Local News

Democrat Kathleen Drew has conceded in the race for secretary of state to Republican candidate Kim Wyman.

Wyman, former Thurston County auditor, had a narrow lead over Drew in the race to replace longtime incumbent Sam Reed, who is retiring as secretary of state. Reed had been in office since 2000.

In a statement, Drew said,

“Today, I called Kim Wyman to congratulate her on a hard fought victory and to concede the race. I know that she will carry forward Washington’s tradition of fair and impartial elections, and I am optimistic that she will work on measures to remove barriers and increase voter participation. I talked to her about the importance of fully funding the primary voters’ pamphlet at the state level, which had been a cornerstone of my campaign. I wish her all the best.

Drew is a former state senator from Issaquah.

Wyman campaigned on her experience conducting more than 80 elections at the county level. The Secretary of State’s main job is to oversee state and local elections. The office is also responsible for registering and licensing private corporations.

Wyman’s victory continues a nearly 50-year run during which the largely Democratic Washington has elected Republicans as Secretary of State.  All the other statewide offices up for grabs this year went to Democrats.