2012 Washington Secretary of State election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2012 Washington Secretary of State election took place on November 6, 2012. Republican Kim Wyman was narrowly elected Secretary of State to succeed incumbent Republican Sam Reed, who did not seek re-election.
November 6, 2012
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Wyman: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Drew: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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Primary election
The primary election took place in August. Under Washington's top-two primary system, introduced in the early 2000s, the primary was designed to narrow the field of candidates to two, rather than select specific party nominees, and candidates could designate themselves as affiliated with any political party, whether it existed or not.
Seven candidates contested the primary:
- Thurston County Auditor Kim Wyman ran under the Republican Party designation.
- Karen Murray ran under the Constitution Party designation.
- Sam Wright ran under the Human Rights Party designation.
- David J. Anderson ran as an independent candidate.
- Former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels, state senator Jim Kastama, and former state legislator Kathleen Drew, all ran under the Democratic Party designation.
Wyman and Drew scored the most votes in the primary contest, thereby becoming the two candidates to advance to the general election. Wyman received 39.75-percent of the vote and Drew 21.73-percent.
Endorsements
Jim Kastama (D)
- Newspapers
Kim Wyman (R)
- Statewide officials
- Bruce Chapman, former secretary of state of Washington (1975–1981)[1]
- Ralph Munro, former secretary of state of Washington (1981–2001)[1]
- Sam Reed, secretary of state of Washington (2001–2013)[1]
Results
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Kim Wyman | 528,754 | 39.75 | |
| Democratic | Kathleen Drew | 289,052 | 21.73 | |
| Democratic | Greg Nickels | 210,832 | 15.85 | |
| Democratic | Jim Kastama | 185,425 | 13.94 | |
| Constitution | Karen Murray | 50,888 | 3.83 | |
| Independent | David J. Anderson | 44,276 | 3.33 | |
| Human Rights | Sam Wright | 20,809 | 1.56 | |
| Total votes | 1,330,036 | 100.00 | ||
By county
| County[3] | Kim Wyman
Republican |
Kathleen Drew
Democratic |
Greg Nickels
Democratic |
Jim Kastama
Democratic |
Various candidates
Other parties |
Margin | Total votes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,416 | 58.78% | 214 | 8.88% | 203 | 8.43% | 148 | 6.14% | 428 | 17.77% | 1,202 | 49.90% | 2,409 |
| Asotin | 2,144 | 46.08% | 820 | 17.62% | 541 | 11.63% | 396 | 8.51% | 752 | 16.16% | 1,324 | 28.45% | 4,653 |
| Benton | 16,155 | 53.75% | 4,130 | 13.74% | 2,277 | 7.58% | 2,657 | 8.84% | 4,835 | 16.09% | 12,025 | 40.01% | 30,054 |
| Chelan | 8,338 | 50.99% | 1,979 | 12.10% | 2,203 | 13.47% | 1,404 | 8.59% | 2,428 | 14.85% | 6,135 | 37.52% | 16,352 |
| Clallam | 8,329 | 43.26% | 3,866 | 20.08% | 3,008 | 15.62% | 1,853 | 9.62% | 2,196 | 11.41% | 4,463 | 23.18% | 19,252 |
| Clark | 30,554 | 46.27% | 12,679 | 19.20% | 7,350 | 11.13% | 7,705 | 11.67% | 7,747 | 11.73% | 17,875 | 27.07% | 66,035 |
| Columbia | 615 | 58.18% | 110 | 10.41% | 78 | 7.38% | 90 | 8.51% | 164 | 15.52% | 505 | 47.78% | 1,057 |
| Cowlitz | 7,284 | 40.64% | 3,655 | 20.39% | 2,083 | 11.62% | 2,348 | 13.10% | 2,554 | 14.25% | 3,629 | 20.25% | 17,924 |
| Douglas | 4,019 | 55.72% | 835 | 11.58% | 914 | 12.67% | 497 | 6.89% | 948 | 13.14% | 3,105 | 43.05% | 7,213 |
| Ferry | 800 | 48.34% | 285 | 17.22% | 124 | 7.49% | 150 | 9.06% | 296 | 17.89% | 515 | 31.12% | 1,655 |
| Franklin | 4,856 | 55.01% | 1,124 | 12.73% | 692 | 7.84% | 698 | 7.91% | 1,457 | 16.51% | 3,732 | 42.28% | 8,827 |
| Garfield | 353 | 62.26% | 57 | 10.05% | 48 | 8.47% | 46 | 8.11% | 63 | 11.11% | 296 | 52.20% | 567 |
| Grant | 6,529 | 54.83% | 1,406 | 11.81% | 1,203 | 10.10% | 834 | 7.00% | 1,935 | 16.25% | 5,123 | 43.03% | 11,907 |
| Grays Harbor | 4,790 | 34.69% | 2,446 | 17.71% | 3,144 | 22.77% | 1,514 | 10.96% | 1,914 | 13.86% | 1,646 | 11.92% | 13,808 |
| Island | 9,438 | 41.99% | 4,504 | 20.04% | 4,059 | 18.06% | 2,380 | 10.59% | 2,098 | 9.33% | 4,934 | 21.95% | 22,479 |
| Jefferson | 3,342 | 29.57% | 3,536 | 31.29% | 2,214 | 19.59% | 1,124 | 9.95% | 1,085 | 9.60% | -194 | -1.72% | 11,301 |
| King | 120,097 | 29.64% | 116,899 | 28.85% | 82,980 | 20.48% | 68,138 | 16.81% | 17,124 | 4.23% | 3,198 | 0.79% | 405,238 |
| Kitsap | 23,477 | 40.69% | 12,059 | 20.90% | 10,638 | 18.44% | 7,013 | 12.15% | 4,516 | 7.83% | 11,418 | 19.79% | 57,703 |
| Kittitas | 3,984 | 48.92% | 1,208 | 14.83% | 1,121 | 13.76% | 835 | 10.25% | 996 | 12.23% | 2,776 | 34.09% | 8,144 |
| Klickitat | 1,847 | 46.48% | 816 | 20.53% | 309 | 7.78% | 421 | 10.59% | 581 | 14.62% | 1,031 | 25.94% | 3,974 |
| Lewis | 8,316 | 53.89% | 1,708 | 11.07% | 2,037 | 13.20% | 1,191 | 7.72% | 2,179 | 14.12% | 6,279 | 40.69% | 15,431 |
| Lincoln | 1,769 | 59.62% | 314 | 10.58% | 189 | 6.37% | 231 | 7.79% | 464 | 15.64% | 1,455 | 49.04% | 2,967 |
| Mason | 5,885 | 39.68% | 2,567 | 17.31% | 2,827 | 19.06% | 1,638 | 11.04% | 1,916 | 12.92% | 3,058 | 20.62% | 14,833 |
| Okanogan | 3,812 | 47.61% | 1,321 | 16.50% | 837 | 10.45% | 742 | 9.27% | 1,294 | 16.16% | 2,491 | 31.11% | 8,006 |
| Pacific | 2,154 | 36.68% | 1,237 | 21.07% | 1,002 | 17.06% | 713 | 12.14% | 766 | 13.04% | 917 | 15.62% | 5,872 |
| Pend Oreille | 1,475 | 44.33% | 539 | 16.20% | 388 | 11.66% | 248 | 7.45% | 677 | 20.35% | 936 | 28.13% | 3,327 |
| Pierce | 57,884 | 40.06% | 22,033 | 15.25% | 18,698 | 12.94% | 36,266 | 25.10% | 9,601 | 6.65% | 21,618 | 14.96% | 144,482 |
| San Juan | 1,685 | 32.33% | 1,597 | 30.64% | 966 | 18.53% | 560 | 10.74% | 404 | 7.75% | 88 | 1.69% | 5,212 |
| Skagit | 11,173 | 42.20% | 4,602 | 17.38% | 4,796 | 18.11% | 3,018 | 11.40% | 2,887 | 10.90% | 6,377 | 24.09% | 26,476 |
| Skamania | 958 | 44.13% | 454 | 20.91% | 165 | 7.60% | 263 | 12.11% | 331 | 15.25% | 504 | 23.22% | 2,171 |
| Snohomish | 56,477 | 41.96% | 29,165 | 21.67% | 22,360 | 16.61% | 17,031 | 12.65% | 9,574 | 7.11% | 27,312 | 20.29% | 134,607 |
| Spokane | 42,243 | 44.19% | 18,677 | 19.54% | 10,589 | 11.08% | 9,302 | 9.73% | 14,780 | 15.46% | 23,566 | 24.65% | 95,591 |
| Stevens | 5,365 | 51.19% | 1,362 | 13.00% | 764 | 7.29% | 921 | 8.79% | 2,068 | 19.73% | 4,003 | 38.20% | 10,480 |
| Thurston | 27,946 | 48.92% | 11,999 | 21.00% | 8,261 | 14.46% | 5,213 | 9.12% | 3,711 | 6.50% | 15,947 | 27.91% | 57,130 |
| Wahkiakum | 493 | 42.10% | 232 | 19.81% | 148 | 12.64% | 134 | 11.44% | 164 | 14.01% | 261 | 22.29% | 1,171 |
| Walla Walla | 6,277 | 52.15% | 1,798 | 14.94% | 1,120 | 9.30% | 1,146 | 9.52% | 1,696 | 14.09% | 4,479 | 37.21% | 12,037 |
| Whatcom | 18,396 | 42.89% | 11,232 | 26.19% | 6,546 | 15.26% | 3,313 | 7.72% | 3,405 | 7.94% | 7,164 | 16.70% | 42,892 |
| Whitman | 3,323 | 48.58% | 1,295 | 18.93% | 653 | 9.55% | 646 | 9.44% | 923 | 13.49% | 2,028 | 29.65% | 6,840 |
| Yakima | 14,756 | 49.25% | 4,292 | 14.33% | 3,297 | 11.01% | 2,598 | 8.67% | 5,016 | 16.74% | 10,464 | 34.93% | 29,959 |
| Totals | 528,754 | 39.75% | 289,052 | 21.73% | 210,832 | 15.85% | 185,425 | 13.94% | 115,973 | 8.72% | 239,702 | 18.02% | 1,330,036 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Clallam (largest city: Port Angeles)
- Cowlitz (largest city: Longview)
- Grays Harbor (largest city: Aberdeen)
- Island (largest city: Oak Harbor)
- Jefferson (largest city: Port Townsend)
- King (largest city: Seattle)
- Kitsap (largest city: Bremerton)
- Mason (largest city: Shelton)
- Pacific (largest city: Raymond)
- Pierce (largest city: Tacoma)
- San Juan (largest city: Friday Harbor)
- Skagit (largest city: Mount Vernon)
- Snohomish (largest city: Everett)
- Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island)
- Whatcom (largest city: Bellingham)
By congressional district
| District[4] | Wyman | Drew | Nickels | Kastama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 45% | 20% | 16% | 13% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 39% | 24% | 18% | 11% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 46% | 18% | 12% | 11% | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
| 4th | 52% | 14% | 9% | 8% | Doc Hastings |
| 5th | 46% | 18% | 10% | 10% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 38% | 21% | 18% | 14% | Norm Dicks |
| 7th | 19% | 37% | 24% | 17% | Jim McDermott |
| 8th | 47% | 16% | 14% | 15% | Dave Reichert |
| 9th | 31% | 25% | 21% | 19% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 43% | 17% | 13% | 20% | Denny Heck |
General election
Republican Kim Wyman won the general election in a close-fought contest, and was the only Republican elected to statewide office in Washington.
With Wyman's victory, Republicans extended their control of the office of Secretary of State of Washington to 48 consecutive years, having won each of the preceding 12 elections.
Post-primary endorsements
Kim Wyman (R)
Polling
Graphical summary
View source data.
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Kim Wyman (R) |
Kathleen Drew (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elway Research[10] | October 18–21, 2012 | 451 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 34% | 34% | 32% |
| Elway Research[11] | September 9–12, 2012 | 405 (RV) | ± 5.0% | 32% | 40% | 28% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kim Wyman | 1,464,741 | 50.38% | –7.95% | |
| Democratic | Kathleen Drew | 1,442,868 | 49.62% | +7.95% | |
| Total votes | 2,907,609 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
| County[13] | Kim Wyman
Republican |
Kathleen Drew
Democratic |
Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 3,235 | 71.94% | 1,262 | 28.06% | 1,973 | 43.87% | 4,497 |
| Asotin | 5,560 | 60.00% | 3,706 | 40.00% | 1,854 | 20.01% | 9,266 |
| Benton | 50,318 | 68.00% | 23,684 | 32.00% | 26,634 | 35.99% | 74,002 |
| Chelan | 19,282 | 64.35% | 10,681 | 35.65% | 8,601 | 28.71% | 29,963 |
| Clallam | 19,699 | 55.09% | 16,058 | 44.91% | 3,641 | 10.18% | 35,757 |
| Clark | 98,251 | 55.06% | 80,180 | 44.94% | 18,071 | 10.13% | 178,431 |
| Columbia | 1,536 | 73.28% | 560 | 26.72% | 976 | 46.56% | 2,096 |
| Cowlitz | 21,886 | 52.21% | 20,036 | 47.79% | 1,850 | 4.41% | 41,922 |
| Douglas | 9,655 | 68.66% | 4,407 | 31.34% | 5,248 | 37.32% | 14,062 |
| Ferry | 2,023 | 62.63% | 1,207 | 37.37% | 816 | 25.26% | 3,230 |
| Franklin | 14,275 | 65.88% | 7,394 | 34.12% | 6,881 | 31.76% | 21,669 |
| Garfield | 866 | 73.14% | 318 | 26.86% | 548 | 46.28% | 1,184 |
| Grant | 18,064 | 69.33% | 7,990 | 30.67% | 10,074 | 38.67% | 26,054 |
| Grays Harbor | 13,665 | 50.09% | 13,615 | 49.91% | 50 | 0.18% | 27,280 |
| Island | 21,376 | 54.26% | 18,020 | 45.74% | 3,356 | 8.52% | 39,396 |
| Jefferson | 7,507 | 40.18% | 11,175 | 59.82% | -3,668 | -19.63% | 18,682 |
| King | 345,268 | 39.05% | 538,986 | 60.95% | -193,718 | -21.91% | 884,254 |
| Kitsap | 59,488 | 51.17% | 56,774 | 48.83% | 2,714 | 2.33% | 116,262 |
| Kittitas | 10,183 | 61.08% | 6,488 | 38.92% | 3,695 | 22.16% | 16,671 |
| Klickitat | 5,477 | 56.66% | 4,189 | 43.34% | 1,288 | 13.33% | 9,666 |
| Lewis | 21,520 | 67.04% | 10,578 | 32.96% | 10,942 | 34.09% | 32,098 |
| Lincoln | 4,054 | 73.43% | 1,467 | 26.57% | 2,587 | 46.86% | 5,521 |
| Mason | 14,623 | 54.56% | 12,181 | 45.44% | 2,442 | 9.11% | 26,804 |
| Okanogan | 9,611 | 60.25% | 6,342 | 39.75% | 3,269 | 20.49% | 15,953 |
| Pacific | 4,734 | 48.16% | 5,096 | 51.84% | -362 | -3.68% | 9,830 |
| Pend Oreille | 4,050 | 64.40% | 2,239 | 35.60% | 1,811 | 28.80% | 6,289 |
| Pierce | 168,773 | 52.69% | 151,556 | 47.31% | 17,217 | 5.37% | 320,329 |
| San Juan | 3,689 | 37.03% | 6,274 | 62.97% | -2,585 | -25.95% | 9,963 |
| Skagit | 27,815 | 53.76% | 23,920 | 46.24% | 3,895 | 7.53% | 51,735 |
| Skamania | 2,731 | 53.66% | 2,358 | 46.34% | 373 | 7.33% | 5,089 |
| Snohomish | 153,513 | 49.75% | 155,030 | 50.25% | -1,517 | -0.49% | 308,543 |
| Spokane | 121,352 | 58.10% | 87,499 | 41.90% | 33,853 | 16.21% | 208,851 |
| Stevens | 14,200 | 67.55% | 6,822 | 32.45% | 7,378 | 35.10% | 21,022 |
| Thurston | 70,374 | 58.40% | 50,133 | 41.60% | 20,241 | 16.80% | 120,507 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,185 | 55.74% | 941 | 44.26% | 244 | 11.48% | 2,126 |
| Walla Walla | 15,092 | 64.61% | 8,268 | 35.39% | 6,824 | 29.21% | 23,360 |
| Whatcom | 46,491 | 48.32% | 49,722 | 51.68% | -3,231 | -3.36% | 96,213 |
| Whitman | 9,122 | 57.66% | 6,699 | 42.34% | 2,423 | 15.32% | 15,821 |
| Yakima | 44,198 | 60.37% | 29,013 | 39.63% | 15,185 | 20.74% | 73,211 |
| Totals | 1,464,741 | 50.38% | 1,442,868 | 49.62% | 21,873 | 0.75% | 2,907,609 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Jefferson (largest city: Port Townsend)
- King (largest city: Seattle)
- Pacific (largest city: Raymond)
- Snohomish (largest city: Everett)
- Whatcom (largest city: Bellingham)
By congressional district
Wyman won six of ten congressional districts, including two that elected Democrats.[14]
| District | Wyman | Podlodowski | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 53% | 47% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 47% | 53% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 56% | 44% | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
| 4th | 65% | 35% | Doc Hastings |
| 5th | 60% | 40% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 49.9% | 50.1% | Derek Kilmer |
| 7th | 28% | 72% | Jim McDermott |
| 8th | 57% | 43% | Dave Reichert |
| 9th | 40% | 60% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 55% | 45% | Denny Heck |

