Midterm election results Steve Hobbs leads in Washington secretary of state race Axios Seattle

Midterm election results Steve Hobbs leads in Washington secretary of state race Axios Seattle

Midterm election results: Steve Hobbs leads in Washington secretary of state race - Axios SeattleLog InLog InAxios Seattle is an Axios company.

Steve Hobbs leads in race for Washington secretary of state

Steve Hobbs is shown when he was a state senator. Photo courtesy of Steve Hobbs' campaign Democrat Steve Hobbs Tuesday night in the race for Washington's secretary of state, making Democrats optimistic they might finally win an office that has . Why it matters: A win for Hobbs would cement Democrats' grip on Washington state government, with Democrats maintaining and all nine statewide elected offices. The latest: Hobbs led nonpartisan candidate Julie Anderson by about 3 percentage points in early returns on election night, with more ballots left to be counted, according to . Flashback: Until Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee last year, Republicans held the secretary of state's office for 58 years straight. No Democrat has won election to the office since 1960. Catch up quick: Washington has secretary of state, which made Anderson's campaign a longshot from the start.But the longtime Pierce County auditor managed to in the top-two primary in August, setting up this year's unusual November matchup.Whichever candidate is elected will serve two years, completing former Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman's term after in the Biden administration. Another election is scheduled for the position in 2024. Zoom in: Throughout the campaign, Anderson than Hobbs to serve as Washington's chief elections official, citing her 12 years running elections as county auditor.But Hobbs, a former state senator, said the role is more about leadership than election expertise, touting his experience leading the Washington National Guard's COVID-19 response in Western Washington.The candidates also disagreed about , with Anderson supporting local jurisdictions adopting the reform, and Hobbs arguing it would confuse voters at a time when trust in elections is already low. The intrigue: In recent weeks, the state Democratic Party and its chair, Tina Podlodowski, have and tried to paint her as a secret conservative who has fought to limit voting access. But some of the party's claims stretched the truth — and several prominent over the party chair's objections.Republicans staged their for state Rep. Brad Klippert. As of election night, about 3% of voters had written in someone other than Hobbs or Anderson, according to . What's next: More votes will be counted in the election in the coming days, which could shift the results somewhat. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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