2024 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election
November 5, 2024
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Reykdal: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Olson: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington (state) |
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The 2024 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the superintendent of public instruction of Washington, concurrently with the 2024 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 third term, defeating challenger David Olson with 53% of the vote.[1] While the race was officially non-partisan, Reykdal identified as a Democrat, while Olson identified as a Republican.[2]
Background
Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, first elected in 2016 with 51% of the vote and re-elected in 2020 with 55% of the vote, ran for re-election to a third term in office.[3]
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[3]
- David Olson, president of the Peninsula School District board[4]
Eliminated in primary
- John Blair, perennial candidate and former high school teacher[5]
- Reid Saaris, founder of nonprofit Equal Opportunity Schools and former teacher[4]
Withdrew
- Brad Klippert, former state representative[6][7]
- Chad Magendanz, former state representative and computer science teacher[8][9]
Endorsements
Chris Reykdal
- Labor unions
- AFSCME Council 28[10]
- Service Employees International Union Locals 925, 6 and 775[10][11]
- Washington State Labor Council[12]
- International Association of Machinists District 751[10]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 73[10]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 5[10]
- Washington Education Association[10]
- Organizations
David Olson
Political parties
Reid Saaris
Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Chris Reykdal |
John Blair |
David Olson |
Reid Saaris |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[16][A] | July 24–25, 2024 | 581 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 14% | 4% | 7% | 2% | 74% |
Forum
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
|||||||||
| Chris Reykdal | John Blair | Chad Magendanz | David Olson | Reid Saaris | |||||
| 1[17] | May 20, 2024 | League of Women Voters of Washington |
Renee Radcliff Sinclair | TVW | N | N | P | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Chris Reykdal (incumbent) | 702,227 | 39.30 | |
| Nonpartisan | David Olson | 557,822 | 31.22 | |
| Nonpartisan | Reid Saaris | 427,788 | 23.94 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Blair | 91,410 | 5.12 | |
| Write-in | 7,404 | 0.41 | ||
| Total votes | 1,786,651 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Chris Reykdal
- Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Chris Reykdal |
David Olson |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[20][A] | October 16–17, 2024 | 571 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 21% | 18% | 61% |
Debates
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
||||||
| Chris Reykdal | David Olson | |||||
| 1 | Sep. 18, 2024 | Association of Washington Business | Renee Radcliff Sinclair | TVW | P | P |
| 2 | Sep. 26, 2024 | Washington State Debate Coalition | Kellyanna Brooking Venice Buhain John Hopperstad Sami West |
TVW | P | P |
| 3 | Oct. 5, 2024 | League of Women Voters of Washington |
Ann Dornfeld | TVW | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Chris Reykdal (incumbent) | 1,746,848 | 52.77 | –1.80 | |
| Nonpartisan | David Olson | 1,543,550 | 46.63 | +1.71 | |
| Write-in | 19,932 | 0.60 | +0.10 | ||
| Total votes | 3,310,330 | 100.00 | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
| County[22] | Chris Reykdal
Democratic |
David Olson
Republican |
Write-in
Various |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 1,542 | 32.97% | 3,072 | 65.68% | 63 | 1.35% | -1,530 | -32.71% | 4,677 |
| Asotin | 3,816 | 40.19% | 5,613 | 59.12% | 66 | 0.70% | -1,797 | -18.93% | 9,495 |
| Benton | 36,399 | 41.51% | 50,826 | 57.96% | 467 | 0.53% | -14,427 | -16.45% | 87,692 |
| Chelan | 15,618 | 44.87% | 19,007 | 54.61% | 180 | 0.52% | -3,389 | -9.74% | 34,805 |
| Clallam | 19,434 | 48.78% | 20,253 | 50.84% | 152 | 0.38% | -819 | -2.06% | 39,839 |
| Clark | 106,328 | 47.40% | 116,201 | 51.80% | 1,815 | 0.81% | -9,873 | -4.40% | 224,344 |
| Columbia | 668 | 32.60% | 1,361 | 66.42% | 20 | 0.98% | -693 | -33.82% | 2,049 |
| Cowlitz | 19,150 | 38.36% | 30,441 | 60.98% | 330 | 0.66% | -11,291 | -22.62% | 49,921 |
| Douglas | 7,049 | 39.56% | 10,661 | 59.84% | 107 | 0.60% | -3,612 | -20.27% | 17,817 |
| Ferry | 1,283 | 37.48% | 2,127 | 62.14% | 13 | 0.38% | -844 | -24.66% | 3,423 |
| Franklin | 10,348 | 38.23% | 16,607 | 61.35% | 114 | 0.42% | -6,259 | -23.12% | 27,069 |
| Garfield | 402 | 35.92% | 715 | 63.90% | 2 | 0.18% | -313 | -27.97% | 1,119 |
| Grant | 10,150 | 32.43% | 21,006 | 67.12% | 142 | 0.45% | -10,856 | -34.69% | 31,298 |
| Grays Harbor | 13,678 | 43.77% | 17,369 | 55.59% | 200 | 0.64% | -3,691 | -11.81% | 31,247 |
| Island | 22,821 | 52.46% | 20,378 | 46.85% | 299 | 0.69% | 2,443 | 5.62% | 43,498 |
| Jefferson | 13,419 | 64.07% | 7,430 | 35.48% | 95 | 0.45% | 5,989 | 28.60% | 20,944 |
| King | 625,058 | 65.69% | 321,418 | 33.78% | 5,099 | 0.54% | 303,640 | 31.91% | 951,575 |
| Kitsap | 66,824 | 51.15% | 63,106 | 48.30% | 719 | 0.55% | 3,718 | 2.85% | 130,649 |
| Kittitas | 9,059 | 42.18% | 12,252 | 57.05% | 164 | 0.76% | -3,193 | -14.87% | 21,475 |
| Klickitat | 4,457 | 40.46% | 6,488 | 58.89% | 72 | 0.65% | -2,031 | -18.44% | 11,017 |
| Lewis | 13,524 | 35.65% | 24,190 | 63.77% | 220 | 0.58% | -10,666 | -28.12% | 37,934 |
| Lincoln | 1,978 | 32.43% | 4,081 | 66.90% | 41 | 0.67% | -2,103 | -34.48% | 6,100 |
| Mason | 12,875 | 42.43% | 17,204 | 56.70% | 263 | 0.87% | -4,329 | -14.27% | 30,342 |
| Okanogan | 7,992 | 44.80% | 9,742 | 54.60% | 107 | 0.60% | -1,750 | -9.81% | 17,841 |
| Pacific | 5,122 | 44.56% | 6,295 | 54.77% | 77 | 0.67% | -1,173 | -10.21% | 11,494 |
| Pend Oreille | 2,387 | 33.39% | 4,703 | 65.79% | 58 | 0.81% | -2,316 | -32.40% | 7,148 |
| Pierce | 180,464 | 47.54% | 196,911 | 51.87% | 2,223 | 0.59% | -16,447 | -4.33% | 379,598 |
| San Juan | 6,911 | 66.28% | 3,445 | 33.04% | 71 | 0.68% | 3,466 | 33.24% | 10,427 |
| Skagit | 27,562 | 47.86% | 29,739 | 51.64% | 283 | 0.49% | -2,177 | -3.78% | 57,584 |
| Skamania | 2,384 | 40.01% | 3,523 | 59.12% | 52 | 0.87% | -1,139 | -19.11% | 5,959 |
| Snohomish | 181,910 | 51.75% | 167,722 | 47.71% | 1,889 | 0.54% | 14,188 | 4.04% | 351,521 |
| Spokane | 111,729 | 46.27% | 128,086 | 53.04% | 1,665 | 0.69% | -16,357 | -6.77% | 241,480 |
| Stevens | 7,222 | 29.52% | 17,089 | 69.86% | 150 | 0.61% | -9,867 | -40.34% | 24,461 |
| Thurston | 80,037 | 55.33% | 63,566 | 43.95% | 1,041 | 0.72% | 16,471 | 11.39% | 144,644 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,056 | 41.79% | 1,456 | 57.62% | 15 | 0.59% | -400 | -15.83% | 2,527 |
| Walla Walla | 11,678 | 46.21% | 13,493 | 53.40% | 98 | 0.39% | -1,815 | -7.18% | 25,269 |
| Whatcom | 64,300 | 55.16% | 51,807 | 44.45% | 455 | 0.39% | 12,493 | 10.72% | 116,562 |
| Whitman | 8,716 | 51.54% | 8,088 | 47.82% | 108 | 0.64% | 628 | 3.71% | 16,912 |
| Yakima | 31,498 | 40.09% | 46,079 | 58.64% | 997 | 1.27% | -14,581 | -18.56% | 78,574 |
| Totals | 1,746,848 | 52.77% | 1,543,550 | 46.63% | 19,932 | 0.60% | 203,298 | 6.14% | 3,310,330 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Asotin (largest city: Clarkston)
- Chelan (largest city: Wenatchee)
- Clallam (largest city: Port Angeles)
- Garfield (largest city: Pomeroy)
- Grays Harbor (largest city: Aberdeen)
- Mason (largest city: Shelton)
- Pacific (largest city: Raymond)
- Skagit (largest city: Mount Vernon)
- Skamania (largest city: Stevenson)
- Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island)
By congressional district
Reykdal won six of ten congressional districts, with the remaining four going to Olson, including two that elected Democrats.[23]
| District | Reykdal | Olson | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 55% | 44% | Suzan DelBene |
| 2nd | 54% | 45% | Rick Larsen |
| 3rd | 44% | 55% | Marie Gluesenkamp Perez |
| 4th | 40% | 59% | Dan Newhouse |
| 5th | 44% | 55% | Cathy McMorris Rodgers (118th Congress) |
| Michael Baumgartner (119th Congress) | |||
| 6th | 51% | 48% | Derek Kilmer (118th Congress) |
| Emily Randall (119th Congress) | |||
| 7th | 77% | 22% | Pramila Jayapal |
| 8th | 47% | 52% | Kim Schrier |
| 9th | 60% | 39% | Adam Smith |
| 10th | 52% | 48% | Marilyn Strickland |
Notes
Partisan clients
- ^ a b Poll sponsored by the Northwest Progressive Institute
References
- ^ https://www.fox13seattle.com/election/chris-reykdal-reelected
- ^ Hoang, Mai (September 26, 2024). "5 takeaways from the superintendent of public instruction debate | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ a b https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-superintendent-chris-reykdal-will-run-for-re-election-in-2024
- ^ a b https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/pandemic-still-at-forefront-of-wa-state-schools-superintendent-race/
- ^ Grisso, Jaelynn. "Hotly contended race for WA superintendent of public schools | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ Culverwell, Wendy (April 15, 2023). "14-year Tri-City legislator sets his sights on ousting a different WA elected official". Tri-City Herald. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "For 1st time in 20 years, Kennewick Republican Brad Klippert won't be on the ballot". Tri-City Herald. May 11, 2024. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ Deng, Grace (January 30, 2024). "A Republican joins the race to be Washington's next schools chief • Washington State Standard". Washington State Standard. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ "'I did sin': Washington GOP in disarray after Spokane convention - Raw Story". www.rawstory.com. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
Chad Magendanz, a former state lawmaker and one of the other three, signed the pledge and lauded the goal of building unity with the early endorsement process. He ended his campaign Saturday.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Endorsements for Chris Reykdal - Washington Nonpartisan Candidate". Blue Voter Guide. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ Nguyen, Kale (June 13, 2024). "2024 Washington Election Endorsements". SEIU 775. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ "Endorsements - Primary" (PDF). WSLC. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ "2024 Champions for Education and Justice". Stand for Children Washington. September 29, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ a b Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (August 26, 2024). "The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Chris Reykdal for schools chief". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on May 4, 2025. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
- ^ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (June 9, 2024). "The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Reid Saaris for superintendent of public instruction". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Deng, Grace (May 21, 2024). "Six takeaways from the WA schools chief debate". Washington State Standard. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (August 22, 2024). "Canvass of the Returns of the Primary Held on August 6, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 6, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ "The News Tribune endorses Chris Reykdal for WA superintendent of public instruction". The News Tribune. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ Public Policy Polling (D)
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (December 4, 2024). "Canvass of the Returns of the General Election Held on November 5, 2024" (PDF). Secretary of State of Washington. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
- ^ Hobbs, Steve (November 5, 2024). "Superintendent of Public Instruction - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on May 29, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ "2024Gen Results by Congressional District" (PDF). sos.wa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 28, 2024.
External links
Official campaign websites