Tarleton concedes as Wyman holds lead in race for Washington Secretary of State
Nov 3, 2020, 8:51 PM | Updated: Oct 7, 2024, 9:13 am
Washington Secretary of State candidates Kim Wyman (L) and Gael Tarleton (R).
(R)
In early results, Kim Wyman is leading with 53% of the vote against Gael Tarleton the race for Washington’s Secretary of State. That number held on Thursday, with Tarleton officially conceding defeat Friday morning.
Tarleton “called Kim Wyman to congratulate her on her victory” Friday, laying out her concession in a statement posted to Twitter.
I am so grateful to everyone who supported this campaign. We stood up to defend our democracy when it needed us the most.
Although the votes didn't go my way, your voices have reshaped the debates about the future of voting rights and election security in our state.
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/c57teqDca3
— Gael Tarleton (@GaelTarleton) November 6, 2020
The office of Secretary of State is a constitutional office, and one of the primary duties is being the state’s chief election officer. It is also the office for the registration of corporations and nonprofits, the keeper of the state archives, coordinates the state’s address confidentiality program, and manages the state library.
Current Secretary of State Kim Wyman is in her second term, having been in the role since 2013. She has run over 120 elections in the state. Leading up to the general election, Wyman continued to defend Washington state’s vote-by-mail system as secure, adding in her voters guide statement that her top responsibility as Secretary of State is to “inspire public confidence” in Washington’s elections.
Tarleton, who held 48% of the vote into a second round of election updates on Wednesday, has served as State Representative for the 36th Legislative District since 2013. From 2008-2013, she served as Seattle Port Commissioner and Port Commission President before election to State House.
Incumbent Wyman garnered 50.9% of the votes in the August Primary election, and Tarleton had 43.3%.
