Sam Reed, a 2009 Governing Public Official of the Year, served three terms as secretary of state of the state of Washington after serving as auditor of Thurston County, assistant secretary of state and director of the State Constitutional Reform Commission. As secretary of state, Reed advocated and oversaw the introduction of a nonpartisan "blanket primary" voting system for statewide and district elections.
He also served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Republican Association of Secretaries of State, and was president of the Washington State Association of County Auditors. He co-founded Common Cause of Washington and helped found the Mainstream Republicans of Washington organization. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Washington State University.
