Wyman Maintains Lead Over Tarleton In WA Secretary Of State Race

OLYMPIA, WA — Incumbent Secretary of State Kim Wyman is one of just three Republicans holding a statewide office on the West Coast and seeking her third term in Washington's number three job. Her challenger is outgoing Democratic State Rep. Gael Tarleton, who is leaving the legislature after four terms.

Wyman has served as an elections administrator in various roles for decades and has defended voting by mail, despite attacks from the White House and other prominent members of her party leading up the the election. The Seattle Times reports, if granted a third term, Wyman would seek an "unaffiliated" option for voters in the next presidential primary and move it from August to spring.

Tarleton, in her Patch candidate profile, highlighted voting rights and election security as her most pressing issues, including the expansion of automatic voter registration. Tarleton contends Wyman has not done enough to help voters nor pushed back hard enough against the Trump administration.

According to data from the Secretary of State's Office, 77.4 percent of voters statewide returned their ballots by 5 p.m. on Election Day. The initial round of results are unlikely to include ballots dropped off in the last two days of voting, and elections officials will update totals each afternoon until the tally is complete. The deadline for certification is Tuesday, Nov. 24.

2020 General Election Night Statewide Results: Secretary of State 2020 [includes ballots reported as of 11:52 p.m. Tuesday.]

Kim Wyman: 51.8%
Gael Tarleton: 48.1%

View all statewide results, or narrow by county:

• Statewide results
• King County
• Pierce County
• Snohomish County