The 2022 Washington Secretary of State special election was held on November 8, 2022. Incumbent Kim Wyman, a Republican, resigned from the office on November 19, 2021, to become the senior election security lead for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Biden administration's Department of Homeland Security. Washington governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, announced he would appoint state senator Steve Hobbs as her replacement, the first Democrat to hold the office in more than fifty years.

In the primary election, Hobbs easily took first place. The race for the second spot in the general election was a close three-way battle between state senator Keith Wagoner and technician Bob Hagglund, both Republicans, and Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, an Independent. After a week of tabulation, Anderson was declared to have won second place and moved on to the general election. Brad Klippert, a Republican state representative, ran a write-in campaign in the general election.

Hobbs narrowly won the general election with 49.8% of the vote, over 7% less than the vote share won by Patty Murray in the concurrent U.S. Senate race. This marked the first time since 1960 that a Democrat was elected Washington Secretary of State.

Primary election Democratic Party Declared Steve Hobbs, incumbent Washington Secretary of State Marquez Tiggs

Republican Party Declared Tamborine Borrelli, director of the Washington Election Integrity Coalition United and Independent candidate for in 2018 Bob Hagglund, technician Mark Miloscia, former state senator (2015–2019) Keith Wagoner, state senator (2018–present)

Independents and third parties Declared Julie Anderson (nonpartisan), Pierce County auditor Kurtis Engle (Union)

Forum + 2022 Washington Secretary of State candidate forum Date Host Moderator Link Nonpartisan Republican Unity Republican Democratic Republican Democratic RepublicanKey: Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Withdrawn Julie Anderson Tamborine Borrelli Kurtis Engle Bob Hagglund Steve Hobbs Mark Miloscia Marquez Tiggs Keith Wagoner1 Jul. 14, 2022 League of WomenVoters of WashingtonThe Spokesman-ReviewTVW Laurel DemkovichTVWTVW

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error SteveHobbs(D) JulieAnderson(NP) TamborineBorrelli(R) KurtisEngle(I) BobHagglund(R) MarkMiloscia(R) MarquezTiggs(D) KeithWagoner(R) UndecidedPublic Policy Polling (D)Public Policy Polling (D)June 1–2, 20221,039 (LV)± 3.0%17%5%5%1%5%2%3%6%56%Public Policy Polling (D)Public Policy Polling (D)February 17–18, 2022700 (LV)± 3.7%33%11%–––––30%25%

Results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Clallam (largest city: Port Angeles) Island (largest city: Oak Harbor) Kitsap (largest city: Bremerton) Skagit (largest city: Mount Vernon) Snohomish (largest city: Everett) Thurston (largest city: Lacey)

By congressional district District Hobbs Anderson Wagoner Hagglund Miloscia Tiggs Representative 47% 12% 11% 10% 9% 7%Suzan DelBene 42% 13% 13% 12% 8% 8%Rick Larsen 31% 11% 15% 15% 12% 9%Jaime Herrera Beutler 24% 10% 21% 18% 13% 6%Dan Newhouse 29% 10% 16% 18% 12% 7%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 37% 16% 11% 12% 10% 8%Derek Kilmer 67% 13% 3% 3% 3% 8%Pramila Jayapal 36% 12% 14% 15% 12% 7%Kim Schrier 50% 13% 6% 8% 11% 10%Adam Smith 36% 17% 11% 11% 12% 9%Marilyn Strickland

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of Sabato's Crystal BallNovember 3, 2022Elections DailyNovember 7, 2022

Candidates Julie Anderson (nonpartisan), Pierce County Auditor Steve Hobbs (Democratic), incumbent Secretary of State Brad Klippert (Republican, write-in), state representative, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2004 and 2006, and candidate for Washington's 4th congressional district in 2022

Debates A debate was scheduled for October 18 at the University of Puget Sound, but it was canceled.

+ 2022 Washington Secretary of State special election debates Date Host Moderator Link Democratic NonpartisanKey: Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Withdrawn Steve Hobbs Julie Anderson1 Aug. 17, 2022 Association ofWashington Business Melissa SantosAWBAWB 2 Oct. 23, 2022 KSPSLeague of Women Votersof WashingtonThe Spokesman-ReviewWashington Debate Coalition Laurel Demkovitch YouTube

Endorsements Endorsements in bold were made after the primary election.

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error SteveHobbs (D) JulieAnderson (NP) UndecidedPublic Policy Polling (D)Public Policy Polling (D)October 19–20, 2022782 (LV)± 3.5%33%34%32%SurveyUSASurveyUSAOctober 14–19, 2022589 (LV)± 5.0%40%29%30%Strategies 360Strategies 360September 22–25, 2022500 (RV)± 4.4%35%36%29%370 (LV)± 5.1%38%38%24%The Trafalgar Group (R)The Trafalgar Group (R)September 21–24, 20221,091 (LV)± 2.9%40%37%23%Elway ResearchElway ResearchSeptember 12–15, 2022403 (LV)± 3.0%31%29%40%

Results

By county +CountySteve Hobbs DemocraticJulie Anderson NonpartisanWrite-in VariousMarginTotal votes#%#%#%#%Adams92624.06%2,72170.69%2025.25%-1,795-46.64%3,849Asotin2,86333.27%5,54564.43%1982.30%-2,682-31.16%8,606Benton22,62630.95%40,97856.05%9,50013.00%-18,352-25.10%73,104Chelan11,88536.43%19,02658.33%1,7095.24%-7,141-21.89%32,620Clallam18,11145.93%19,68549.92%1,6384.15%-1,574-3.99%39,434Clark91,75846.03%97,35448.84%10,2245.13%-5,596-2.81%199,336Columbia50525.56%1,36869.23%1035.21%-863-43.67%1,976Cowlitz15,23935.28%25,73059.57%2,2235.15%-10,491-24.29%43,192Douglas4,66430.44%9,57162.47%1,0857.08%-4,907-32.03%15,320Ferry92728.87%1,87658.42%40812.71%-949-29.55%3,211Franklin6,64831.26%12,29557.82%2,32210.92%-5,647-26.55%21,265Garfield31927.64%81070.19%252.17%-491-42.55%1,154Grant6,74026.66%17,57969.54%9593.79%-10,839-42.88%25,278Grays Harbor12,18542.56%15,11552.80%1,3284.64%-2,930-10.23%28,628Island20,36848.81%19,83347.52%1,5323.67%5351.28%41,733Jefferson12,48760.91%7,45536.37%5582.72%5,03224.55%20,500King563,20765.14%282,35532.66%19,0282.20%280,85232.48%864,590Kitsap59,42449.64%55,69746.52%4,5943.84%3,7273.11%119,715Kittitas7,19936.50%11,54258.51%9844.99%-4,343-22.02%19,725Klickitat4,16938.37%6,15656.66%5394.96%-1,987-18.29%10,864Lewis9,56027.92%21,64363.21%3,0368.87%-12,083-35.29%34,239Lincoln1,32823.21%3,89968.14%4958.65%-2,571-44.93%5,722Mason11,72141.04%15,60154.62%1,2394.34%-3,880-13.58%28,561Okanogan5,75736.77%8,86256.60%1,0376.62%-3,105-19.83%15,656Pacific4,94143.66%6,15554.39%2211.95%-1,214-10.73%11,317Pend Oreille1,77227.42%4,33967.15%3515.43%-2,567-39.72%6,462Pierce133,81941.36%175,49254.24%14,2484.40%-41,673-12.88%323,559San Juan6,80062.45%3,43331.53%6566.02%3,36730.92%10,889Skagit24,60444.59%26,49248.01%4,0867.40%-1,888-3.42%55,182Skamania2,21937.51%3,28755.56%4106.93%-1,068-18.05%5,916Snohomish161,10251.38%140,03144.66%12,4273.96%21,0716.72%313,560Spokane87,05240.86%113,59153.32%12,3815.81%-26,539-12.46%213,024Stevens5,35024.90%13,26261.72%2,87413.38%-7,912-36.82%21,486Thurston59,87148.58%59,74948.48%3,6222.94%1220.10%123,242Wahkiakum88636.61%1,45159.96%833.43%-565-23.35%2,420Walla Walla8,93438.85%12,84755.87%1,2135.28%-3,913-17.02%22,994Whatcom53,02249.62%45,67142.74%8,1537.63%7,3516.88%106,846Whitman6,68144.63%7,86352.53%4262.85%-1,182-7.90%14,970Yakima20,85234.62%35,56759.05%3,8166.34%-14,715-24.43%60,235Totals1,468,52149.77%1,351,92645.82%129,9334.40%116,5953.95%2,950,380

By congressional district Despite losing the state, Anderson won six of ten congressional districts, including four that elected Democrats and two that elected Republicans. District Hobbs Anderson Representative 55% 41%Suzan DelBene 51% 43%Rick Larsen42%53%Jaime Herrera Beutler (117th Congress)Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (118th Congress) 32% 59%Dan Newhouse 38% 55%Cathy McMorris Rodgers 47% 49%Derek Kilmer 75% 24%Pramila Jayapal 44% 51%Kim Schrier 62% 35%Adam Smith 46% 50%Marilyn Strickland

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links Official campaign websites Julie Anderson (NP) for Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) for Secretary of State Brad Klippet (R) for Secretary of State (write-in)