Lt. Governor
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Cyrus Habib (D) | 181,320 | 20.07% |
| Marty McClendon (R) | 181,125 | 20.04% |
| Karen Fraser (D) | 147,179 | 16.29% |
| Steve Hobbs (D) | 139,943 | 15.49% |
| Phillip Yin (R) | 93,395 | 10.34% |
| Karen Wallace (D) | 43,595 | 4.82% |
| Javier Figueroa (R) | 40,022 | 4.43% |
| Bill Penor (R) | 38,969 | 4.31% |
| Paul Addis (L) | 17,340 | 1.92% |
| Daniel B. Davies (N) | 12,022 | 1.33% |
| Mark Greene (C) | 8,748 | 0.97% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Cyrus Habib
- Party:
- Democratic
- Age:
- 42
- City:
- Bellevue, WA
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University; master’s from Oxford; law degree from Yale.
Work experience: Attorney at the firm Perkins Coie; professor at Seattle University Law School. Former King County civil rights commissioner.
Political experience: Elected to the state Senate in 2014, serving the 48th Legislative District on the West Side, which includes Redmond; member of the Senate Democratic Leadership Team; currently serves as Democratic Whip; served a term in the state House, 2013-2014.
Family: Single and has no children.
Marty McClendon
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 57
- City:
- Gig Harbor, WA
Education: Graduated from Lake Roosevelt High School. Attended University of Washington and studied pre-medicine; certification training, including to become anesthesia technician, mortgage broker and life insurance agent.
Work experience: Anesthesia technician, 1987-2000; pastor of Gig Harbor Family Church, since 2013; real estate managing broker, 1999-present; radio talk show host at KLFE, AM-1590 in Seattle, 2015-present.
Political experience: Republican precinct committee officer.
Elected experience: Ran for lieutenant governor in 2016; lost in general election. Precinct committee officer; 26th Legislative District Republican Club president, 2012-2014.
Family: Married; has three children.
Steve Hobbs
- Party:
- Democratic
- Age:
- 54
- City:
- Lake Stevens, Washington
Education: Graduated from Lake Stevens High School in 1988. Received a master's of public administration and a bachelor of arts from the University of Washington.
Work experience: Has served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard for 30 years.
Political experience: Was appointed to secretary of state in November 2021. Served in the state Senate from 2007 to 2021.
Family: Married to Pam Hobbs. Has three children
Campaign contributions: Raised $539,649, as of Sept. 22, 2022. Contributors include the Washington State Democrats, the House Democratic Campaign Committee, the Washington Beverage Association, Microsoft and the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Complete Coverage
Habib, McLaughlin for state offices
In the primary races for lieutenant governor and lands commissioner, the editorial board selected candidates who didn’t advance to the general election. The following are our reassessments in those contests. Lt. Governor: State Sen. Cyrus Habib, D-Bellevue, finished first in a crowded field, collecting a mere 22 percent of the vote. Marty McClendon, a Gig Harbor Republican, finished a close second.
It’ll be Jay Inslee vs. Bill Bryant in Washington governor race
It’s Inslee vs. Bryant for governor and likely Habib vs. McClendon for lieutenant governor as voters whittle down long lists of candidates seeking statewide office.
Hobbs is best choice for lieutenant governor
Hobbs has a record of leadership and impartiality, and he has the most balanced support, with labor and business backing. He has earned our endorsement.
Owen, Habib trade letters, jabs over lt. gov. race
Lt. Gov. Brad Owen says Sen. Cyrus Habib may be too partisan to replace him. Habib says he wants to office to be more active.
Longtime Lt. Gov. Brad Owen slams one of the candidates hoping to succeed him
Retiring Lt. Gov. Brad Owen criticizes fellow Democrat Sen. Cyrus Habib, one of 11 candidates seeking to replace him.
Office of Washington lieutenant governor attracts high interest
Current Lt. Gov. Brad Owen has held the post since 1997. He announced his retirement earlier this year, sparking a rare rush of candidates for the office. Eleven candidates have filed for the position.
Spin Control: State Democrats may use presidential primary in 2020
After decades of selecting presidential nominees through the precinct caucuses, Democrats may switch to a primary.
Washington Senate agrees to task force to seek public school fix
The Senate approved a bill to set up a task force that would come up with a plan next year to meet court mandated obligations to public schools.
Fraser running for Lt. Gov.
State Sen. Karen Fraser joins the lieutenant governor’s race.
Sunday Spin 2: Ins and outs for 2016
Although candidates for the 2015 election may be shoulder-to-the-wheel, nose-to-the-grindstone right now, the 2016 crop of candidates isn’t far behind.
Election bets reveal public thinking regarding presidential race, politics
In years gone by, when reporters kept pints of whiskey in their bottom desk drawers and editors wielded long pencils sharpened to resemble hypodermic needles, it was common in newsrooms to bet on elections. Truth be told, it was common in newsrooms to bet on almost anything, from how much snow would fall in a storm to when the jury in a murder case would come back. But elections were often the top source for wagering, better even than football because, unlike sports, the ability to guess who would win elections was rarely tied to one’s knowledge of politics.