2016 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election

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2016 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election
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  Chris Reykdal at Comcast Leaders & Achievers Scholarship Reception 2017 (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Chris Reykdal Erin Jones
Party Independent Independent
Popular vote1,337,5471,309,896
Percentage50.52%49.48%
2016 Washington superintendent of public instruction election results map by county.svg
2016 Washington superintendent of public instruction election results map by congressional district.svg
Reykdal:     50–60%
Jones:     50–60%
Superintendent of Public Instruction before election

Randy Dorn
Independent

Elected Superintendent of Public Instruction

Chris Reykdal
Independent

The 2016 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the superintendent of public instruction of Washington, concurrently with the 2016 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 Randy Dorn retired. [1] State Representative Chris Reykdal defeated educator Erin Jones to succeed Dorn. [2] While the race was officially non-partisan, both Reykdal and Jones identified as Democrats. [3]

Contents

Background

Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn, first elected in 2008 with 52% of the vote and re-elected in 2012 unopposed, retired. [1]

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

Eliminated in primary

  • John Patterson Blair, perennial candidate and former high school teacher [6]
  • Robin Fleming, educator [7]
  • Ron Higgins, substitute teacher and retired engineer [7]
  • KumRoon Maksirisombat [6]
  • Grazyna Prouty [6]
  • Al Runte [6]
  • David Spring, educator [8]

Declined

Endorsements

Erin Jones

Newspapers

Results

Blanket primary results by county .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} Jones 20-30% 30-40% 40-50% Reykdal 20-30% 40-50% Higgins 20-30% 30-40% Fleming 20-30% 2016 Washington superintendent of public instruction primary election results map by county.svg
Blanket primary results by county
  Jones
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Reykdal
  •   20–30%
  •   40–50%
  Higgins
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  Fleming
  •   20–30%
Blanket primary election results [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Erin Jones 295,330 25.76
Nonpartisan Chris Reykdal 240,194 20.95
NonpartisanRon Higgins190,88616.65
NonpartisanRobin Fleming154,99113.52
NonpartisanDavid Spring97,7028.52
NonpartisanJohn Patterson Blair64,0645.59
NonpartisanKumRoon Maksirisombat43,4913.79
NonpartisanAl Runte37,3863.26
NonpartisanGrazyna Prouty22,2651.94
Total votes1,146,309 100.00

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Chris
Reykdal		Erin
Jones		Undecided
Elway Poll [11] October 20–22, 2016502 (RV)± 4.5%17%18%65%
Elway Poll [12] August 9–13, 2016500 (RV)± 4.5%16%16%68%

Results

2016 Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction election [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Chris Reykdal 1,337,547 50.52
NonpartisanErin Jones1,309,89649.48
Total votes2,647,443 100.00
Democratic hold

By county

County results
County [14] Chris Reykdal

Democratic

Erin Jones

Democratic

MarginTotal votes
#%#%#%
Adams 1,91748.67%2,02251.33%-105-2.67%3,939
Asotin 3,86748.69%4,07551.31%-208-2.62%7,942
Benton 36,39053.75%31,30846.25%5,0827.51%67,698
Chelan 13,84852.37%12,59447.63%1,2544.74%26,442
Clallam 16,18251.54%15,21348.46%9693.09%31,395
Clark 79,78249.52%81,31550.48%-1,533-0.95%161,097
Columbia 88550.28%87549.72%100.57%1,760
Cowlitz 18,96451.02%18,20948.98%7552.03%37,173
Douglas 6,46851.51%6,09048.49%3783.01%12,558
Ferry 1,50753.46%1,31246.54%1956.92%2,819
Franklin 10,12250.06%10,09849.94%240.12%20,220
Garfield 52252.78%46747.22%555.56%989
Grant 12,10151.44%11,42348.56%6782.88%23,524
Grays Harbor 12,40752.50%11,22547.50%1,1825.00%23,632
Island 17,27449.43%17,67350.57%-399-1.14%34,947
Jefferson 9,31855.97%7,33044.03%1,98811.94%16,648
King 421,76251.85%391,72648.15%30,0363.69%813,488
Kitsap 49,67348.37%53,01451.63%-3,341-3.25%102,687
Kittitas 7,91053.77%6,80146.23%1,1097.54%14,711
Klickitat 4,16749.39%4,27050.61%-103-1.22%8,437
Lewis 14,79752.50%13,38947.50%1,4085.00%28,186
Lincoln 2,53054.75%2,09145.25%4399.50%4,621
Mason 11,93752.26%10,90447.74%1,0334.52%22,841
Okanogan 7,11851.06%6,82248.94%2962.12%13,940
Pacific 4,27150.48%4,18949.52%820.97%8,460
Pend Oreille 2,91051.85%2,70248.15%2083.71%5,612
Pierce 137,02547.59%150,87752.41%-13,852-4.81%287,902
San Juan 3,55341.29%5,05258.71%-1,499-17.42%8,605
Skagit 23,29051.44%21,98848.56%1,3022.88%45,278
Skamania 2,22851.22%2,12248.78%1062.44%4,350
Snohomish 145,52850.25%144,08449.75%1,4440.50%289,612
Spokane 92,08648.16%99,12551.84%-7,039-3.68%191,211
Stevens 9,35551.74%8,72748.26%6283.47%18,082
Thurston 67,96459.75%45,77640.25%22,18819.51%113,740
Wahkiakum 1,05957.90%77042.10%28915.80%1,829
Walla Walla 9,87846.98%11,14753.02%-1,269-6.04%21,025
Whatcom 39,28643.88%50,24956.12%-10,963-12.24%89,535
Whitman 7,28850.92%7,02549.08%2631.84%14,313
Yakima 30,37845.89%35,81754.11%-5,439-8.22%66,195
Totals1,337,54750.52%1,309,89649.48%27,6511.04%2,647,443

References

  1. 1 2 3 "State schools chief Dorn won't run for third term in 2016". Seattle Times. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  2. ↑ https://www.chronline.com/stories/reykdal-will-be-states-next-superintendent-of-public-instruction,39677
  3. ↑ https://www.chronline.com/stories/lawmaker-teaching-coach-vie-for-state-superintendent-post,42989
  4. ↑ https://www.riseupforstudents.org/blog/erinjones-q-a
  5. ↑ https://www.heraldnet.com/news/rep-chris-reykdal-to-run-for-washington-schools-chief/
  6. 1 2 3 4 https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/education-and-training/2016-07-21/funding-testing-equality-hot-topics-in-crowded-state-superintendent-race
  7. 1 2 https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/education/article70657147.html
  8. ↑ https://mynorthwest.com/dave-ross-blog/school-superintendent-candidate-proposes-14k-raise-for-washington-teachers/304553
  9. ↑ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (July 12, 2016). "The Times recommends: Erin Jones for superintendent of public instruction". The Seattle Times . Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  10. ↑ Wyman, Kim (August 2, 2016). "Superintendent of Public Instruction". Secretary of State of Washington . Archived from the original on July 15, 2025. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  11. ↑ Elway Poll
  12. ↑ Elway Poll
  13. ↑ "2016 General Data". sos.wa.gov. Archived from the original on March 15, 2025.
  14. ↑ Wyman, Kim (November 8, 2016). "Superintendent of Public Instruction - County Results". Secretary of State of Washington . Archived from the original on March 18, 2025. Retrieved October 31, 2025.

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