Biden administration to tap Wyman for election security lead, CNN reports

OLYMPIA – Secretary of State Kim Wyman could be leaving Washington state soon for a position in the Department of Homeland Security.

CNN is reporting the Biden administration is expected to name Wyman, the state’s only Republican statewide elected official, to lead the department’s efforts to protect future elections from foreign and domestic interference, multiple people familiar confirmed with CNN. They spoke on condition of anonymity, according to the network.

She would serve as the election security lead for DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and work with elections officials across the country, providing resources and support to protect election infrastructure from hacks and disinformation campaigns.

The Secretary of State’s office did not discuss the report.

“The Office of the Secretary of State cannot confirm the information included in the article,” spokesperson Kylee Zabel wrote in an email.

The Department of Homeland Security also did not immediately respond to The Spokesman-Review’s request for comment.

As allegations of election fraud swirled in the last election, Wyman became a leader in election safety nationwide and remained outspoken against claims from President Donald Trump and his supporters that it was fraudulent.

In Washington, Republican gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp sued Wyman, claiming the election was fraudulent. Culp dropped the lawsuit in January. Wyman also criticized a “forensic audit” of 2020 election ballots in Phoenix, saying the audit was not a true forensic audit.

Before elected to secretary of state in 2012, Wyman served as the Thurston County auditor.

If Wyman takes the position in Washington, D.C., her vacancy would open the door to an election in the Washington state executive branch in 2022.