Kim Wyman


Kim Wyman is an American politician who is the 15th and current Secretary of State of Washington, elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016.

Early life

Wyman attended college at California State University, Long Beach and lived abroad after graduation. Barriers to voting in US elections while living in Germany inspired her to become an elections official. She earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Troy University's European Division. Wyman was one of the first public officials to become a Certified Elections/Registration Administrator from Auburn University.

Career

In 2001, Wyman was appointed as Thurston County Auditor, succeeding Sam Reed—she would again succeed Reed following her election as Secretary of State of Washington. She was eventually elected to the position and later reelected, as recently as 2010.
In the 2012 Washington state elections, Wyman was elected Secretary of State, narrowly defeating her Democratic opponent, former state Representative Kathleen Drew. Wyman was the only Republican elected to statewide office in the state. She was endorsed in the election by the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, The Wenatchee World, the Tri-City Herald, and The Seattle Times. The Times cited her bipartisan appeal and experience as an elections administrator in its endorsement. She was also endorsed by the Washington Education Association, which normally endorses Democrats.
In the 2016 elections, Wyman was reelected, defeating former Seattle City Councilwoman Tina Podlodowski with 55% of the vote.

Personal life

Wyman lives in Lacey, Washington with her husband John and their two children. She has run in several marathons.
In March 2017, Wyman was diagnosed with an early form of colon cancer.

Electoral history

YearRepublicanVotesPctDemocraticVotesPct
2012Kim Wyman1,459,77350.4%Kathleen Drew1,436,73549.6%
2016Kim Wyman1,713,00454.74%Tina Podlodkowski1,416,29945.26%