Sam Hunt
2017 - Present
2025
7
Sam Hunt (Democratic Party) is a member of the Washington State Senate, representing District 22. He assumed office on January 9, 2017. His current term ends on January 13, 2025.
Hunt (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Washington State Senate to represent District 22. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Hunt is a former Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing District 22-Position 2 from 2001 to 2017. Hunt served as Majority Floor Leader until his election to the state senate.
On February 20, 2024, Hunt announced he would not seek re-election to the Washington State Senate District 22.[1]
Biography
Sam Hunt was born on December 9, 1942. Hunt earned his B.A. in education from Washington State University in 1967. He also earned his teaching certificate from Washington State University. He then attended graduate studies at Washington State University and the University of Oregon in 1970.
Hunt has served as Governor Gardner's special assistant for K-12 education and as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Information Services. From 1969 to 1974, he was a city council member in Pasco, Washington. He then served as Mayor Pro Tempore in Pasco, Washington from 1971 to 1974. Hunt served as a member of the North Thurston Public Schools Board in Lacey, Washington from 1995 to 2003.
Hunt was a classroom teacher for Washington Public Schools in Pascofrom 1967 to 1974. From 1974 to 1975, he was federal liaison to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. He then worked as a staff member for the United States Senate Appropriations Committee from 1975 to 1981. Hunt worked for the Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus from 1981 to 1983 as assistant staff director. He then worked as staff director for the Washington State Senate Majority Leader from 1983 to 1988. He also worked for the Office of the Governor as Special Assistant for Education from 1987 to 1988. From 1987 to 1989, Hunt was a political/government consultant for Jolene Unsoeld for Congress for several companies. He then returned to work as a public school teacher for the Montesano School District from 1988 to 1990. From 1990 to 2001, he worked for the Washington Department of Information Science as a legislative liaison.
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Hunt was assigned to the following committees:
- Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee
- State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee, Chair
- Ways & Means Committee
- Legislative Oral History Committee, Vice Chair
2021-2022
Hunt was assigned to the following committees:
- Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee
- Ways & Means Committee
- State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee, Chair
- Legislative Oral History Committee
2019-2020
Hunt was assigned to the following committees:
- Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee
- State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee, Chair
- Ways & Means Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Human Services, Mental Health & Housing |
| • State Government |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Hunt served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Education |
| • State Government, Chair |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Hunt served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Education |
| • Government Operations and Elections, Chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Hunt served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • State Government and Tribal Affairs, Chair |
| • Ways & Means |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Hunt served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • State Government and Tribal Affairs, Chair |
| • Ways & Means |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
- See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2024
Sam Hunt did not file to run for re-election.
2020
See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Washington State Senate District 22
Incumbent Sam Hunt defeated Garry Holland in the general election for Washington State Senate District 22 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sam Hunt (D) | 67.2 | 60,806 | |
 | Garry Holland (R) | 32.7 | 29,600 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 134 | ||
| Total votes: 90,540 | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washington State Senate District 22
Incumbent Sam Hunt and Garry Holland defeated Kevin Young in the primary for Washington State Senate District 22 on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sam Hunt (D) | 58.1 | 33,933 | |
| ✔ | | Garry Holland (R) | 30.9 | 18,047 |
| Kevin Young (D) | 10.8 | 6,309 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 109 | ||
| Total votes: 58,398 | ||||
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2016
- See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Washington State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 20, 2016. Incumbent Karen Fraser (D) did not seek re-election.
Sam Hunt defeated Steve Owens in the Washington State Senate District 22 general election.[2]
| Washington State Senate, District 22 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Sam Hunt |
66.62% | 45,882 | |
| No party preference | Steve Owens | 33.38% | 22,986 | |
| Total Votes | 68,868 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Sam Hunt and Steve Owens defeated Erik Lee and Spencer Baldwin in the Washington State Senate District 22 top two primary.[3][4]
| Washington State Senate, District 22 Top Two Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Sam Hunt |
55.43% | 17,992 | |
| No party preference | Steve Owens |
21.36% | 6,934 | |
| Democratic | Erik Lee | 15.01% | 4,872 | |
| Democratic | Spencer Baldwin | 8.20% | 2,662 | |
| Total Votes | 32,460 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Endorsements
In 2016, Hunt’s endorsements included the following:[5]
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2014
Elections for the Washington House of Representatives took place in 2014. A blanket primary election took place on August 5, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 17, 2014. Incumbent Sam Hunt (D) and Franklin Edwards (I) were unopposed in the primary. Hunt defeated Edwards in the general election.[6][7][8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Hunt Incumbent |
73.6% | 32,051 | |
| Independent | Franklin Edwards | 26.4% | 11,471 | |
| Total Votes | 43,522 | |||
2012
Hunt ran in the 2012 election for Washington House of Representatives District 22-Position 2. Hunt ran unopposed in the blanket primary on August 7, 2012. The general election took place on November 6, 2012.[9]
2010
Sam Hunt was re-elected to the Washington House of Representatives District 22-Position 2. He defeated Justin Kover in the August 17, 2010, primary. He defeated Independent Chris Ward (D) in the general election on November 2, 2010.
| Washington House of Representatives, District 22-Position 2 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Sam Hunt (D)
|
39,261 | |||
| Chris Ward (I) | 15,351 | |||
| Washington House of Representatives, District 22-Position 2 Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Sam Hunt (D)
|
20,559 | 63.19% | ||
| Chris Ward
|
9,001 | 27.67% | ||
| Justin Kover (D) | 2,975 | 9.14% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Democrat Sam Hunt won re-election to the Washington House of Representatives, District 22-Position 2 receiving 70.50% of the vote (46,440 votes), defeating Republican Don Crawford who received 29.50% of the vote (19,435 votes).
| Washington House of Representatives, District 22-Position 2 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Sam Hunt (D)
|
46,440 | 70.50% | ||
| Don Crawford (R) | 19,435 | 29.50% | ||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Sam Hunt did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Hunt's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
The environment—protecting and restoring our future:
Budget and revenue:
Education (early learning and beyond):
Campaigns and elections—advancing the right to vote:
State employees—the backbone of state government:
|
” |
| —Sam Hunt, [11] | ||
Petition regulations
In 2008, Hunt pushed Washington House Bill 2601, which would have imposed aggressive new restrictions on petition circulators. The bill was defeated on February 20, 2008.
Mail-in ballot requirements
In 2008, Hunt sponsored HB 2833, a bill that would require all Washington counties to move to mail-in ballots, and not have poll voting. This led to an editorial rebuke from a Pierce County newspaper, since Pierce County wished to retain a local option of voting at the polls.
Local government recording requirements
Hunt had expressed support for HB 3292, a bill which would require Washington's cities and counties to create an audio recording of all "closed-door" executive session meetings, but with the proviso that the bill would have been difficult to pass.[12][13]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Washington scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Washington State Legislature was in session from January 9 to April 23.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Washington State Legislature was in session from January 10 to March 10.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Washington State Legislature was in session from January 11 to April 25.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Washington State Legislature was in session from January 13 to March 12.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Washington State Legislature was in session from January 14 through April 28.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 8 through March 8.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 9 through April 23. There were also special sessions. The first special session was April 24 through May 23. The second special session was May 23 through June 21. The third special session was June 21 through July 20.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the 64th Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 11 through March 10. The legislature held a special session from March 11 to March 29 to pass a supplemental budget.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the 64th Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 12 through April 24. The legislature was in special session from April 29 to May 28, May 29 to June 27 and June 28 to July 10.[14]
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 63rd Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 13 to March 14.[15]
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 63rd Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 14 to April 29.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the 62nd Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 9 to March 8.[16]
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2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the 62nd Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 10 through April 24.
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Missed Votes Report
- See also: Washington House of Representatives and Washington State Senate
In March 2014, Washington Votes, a legislative information website, released its annual Missed Votes Report, which provides detailed missed roll call votes on bills for every state legislator during the 2014 legislative session.[17] The 2014 regular session included a total of 515 votes in the State House and 396 in the State Senate, as well as 1,372 bills introduced total in the legislature and 237 bills passed. Out of all roll call votes, 90 individual legislators did not miss any votes. Three individual legislators missed more than 50 votes.[17] Hunt missed 15 votes in a total of 1211 roll calls.
Freedom Foundation
The Freedom Foundation releases its Big Spender List annually. The Institute ranks all Washington legislators based on their total proposed taxes and fees. To find each legislator’s total, the Institute adds up the 10-year tax and fee increases or decreases, as estimated by Washington’s Office of Financial Management, of all bills sponsored or co-sponsored by that legislator.[18]
2012
Hunt proposed a 10-year increase in state taxes and fees of $1.69 billion, the 39th highest amount of proposed new taxes and fees of the 93 Washington state representatives on the Freedom Foundation’s 2012 Big Spender List.
- See also: Washington Freedom Foundation Legislative Scorecard (2012)
The Freedom Foundation also issued its 2012 Informed Voter Guide for Washington State voters, including a legislative score card documenting how Washington State legislators voted upon bills the Foundation deemed important legislation. The legislation analyzed covered budget, taxation, and pension issues.[19] A sign indicates a bill more in line with the Foundation's stated goals, and a
sign indicates a bill out of step with the Foundation's values. Here's how Hunt voted on the specific pieces of legislation:
| 2012 House Scorecard - Sam Hunt | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill #6636 (Balanced budget requirement) |
Bill #5967 (House Democrats budget) |
Bill #6582 (Local transportation tax increases) |
Bill #6378 (Pension reforms) | ||||||||
| Y | Y | Y | N | ||||||||
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Hunt and his wife, Charlene, have two children.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Washington State Senate District 22 |
Officeholder Washington State Senate District 22 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ “The Cascadia Advocate,” “Sam Hunt to retire from the Washington State Legislature after many decades of service,” February 20, 2024
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "General Election Results 2016," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 23, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 2, 2016 Primary Results," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Sam Hunt, "Endorsements," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2014 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 5, 2014, Official Primary Results," accessed August 5, 2014
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Official general election results, 2014," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Candidates," accessed July 16, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Sam Hunt, "Issues," accessed July 11, 2016
- ↑ Seattle Pi, "Legislature holds public hearing on open government bill," February 5, 2008
- ↑ Seattle Pi, "Port debacle helps drive open-government measure," February 3, 2008
- ↑ Multi State, "2015 State Legislative Session Dates," accessed July 13, 2015
- ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Washington Policy Center, "2014 Missed Votes Report for Legislators Released," March 18, 2014
- ↑ Freedom Foundation, "2012 Big Spender List," accessed April 16, 2014
- ↑ My Freedom Foundation, "Home," accessed June 18, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Washington State Senate District 22 2017-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Washington House of Representatives District 22-Position 2 2001-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
City Council Member Pasco |
Succeeded by - |
