Kim Wyman wins re-election as Washington secretary of state

Kim Wyman will enter her third term as secretary of state as the sole Republican in the statewide executive branch.

Wyman defeated Democratic state Rep. Gael Tarleton in Tuesday’s election with about a six-point lead as of Friday. Tarleton, who will retire in her role as state representative this year, officially conceded Friday.

“The people’s voice will prevail because we exercised our right to vote – in record numbers,” Tarleton said in a statement.

“And although the votes didn’t go my way in this race, your voices have now reshaped the debates about the future of voting rights and election security in our state.”

Wyman enters her third term after an election season defined by national vote-by-mail concerns, including attacks from President Donald Trump on its validity.

Tarleton continually criticized Wyman for not doing enough to stand up to Trump’s attacks on vote-by-mail or ensuring confidence in Washington voters.

Tarleton said it’s the job of public officials to stand up for the rights of voters, while Wyman claimed it is not her job to be political regarding elections.

Wyman tweeted Thursday night that she was excited to continue her office’s work in the next four years “fortifying our elections system, building a state-of-the art facility to protect our archival and library treasures and collaborating with the legislature in a bipartisan manner.”