Sam Reed had a 45-year career serving the citizens of Washington State. Most recently, Sam served as Washington’s Secretary of State from 2001-2013. His accomplishments in this role include advocating and implementing the top two primary system, increasing voter participation, creating the nation’s first digital state archives, saving the Washington State Library and championing civility, moderation and bipartisanship in government. Prior to this role, Sam served as Thurston County Auditor for five terms, as the Assistant Secretary of State and as executive director of two gubernatorial commissions.
In retirement, Sam is engaged in many civic and political endeavors including chairing the boards of directors for TVW and the Mainstream Republicans of Washington. He also serves on the boards of directors for TVW, the State Historical Society, the YMCA Youth & Government program, the state Heritage Center Trust, and the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. He serves as a national speaker for the Pew Charitable Trust’s election modernization project. He chairs the advisory committee for the Sam Reed Distinguished Professorship in Civic Education and Public Civility at WSU.
Sam was raised in Wenatchee, graduated from Lewis & Clark High School in Spokane and attended Washington State University where he received a BA in Social Studies and an MA in Political Science. Sam currently lives in Olympia with his wife Margie. He enjoys playing tennis, his grandsons and a family cabin on Lake Wenatchee.