For nearly six decades, Republicans held Washington’s top elections post — secretary of state.
That streak ended last November when Kim Wyman resigned to take an election security post with the Biden administration, and Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Democratic state Sen. Steve Hobbs to the post.
But now Hobbs has to run for election to serve out the remaining two years of Wyman's term. And he's got some competition.
The primary race for secretary of state has drawn eight candidates. The Aug. 2 primary will winnow that list to two finalists.
Typically, the secretary of state’s race in Washington is a predictable affair that features Democrats pushing for more access to voting and Republicans cautioning about election security.
But normalcy went out the window in 2020 as former President Donald Trump and his supporters falsely alleged the presidential election had been stolen due to widespread fraud.
Trump’s rhetoric, the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn state election results served as a stress test on American democracy.
Now elections themselves have become a campaign issue, and this year in Washington topics like election security, trust in elections and combating misinformation are trending in the secretary of state’s race.
The race has drawn four Republicans, two Democrats, one nonpartisan and one candidate who says he prefers the "union" party.
Hobbs, who is also a lieutenant colonel in the Washington National Guard, points to overseas...
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