Secretary of State

Should the top elections official in Washington state officially be a nonpartisan? That's one difference between the top two finalists running for Washington Secretary of State.

It's been week since the Washington primarily elections and officials are still methodically counting votes. With 40,000 ballots to go, Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins joined KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to talk key races, including the contest for Washington Secretary of State and Joe Kent's current lead over Jaime Herrera Beutler for the state's 3rd Congressional District.

In Washington’s race for Secretary of State, the top two finishers after the initial vote count were Democrat Steve Hobbs and independent Julie Anderson. Republican Bob Hagglund was trailing a close third.

Elections themselves have become a campaign issue. And this year Washington’s top election position is on the ballot. Eight candidates are running for Secretary of State in the August primary.

Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson announced her campaign for secretary of state on Wednesday – and she’s running as a nonpartisan candidate, a value she feels strongly about.

Republican state Sen. Keith Wagoner says he plans to challenge newly appointed Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs in next year’s election.

Steve Hobbs has been sworn in as Washington’s 16th secretary of state. He's the first person of color to head the office and the first Democrat to hold the position in 56 years.

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Democratic state Sen. Steve Hobbs as the state’s 16th secretary of state, marking the first time a Democrat will hold the office since the mid-1960s. Hobbs will replace Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who will leave office Nov. 19 to start a top election security job in the Biden administration.