Sam Hunt

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Sam Hunt
Image of Sam Hunt

Democratic Party

Prior offices
City Council Member Pasco
Washington House of Representatives District 22-Position 2
Washington State Senate District 22
Successor: Jessica Bateman

Education

Bachelor's

Washington State University, 1967

Personal
Religion
Christian: Catholic
Profession
Educator
Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn 

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Sam Hunt (Democratic Party) was a member of the Washington State Senate, representing District 22. He assumed office on January 9, 2017. He left office 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.

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 Pasco from 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

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:[email protected].

2023-2024

Hunt was assigned to the following committees:

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2021-2022

Hunt was assigned to the following committees:

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2019-2020

Hunt was assigned to the following committees:

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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:

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Hunt served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Hunt served on the following committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Hunt served on the following committees:


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
✔
Image of Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt (D)
 
67.2
 
60,806
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Garry Holland (R)
 
32.7
 
29,600
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
134

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 90,540
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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
✔
Image of Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt (D)
 
58.1
 
33,933
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Garry Holland (R)
 
30.9
 
18,047
Image of Kevin Young
Kevin Young (D)
 
10.8
 
6,309
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
109

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 58,398
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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.[1]

Washington State Senate, District 22 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png 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.[2][3]

Washington State Senate, District 22 Top Two Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Sam Hunt 55.43% 17,992
     No party preference Green check mark transparent.png 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:[4]

  • State Treasurer Jim McIntire
  • Senator Karen Fraser
  • Representative Chris Reykdal
  • Thurston County Commissioner Sandra Romero
  • Thurston County Assessor Steven Drew
  • Thurston County PUD Commissioner Russ Olsen
  • North Thurston School Board member Chuck Namit
  • Former Olympia Mayor Mark Foutch
  • Former Lacey Mayor Mark Brown
  • Former Lacey Mayor Jon Halvorson

2014

See also: Washington House of Representatives elections, 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.[5][6][7]

Washington House of Representatives, District 22-Position 2 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngSam Hunt Incumbent 73.6% 32,051
     Independent Franklin Edwards 26.4% 11,471
Total Votes 43,522

2012

See also: Washington House of Representatives elections, 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.[8]

2010

See also: Washington State House of Representatives elections, 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
Green check mark transparent.png Sam Hunt (D) 39,261
Chris Ward (I) 15,351
Washington House of Representatives, District 22-Position 2 Primary (2010)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.png Sam Hunt (D) 20,559 63.19%
Green check mark transparent.png 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
Green check mark transparent.png 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:

  • We must build a sustainable future for ourselves and our grandchildren. Washington is known as the Evergreen State for a reason—its beautiful natural resources.
  • We must protect and improve water quality in Puget Sound, the Columbia River and other bodies of water.
  • Oppose increasing number of massive coal and oil trains crossing Washington State
  • Increasing use of solar and wind energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Budget and revenue:

  • Washington’s tax structure is based on a 19th century economy. It does not reflect or respond to the economic realities of the 21st Century. People with lower incomes pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the wealthy. We need to fix our tax structure so those who take home million of dollars pay their fair share.
  • I support enactment of a corporate gains and high earners’ tax. I am a cosponsor of legislation to establish a corporate gains tax.

Education (early learning and beyond):

  • Addressing the funding issue creates a steep hill to climb. It will take at least $3 billion new dollars. I am not willing to see the rest of state government suffer huge cuts in order to meet our commitment to K-12 education.
  • Support for K-12 education includes:
  • Reducing the number of standardized tests required of our students
  • I joined Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn, Representative Chris Reykdal and other House members in proposing legislation to reduce the number of mandatory tests. Unfortunately, the bills never received a hearing in the Senate.
  • Setting a starting teacher’s salary at a minimum of $50,000
  • Increasing students’ access to career and technical education

Campaigns and elections—advancing the right to vote:

  • I support these important steps we can take to improve access to voting:
  • Election Day voter registration. I am the prime sponsor of this bill.
  • Pre-registration of 16-17 year olds when they get their driver’s licenses. This has passed the House three times but failed to receive a Senate vote.

State employees—the backbone of state government:

  • I strongly support the right of state employees to belong to a union and their collective bargaining rights.
  • I believe that the state must provide fair pay and benefits, including health care and adequate funding of state retirement systems for its employees in order to recruit and retain a talented workforce that can properly serve the residents of our state.[9]
 ”
—Sam Hunt, [10]

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.[11][12]

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.

Sam Hunt campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2020Washington State Senate District 22Won general$54,818 N/A**
2016Washington State Senate, District 22Won $88,516 N/A**
2014Washington House of Representatives, District 22-Position 2Won $77,002 N/A**
2012Washington State House, District 22-Position 2Won $65,179 N/A**
2010Washington State House, District 22-Position 2Won $59,517 N/A**
2008Washington State House, District 22-Position 2Won $72,925 N/A**
2006Washington State House, District 22-Position 2Won $82,433 N/A**
2004Washington State House, District 22-Position 2Won $43,677 N/A**
2002Washington State House, District 22-Position 2Won $45,051 N/A**
2000Washington State House, District 22-Position 2Won $69,430 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Washington

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 [email protected].


2024

In 2024, the Washington State Legislature was in session from January 8 to March 7.

  • Associated General Contractors of Washington: Senate and House
Legislators are scored based on their votes on legislation supported by the organization.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the state’s business community.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to home building industry issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on how they voted on firearm policies.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against WSLC's position.


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012


2011

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.[16] 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.[16] Hunt missed 15 votes in a total of 1211 roll calls.

Freedom Foundation

See also: Freedom Foundation's Big Spender List (2012)

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.[17]

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.[18] A Approveda sign indicates a bill more in line with the Foundation's stated goals, and a Defeatedd 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)Approveda Bill #5967 (House Democrats budget)Defeatedd Bill #6582 (Local transportation tax increases)Defeatedd Bill #6378 (Pension reforms)Approveda
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

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External links

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Candidate

Washington State Senate District 22

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "General Election Results 2016," accessed December 2, 2016
    2. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 23, 2016
    3. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 2, 2016 Primary Results," accessed August 25, 2016
    4. ↑ Sam Hunt, "Endorsements," accessed July 11, 2016
    5. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2014 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 20, 2014
    6. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 5, 2014, Official Primary Results," accessed August 5, 2014
    7. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Official general election results, 2014," accessed December 2, 2014
    8. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Candidates," accessed July 16, 2012
    9. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    10. ↑ Sam Hunt, "Issues," accessed July 11, 2016
    11. ↑ Seattle Pi, "Legislature holds public hearing on open government bill," February 5, 2008
    12. ↑ Seattle Pi, "Port debacle helps drive open-government measure," February 3, 2008
    13. ↑ Multi State, "2015 State Legislative Session Dates," accessed July 13, 2015
    14. ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
    15. ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
    16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Washington Policy Center, "2014 Missed Votes Report for Legislators Released," March 18, 2014
    17. ↑ Freedom Foundation, "2012 Big Spender List," accessed April 16, 2014
    18. ↑ My Freedom Foundation, "Home," accessed June 18, 2014

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -     		Washington State Senate District 22
    2017-2025    		 Succeeded by
    Jessica Bateman (D)
    Preceded by
    -     		Washington House of Representatives District 22-Position 2
    2001-2017    		 Succeeded by
    -
    Preceded by
    -     		City Council Member Pasco
    		Succeeded by
    -


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