2020 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election
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Reykdal: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Espinoza: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2020 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the superintendent of public instruction of Washington, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington. Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal was re-elected to a second term, defeating challenger Maia Espinoza with 55% of the vote.[1] While the race was officially non-partisan, Reykdal identified as a Democrat, while Espinoza identified as a Republican.[1]
Background
Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, first elected in 2016 with 51% of the vote, ran for re-election to a second term in office.[2]
Primary election
Washington is one of two states that holds a top-two primary, meaning all candidates are listed on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation, and the top two advance to the general election.
Candidates
Advanced to general
- Chris Reykdal, incumbent state superintendent, former state representative, and former world history teacher[2]
- Maia Espinoza, activist and Republican candidate for Washington House of Representatives in 2018[3]
Eliminated in primary
- Ron Higgins, substitute teacher and retired engineer[4]
- Stan Lippmann, perennial candidate[4]
- David Spring, retired educator[4]
- Dennis Wick, former member of the Snohomish School District board[4]
Endorsements
Chris Reykdal
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Chris Reykdal (incumbent) | 898,951 | 40.24 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maia Espinoza | 564,674 | 25.28 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ron Higgins | 456,879 | 20.45 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dennis Wick | 121,425 | 5.44 | |
| Nonpartisan | David Spring | 111,176 | 4.98 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stan Lippmann | 71,395 | 3.20 | |
| Write-in | 9,571 | 0.43 | ||
| Total votes | 2,234,071 | 100.00 | ||
| Elections in Washington (state) |
|---|
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Chris Reykdal
- Executive branch officials
- Joe Biden, former Vice President of the United States (2009–2017)[7][a]
- Labor unions
- Washington State Labor Council[8]
- Pierce County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO[9]
- Washington State Council of Fire Fighters[10]
- SEIU 775[11]
- Service Employees International Union Local 925[12]
- Teamsters Joint Council 28[12]
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 28[12]
- Organizations
- Equal Rights Washington[12]
- Reproductive Freedom for All[12]
- League of Conservation Voters Washington[12]
- Newspapers
Maia Espinoza
- Organizations
- Washington Farm Bureau[21]
- Human Life of Washington[21]
- Mainstream Republicans of Washington[21]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Chris Rekydal |
Maia Espinoza |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[22][A] | October 14–15, 2020 | 610 (LV) | ± 4% | 30% | 23% | 47% |
Debates
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Chris Reykdal | Maia Espinoza | |||||
| 1 | Sep. 18, 2020 | Washington State Wire | YouTube | P | P | |
| 2 | Sep. 25, 2020 | City Inside/Out | Brian Callahan | YouTube | P | P |
| 3 | Oct. 23, 2020 | Rainier Avenue Radio | Kiantha Duncan Taylor-Corrine Benton |
YouTube | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Chris Reykdal (incumbent) | 1,955,365 | 54.57 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maia Espinoza | 1,609,643 | 44.92 | |
| Write-in | 17,957 | 0.50 | ||
| Total votes | 3,582,965 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
By county
| County[24] | Chris Reykdal
Democratic |
Maia Espinoza
Republican |
Write-in
Various |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,205 | 42.31% | 2,976 | 57.10% | 31 | 0.59% | -771 | -14.79% | 5,212 |
| Asotin | 5,207 | 51.71% | 4,788 | 47.55% | 75 | 0.74% | 419 | 4.16% | 10,070 |
| Benton | 42,973 | 46.95% | 48,069 | 52.51% | 495 | 0.54% | -5,096 | -5.57% | 91,537 |
| Chelan | 18,927 | 50.54% | 18,354 | 49.01% | 170 | 0.45% | 573 | 1.53% | 37,451 |
| Clallam | 21,958 | 52.04% | 20,064 | 47.55% | 171 | 0.41% | 1,894 | 4.49% | 42,193 |
| Clark | 111,891 | 49.28% | 113,428 | 49.96% | 1,739 | 0.77% | -1,537 | -0.68% | 227,058 |
| Columbia | 986 | 48.22% | 1,032 | 50.46% | 27 | 1.32% | -46 | -2.25% | 2,045 |
| Cowlitz | 24,637 | 47.37% | 27,030 | 51.97% | 347 | 0.67% | -2,393 | -4.60% | 52,014 |
| Douglas | 8,397 | 44.83% | 10,213 | 54.52% | 122 | 0.65% | -1,816 | -9.69% | 18,732 |
| Ferry | 1,546 | 41.46% | 2,156 | 57.82% | 27 | 0.72% | -610 | -16.36% | 3,729 |
| Franklin | 11,796 | 40.20% | 17,470 | 59.54% | 78 | 0.27% | -5,674 | -19.34% | 29,344 |
| Garfield | 628 | 50.85% | 600 | 48.58% | 7 | 0.57% | 28 | 2.27% | 1,235 |
| Grant | 14,331 | 43.65% | 18,334 | 55.84% | 166 | 0.51% | -4,003 | -12.19% | 32,831 |
| Grays Harbor | 16,907 | 51.05% | 16,031 | 48.41% | 178 | 0.54% | 876 | 2.65% | 33,116 |
| Island | 24,091 | 51.95% | 22,055 | 47.56% | 229 | 0.49% | 2,036 | 4.39% | 46,375 |
| Jefferson | 13,164 | 60.94% | 8,334 | 38.58% | 103 | 0.48% | 4,830 | 22.36% | 21,601 |
| King | 688,203 | 64.54% | 374,581 | 35.13% | 3,567 | 0.33% | 313,622 | 29.41% | 1,066,351 |
| Kitsap | 72,954 | 52.86% | 64,327 | 46.61% | 728 | 0.53% | 8,627 | 6.25% | 138,009 |
| Kittitas | 11,109 | 49.18% | 11,391 | 50.42% | 90 | 0.40% | -282 | -1.25% | 22,590 |
| Klickitat | 5,358 | 47.72% | 5,777 | 51.46% | 92 | 0.82% | -419 | -3.73% | 11,227 |
| Lewis | 17,698 | 44.72% | 21,636 | 54.67% | 244 | 0.62% | -3,938 | -9.95% | 39,578 |
| Lincoln | 2,638 | 42.78% | 3,499 | 56.74% | 30 | 0.49% | -861 | -13.96% | 6,167 |
| Mason | 16,221 | 50.75% | 15,448 | 48.33% | 295 | 0.92% | 773 | 2.42% | 31,964 |
| Okanogan | 9,119 | 49.52% | 9,163 | 49.76% | 133 | 0.72% | -44 | -0.24% | 18,415 |
| Pacific | 6,310 | 52.58% | 5,516 | 45.97% | 174 | 1.45% | 794 | 6.62% | 12,000 |
| Pend Oreille | 3,236 | 44.47% | 3,975 | 54.62% | 66 | 0.91% | -739 | -10.16% | 7,277 |
| Pierce | 200,845 | 49.01% | 206,786 | 50.46% | 2,142 | 0.52% | -5,941 | -1.45% | 409,773 |
| San Juan | 6,957 | 61.44% | 4,335 | 38.28% | 32 | 0.28% | 2,622 | 23.15% | 11,324 |
| Skagit | 32,098 | 51.46% | 29,933 | 47.99% | 343 | 0.55% | 2,165 | 3.47% | 62,374 |
| Skamania | 3,094 | 50.01% | 3,023 | 48.86% | 70 | 1.13% | 71 | 1.15% | 6,187 |
| Snohomish | 205,763 | 52.36% | 185,506 | 47.20% | 1,731 | 0.44% | 20,257 | 5.15% | 393,000 |
| Spokane | 125,665 | 48.96% | 129,034 | 50.28% | 1,955 | 0.76% | -3,369 | -1.31% | 256,654 |
| Stevens | 10,123 | 41.61% | 13,998 | 57.54% | 207 | 0.85% | -3,875 | -15.93% | 24,328 |
| Thurston | 84,199 | 55.50% | 66,411 | 43.78% | 1,089 | 0.72% | 17,788 | 11.73% | 151,699 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,313 | 51.33% | 1,237 | 48.36% | 8 | 0.31% | 76 | 2.97% | 2,558 |
| Walla Walla | 13,892 | 49.75% | 13,914 | 49.83% | 118 | 0.42% | -22 | -0.08% | 27,924 |
| Whatcom | 66,322 | 53.52% | 57,249 | 46.20% | 350 | 0.28% | 9,073 | 7.32% | 123,921 |
| Whitman | 9,821 | 52.71% | 8,703 | 46.71% | 109 | 0.58% | 1,118 | 6.00% | 18,633 |
| Yakima | 42,783 | 49.48% | 43,267 | 50.04% | 419 | 0.48% | -484 | -0.56% | 86,469 |
| Totals | 1,955,365 | 54.57% | 1,609,643 | 44.92% | 17,957 | 0.50% | 345,722 | 9.65% | 3,582,965 |
By congressional district
Reykdal won seven of ten congressional districts.[25]
| District | Reykdal | Espinoza | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 54% | 46% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 54% | 45% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 49% | 51% | Jaime Herrera Beutler |
| 4th | 47% | 53% | Dan Newhouse |
| 5th | 49% | 51% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers |
| 6th | 54% | 46% | Derek Kilmer |
| 7th | 74% | 26% | Pramila Jayapal |
| 8th | 51% | 49% | Kim Schrier |
| 9th | 60% | 40% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 51% | 49% | Denny Heck (116th Congress) |
| Marilyn Strickland (117th Congress) |
Notes
Partisan clients
- ^ Poll sponsored by the Northwest Progressive Institute
References
- ^ a b https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/chris-reykdal-maia-espinoza-washington-state-superintendent-of-public-instruction-election-results/
- ^ a b Cornfield, Jerry (October 9, 2019). "A boring election for state seats in 2020? Try nine of them". The Everett Herald. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ https://mynorthwest.com/uncategorized/dori-maia-espinoza-superintendent/1755083
- ^ a b c d https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/jun/28/as-covid-19-changes-education-systems-state-superi/
- ^ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (July 10, 2020). "The Times recommends: Chris Reykdal for Superintendent of Public Instruction". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
- ^ Wyman, Kim (August 21, 2020). "Canvass of the Returns of the Primary Held on August 4, 2020" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ "Incumbent wins Washington state's superintendent race". Everett Herald. November 5, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Endorsements" (PDF). WSLC. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Endorsements" (PDF). Pierce County Local 120. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Endorsements" (PDF). WSCFF. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Washington Election Endorsements". SEIU 775. May 21, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Progressive Voters Guide Endorsements 2020". Progressive Voters Guide (Archived). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ "News Tribune (Archive)". News Tribune endorsement roundup - Our picks for Nov. 3, 2020 general election. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ "The Stranger's Endorsements for the November 2020 General Election". The Stranger. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "Endorsements". Northwest Asian Weekly. October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "The Columbian Editorial Board's endorsements". The Columbian. October 20, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ "Walla Walla Union-Bulletin". The Endorsement Project. May 21, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ "Opinion: Our endorsements for 2020 general election". Yakima Herald-Republic. October 25, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ "Check out Tri-City Herald's candidate recommendations, videos for 2020 races". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ "The Olympian". The Endorsement Project. May 7, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Candidate Profile - Maia Espinoza". VoteSmart, Maia Espinoza. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Wyman, Kim (December 1, 2020). "Canvass of the Returns of the General Election Held on November 3, 2020" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 29, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ Wyman, Kim (November 3, 2020). "Superintendent of Public Instruction - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ "2020Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2024.
External links
Official campaign websites