Secretary of State

Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs and independent challenger Julie Anderson were leading Washington’s top two primary for Secretary of State after the initial ballot count Tuesday night. Republican Bob Hagglund, who has never held public office, was in a close third place.

For nearly six decades, Republicans held Washington's top election 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.

(Runtime 2:42) Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is calling attention to election issues, particularly cyber threats. Hobbs is making cyber…

(Runtime 1:27) Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is touring counties in Washington to meet with county auditors and inform voters of the work of…

Washington has nine independently elected statewide officeholders. All but one of those elected officials has required their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The holdout was the lone Republican.

Potential candidates to replace Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman are already stepping forward after Wyman, a Republican, announced she will resign next month to take an election security position with the Biden administration. Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, will appoint Wyman's replacement. That could spell the end of a nearly six decades Republican lock on the secretary of state's office.

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman has returned to work after several weeks of cancer treatment.Wyman teared up as she spoke with reporters in her…