real barn burner."[8]
Washington pollster Stuart Elway also reported that the state's Republican voters had a strong negative opinion of the party's 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump, which he stated could influence the outcome of down-ballot state elections. Wyman has declined to make an endorsement in the 2016 presidential election.[11]
Podlodowski has focused her criticism on Wyman's competence in overseeing elections, citing the historically low turnout in the 2014 elections. She also criticized the secretary of state for not canceling this year's presidential primary, as the state did in 2012 to cut costs, given that Trump is the sole remaining candidate on the ballot. (Washington Democrats choose their presidential pick through caucuses.) Wyman responded to the criticisms by stating that they illustrated "how little [Podlodowski] understands the office," and pointing to Wyman's own past experience directing county elections and improvements to voter access while she has been in office.[11]
Debate
June 25, 2016
Incumbent Kim Wyman (R) and Tina Podlodowski (D) debated on June 25, 2016, at an event hosted by Fix Democracy First and WAmend. Most of the debate focused on the duties of the secretary of state as chief elections officer. Podlodowki repeatedly criticized Wyman's record in the office, including her past opposition to the Washington Voting Rights Act. The act would allow cities and counties to move from at-large voting to district-based systems, amongst other reforms. Supporters of the legislation, including Podlodowki, assert that it would help to address the underrepresentation of minorities in public office.[12] Wyman noted that her original opposition to the bill was based on language technicalities, and further added that she viewed it necessary to refrain from taking any particular stance on policy discussions within the legislature.[13]
Podlodowski also criticized Wyman for the low voter turnout of recent years, saying that as secretary of state she would "make sure that everyone eligible [to vote] is registered, and everyone registered is voting."[13] Wyman responded: "It is what is on the ballot that drives turnout," asserting that the competitive November general elections would see high turnout.[13] The candidates also discussed the cost and timing of the state's primary elections as well as the state's system of election judges, which has been a controversial topic in the state.[13]
Endorsements
| Key endorsements, primary candidates | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Wyman (R) | Tina Podlodowski (D) | ||||||||
| Former Secretary of State Sam Reed (R) | Governor Jay Inslee (D) | ||||||||
| Former Governor Dan Evans (R) | Former Governor Christine Gregoire (D) | ||||||||
| Former Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) | U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D) | ||||||||
| Washington Education Association | U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D) | ||||||||
| Retired Public Employees Council | Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO | ||||||||
| Washington State Patrol Troopers Association | NARAL Pro-Choice Washington | ||||||||
| Washington Farm Bureau | National Woman’s Political Caucus of Washington | ||||||||
| Washington State Council of Firefighters | |||||||||
| What is a key endorsement? | |||||||||
Campaign finance
General election
| Kim Wyman Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| To date | As of November 4, 2016 | $ | $762,296.92 | $(741,039.73) | $ | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $762,296.92 | $(741,039.73) | ||||||||
| Tina Podlodowski Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| To date | As of November 4, 2016 | $ | $888,963.44 | $(866,321.18) | $ | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $888,963.44 | $(866,321.18) | ||||||||
Primary candidates
| Tim Turner Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| To date | As of August 2, 2016 | $ | $1,509.33 | $(1,241.33) | $ | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $1,509.33 | $(1,241.33) | ||||||||
Campaign media
Note: If a candidate is not listed below, Ballotpedia staff were unable to locate any campaign media for that candidate. Do you know of any? Tell us!
Democrats
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Republicans
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| Tim Turner (Lib.) |  
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Campaign advertisements
About the office
The Secretary of State for Washington is a public elected executive state governmental official in Washington. The officeholder is state's chief elections officer, chief corporations officer, and supervisor of the State Archives. The secretary of state in Washington is charged with overseeing key parts of the state's ballot initiative process, however, ballot language is ultimately decided by the attorney general.
Incumbent
The incumbent was Republican Kim Wyman. She was first elected in 2012 and assumed office on January 16, 2013.[14]
Qualifications
Article 3, Section 25 of the state constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:
| Qualifications, Compensation, Offices Which May Be Abolished. No person, except a citizen of the United States and a qualified elector of this state, shall be eligible to hold any state office... |
- a citizen of the United States
- a qualified elector in Washington
Authority
Article 3 of the state constitution establishes the state's executive offices.
Article III, Section 2:
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Executive Department. The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and a commissioner of public lands, who shall be severally chosen by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and place of voting as for the members of the legislature. |
Past elections
2012
See also: Washington secretary of state election, 2012
Incumbent Sam Reed chose not to run for re-election in 2012. Kim Wyman (R) won the open seat in the general election on November 6, 2012.
- 2012 General Election for Washington Secretary of State
| Washington Secretary of State General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Kim Wyman |
50.4% | 1,464,741 | |
| Democratic | Kathleen Drew | 49.6% | 1,442,868 | |
| Total Votes | 2,907,609 | |||
| Election results via Washington Secretary of State | ||||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Sam Reed won re-election to the office of Washington Secretary of State. He defeated Jason Osgood (D) in the general election.
| Washington Secretary of State, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Sam Reed Incumbent |
60.8% | 1,718,033 | |
| Democratic | Jason Osgood | 39.2% | 1,107,634 | |
| Total Votes | 2,825,667 | |||
| Election results via Washington Secretary of State. | ||||
2004
On November 2, 2004, Sam Reed won re-election to the office of Washington Secretary of State. He defeated Laura Ruderman (D) and Jacqueline Passey (L) in the general election.
| Washington Secretary of State, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Sam Reed Incumbent |
51.5% | 1,369,421 | |
| Democratic | Laura Ruderman | 45.4% | 1,209,299 | |
| Libertarian | Jacqueline Passey | 3.1% | 82,097 | |
| Total Votes | 2,660,817 | |||
| Election results via Washington Secretary of State. | ||||
2000
On November 7, 2000, Sam Reed won election to the office of Washington Secretary of State. He defeated Don L. Bonker (D), J. Bradley Gibson (L) and Curtis Loftis (RFM) in the general election.
| Washington Secretary of State, 2000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Sam Reed |
81.1% | 1,073,911 | |
| Democratic | Don L. Bonker | 8% | 106,369 | |
| Libertarian | J. Bradley Gibson | 7.1% | 94,202 | |
| RFM | Curtis Loftis | 3.7% | 49,417 | |
| Total Votes | 1,323,899 | |||
| Election results via Washington Secretary of State. | ||||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Washington secretary of state election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
State profile
| Demographic data for Washington | ||
|---|---|---|
| Washington | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 7,160,290 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 66,456 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 77.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 7.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 5.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 12% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 32.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $61,062 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 14.4% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Washington. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Washington
Washington voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Washington, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[15]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Washington had four Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 2.21 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Washington coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Washington
- United States congressional delegations from Washington
- Public policy in Washington
- Endorsers in Washington
- Washington fact checks
- More...
See also
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Washington government: |
Previous elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
- Office of the Washington Secretary of State
- About the office of the Washington Secretary of State
- Information on how to file Initiatives and Referenda with the state government.
- Current lists of citizen initiative, legislative referrals and referenda.
- An account of the history of I&R in Washington.
- An FAQ on circulating petitions in the state.
- Freedom Foundation, "Top 3 Reasons the Secretary of State matters," March 27, 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions on Voting by Mail," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Secretary of State Kim Wyman, "Frequently Asked Questions on Voting by Mail," accessed August 4, 2016
- ↑ National Archives and Records Administration, "Historical election results," accessed July 8, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Washington's Secretaries of State - Past and Present," accessed July 12, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Seattle, "GOP 'rising star,' Secretaryof [sic State Kim Wyman, plans $1 million campaign," April 21, 2016]
- ↑ Union-Bulletin.com, "Secretary of State Kim Wyman could face tough test for re-election," May 23, 2016
- ↑ [www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Wyman-vs-Podlodowski-shapes-up-as-down-ballot-7237103.php Seattlepi, "Down-ballot donnybrook for Washington secretary of state," April 8, 2016]
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Union-Bulletin.com, "Secretary of State Kim Wyman could face tough test for re-election," May 23, 2016
- ↑ Seattlepi, "The Washington Voting Rights Act passes House: Will Senate ever vote on it?" February 5, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Capitol Hill Times, "Wyman Defends Record In Secretary Of State Debate," June 29, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State blogs- From Our Corner, "Washington Secretary of State Club," March 12, 2013
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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