Secretary of State
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Hobbs (D) | 1,468,351 | 52.07% |
| Julie Anderson (N) | 1,351,677 | 47.93% |
* 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
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.
Julie Anderson
- Party:
- Nonpartisan
- Age:
- 59
- City:
- Tacoma, Washington
Education: Earned her GED through St. Martin's University in Lacey, Washington. Earned her bachelor of arts in liberal arts from Evergreen State College in 1987. Earned her master's of science in criminal justice administration from Northeastern University in 1990. Earned a certificate in elections administration from Auburn University in 2010.
Work experience: Former senior policy adviser for the Washington State Department of Commerce from 2007 to 2009. Former executive director for the Tacoma and Pierce County YWCA from 1998 to 2001. Former assistant regional administrator at the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration from 1996 to 1998. Former executive director at Episcopal Services for Youth from 1990 to 1996.
Political experience: Has served as the Pierce County auditor since 2009. Served as a Tacoma City Council member and deputy mayor from 2004 to 2009.
Family: Married to David Anderson.
Campaign contributions: Raised $252,631, as of Sept. 22, 2022. Contributors include Olympia Associates architect David Bates, real estate developer at MC Construction Loren Cohen, the South Sound Women's Leadership political action committee; and the Tacoma firefighters union, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Related Media
Complete Coverage
Democratic incumbent Hobbs leading in Secretary of State race, though race still too close to call
BELLEVUE – Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs is leading in the race for secretary of state, although nonpartisan opponent Julie Anderson is not far behind.
Tuesday’s election could bring a number of surprises. Here are some races to watch:
Ballots must be returned to a drop box or postmarked by 8 p.m. that day. For more information on where to vote, visit VoteWA.gov or your local county elections office. County auditors have encouraged voters to get their ballots in earlier rather than later to allow for quicker processing and faster results.
Secretary of State debate: Hobbs and Anderson
Nonpartisan candidate Julie Anderson and incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs participated in a one-hour debate on Oct. 23, 2022, in an event hosted by The Spokesman-Review, the League of Women Voters and KSPS at Gonzaga University. The debate was moderated by Spokesman-Review reporter Laurel Demkovich.
Hobbs and Anderson disagree on ranked choice voting, party affiliation at secretary of state debate
Candidates for the Washington Secretary of State’s Office Steve Hobbs and Julie Anderson discussed their expertise during a debate on Sunday at Gonzaga’s Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.
Washington secretary of state race close as ever as candidates head into Sunday debate
The two candidates will face off Sunday in a debate hosted by the Spokesman-Review and the League of Women Voters. Both candidates will debate at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center at Gonzaga University.
Mid-term elections put both parties to the test
Mid-term elections, like mid-term exams, are a time to find out whether things are going well or changes need to be made. This year, however, candidates on the ballot seem to be offering different answers as voters put them to the test.
Candidates for Washington secretary of state disagree on experience, election management, cybersecurity
Democrat incumbent Steve Hobbs and nonpartisan Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson will face off in the general election this November after finishing in the top two in the primary election.
Spin Control: If at first you don’t succeed, you can run for something else as a write-in
Some candidates who lose a long-shot bid in the primary decide to heed the voice of the voters, go home and find other things to occupy their time. A few decide to double down with an even longer shot by running a write-in campaign for another office.
Spin Control: If elections are rigged, how did Kent pull off late primary win?
The congressional race in southwest Washington should serve as a lesson to would-be elections deniers who question the integrity of the nation’s voting systems or insist, like the former president, that ballot counting should stop and winners be declared on Election Night.
Republicans shut out of Secretary of State race as nonpartisan, Democrat move on
Before current Secretary Steve Hobbs was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to take over for Kim Wyman, a Republican had served in the office since 1964.
Haskell pulls ahead of Conklin in race for prosecutor; Anderson still on track to advance in Secy. of State race
Republican Larry Haskell and nonpartisan pastor Deb Conklin will likely face off in the November general election for Spokane County prosecutor.
Steve Hobbs moves on in secretary of state race but opponent remains too close to call
Nonpartisan candidate Julie Anderson received the second most votes, with 12.9%, followed by Republican Bob Hagglund with 12.4%. Republican state Sen. Keith Wagoner trailed close behind with 12.2% of the vote.
Haven’t yet voted in the primary election? Here’s what’s at stake in Spokane County
For those who liking waiting to the last minute to cast their ballots, here’s a look at the candidate field.
Washington Secretary of State candidates debate cybersecurity, misinformation and elections audits
Candidates kept the debate civil and mainly focused on their ideas for making state elections more secure and accessible.
Misinformation, security of elections on secretary of state candidates’ minds this election
The candidates include a county auditor, current and former state legislators, a data scientist, a banker and a business owner.
Steve Hobbs sworn in as Secretary of State as Kim Wyman departs for BIden administration
Former state Sen. Steve Hobbs is officially Washington’s 16th secretary of state.
State Sen. Hobbs to replace Wyman as Secretary of State
Hobbs, a Democrat from Snohomish County, will take over for Kim Wyman Nov. 22 as she begins her job in the Biden administration as a senior election security lead.