2 excellent candidates vie for WA Secretary of State. Here’s the Tri-City Herald’s pick
The Washington Secretary of State office will be in highly capable hands no matter who wins the election.
That much is clear.
The two candidates vying for the job are both excellent, and both would bring integrity to an office that requires trust above all else.
The incumbent is Democrat Steve Hobbs and the challenger is longtime Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, who is nonpartisan.
The duties of Washington’s Secretary of State are many and varied, but primarily it oversees elections. While we believe each candidate is up to the task, they have different strengths.
Hobbs obviously has the experience after being on the job for nearly a year. Gov. Jay Inslee appointed him to the post after former Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican, left to work in election security at the national level.
Hobbs already has overseen the state primary and several county-wide special elections. He told the Herald Editorial Board that he is uniquely suited to defend our elections from cyberthreats.
He is a lieutenant colonel in the Washington National Guard and has worked with the National Security Agency. He has also studied and analyzed cyberattacks and information warfare at the Defense Information School.
Hobbs said his office is prepared to turn around misconceptions about our elections and fight the “big lie” that a conspiracy robbed former President Trump of a second term in 2020.
He is a former legislator from Snohomish County, and after Wyman left he resubmitted a budget for the secretary of state’s office that doubled the size of cybersecurity funding.
His relationship with lawmakers is a plus. Impressively, he has endorsements from Democrats and Republicans, including Benton County Commissioner Jerome Delvin.
Hobbs is the son of an Asian immigrant and the first person of color in the office, and he is dedicated to engaging with underserved communities. As a father of a child with special needs, he also wants to make sure the voices of the disabled are heard.
He said he can work under any environment, and the job is about the person — not the label. It is about trust and how you operate, he said.
On that note, Anderson has a different take.
She believes Washington state has been experiencing hyperpolarization and that politics is getting more extreme.
To her, overseeing elections while belonging to a political party is like a baseball umpire wearing the same jersey as one of the teams.
Anderson has been the Pierce County Auditor for nearly 13 years and has always run as nonpartisan. “Running with a party label doesn’t make sense to me,” she said.
In the current political climate where misinformation is made worse by political parties amplifying extreme messages, Anderson would be seen as a neutral leader.
She has over 40 election officials backing her from around the state, both Democrats and Republicans, including Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton.
Her administrative skills, boots-on-the-ground experience and her relationship with other county auditors are commendable qualities.
Both Hobbs and Anderson agree mail-in ballots are secure, and neither would go back to in-person voting. And both have vision and big plans to improve transparency and voter education.
But the greatest concern right now is ensuring there is faith in our election system, and having a nonpartisan official in charge of state elections would go a long way in bringing back trust in our process.
Wyman was first a county auditor who eventually became a rising national star in election security.
We don’t doubt Anderson would also protect our election system, and we think her nonpartisan status is needed to help counter those who question the validity of election results.
The Tri-City Herald Editorial Board recommends Julie Anderson, nonpartisan, for Washington Secretary of State.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREBehind Our Election Recommendations
Who decides the recommendations?
Members of The Tri-City Herald editorial board is comprised of experienced opinion journalists and community members, and is separate from The Herald’s newsroom. Conversations are on the record.
What does the recommendation process entail?
Whenever possible, The Herald editorial board meets with opposing candidates at the same time. The questions are largely focused on a candidate’s qualifications and goals. The editorial board then discusses the candidates in each race and decides who to recommend. Board members seek to reach a consensus on our recommendations, but not every decision is unanimous.
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making recommendations, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with us or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues, their understanding of public policy and their ability to work with the current board . We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats.
Why are the editorials unsigned?
Our election recommendations reflect the collective views of The Herald’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. For the 2022 election, the board includes: Cecilia Rexus, Herald editorial writer; Laurie Williams, Herald executive editor; Jack Briggs, retired Herald publisher; Ken Robertson, retired Herald executive director; Matt Taylor, retired Herald editorial writer; Mike Paoli and Martin Valadez, community representatives.
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 5:45 AM.