FiveThirtyEight names Washington secretary of state race one to watch - Axios SeattleLog InLog InAxios Seattle is an Axios company.

Race to watch Washington secretary of state

Julie Anderson and Steve Hobbs. Photos courtesy of candidate campaigns. FiveThirtyEight, the poll analysis and politics site, has named Washington's secretary of state race among in the country to watch this year. Why it matters: For the first time in six decades, a Republican won't be elected — but Democrats could lose anyway, . The big picture: Washington Democrat Steve Hobbs was appointed to fill a vacancy last year and has not yet been elected to the seat. No Democrat has won a Washington secretary of state race since 1960. Julie Anderson, the Pierce County auditor who is running as a nonpartisan candidate, is giving Hobbs , . Yes, but: Hobbs has a big fundraising lead, having raised $639,934 in campaign donations to Anderson's $298,276, as of the latest campaign finance reports. Hobbs has also outspent Anderson 2:1 so far. What they're saying: "Anderson has . She has experience as the top election administrator of Washington's second-largest county, and she's not a Republican, which could make more people willing to vote for her in this blue state," FiveThirtyEight says."That said, Hobbs is still the one with the 'D' beside his name," the politics website adds. What we're watching: If the sizable amount of money each candidate has on hand translates into a big ad blitz in the final weeks before the . Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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