Harvard Educated? King County Candidate Exaggerates Resume

A candidate running for King County elections director is apologizing over information in her voter pamphlet bio.

Julie Wise has clarified her education background after being criticized for exaggerating it.

In the voter's guide under education, she lists the University of Washington Evans School [of Public Affairs] and Harvard Kennedy School. She doesn't say whether she earned any degrees.

But her opponent, Zack Hudgins, said that's misleading because she didn't graduate from either institution. That's led Wise to apologize.

"I regret deeply not putting the word credited, certificated. It's a hard lesson learned, but it's a lesson learned," she said. "I feel like I have been very clear and transparent. Whenever I've interviewed at any of the editorial board interviews, as well as on my website since day one, I have always clearly stated that I attended leadership trainings."

Both schools confirm she attended leadership trainings in 2014.

She also said that in 2002 she was an undergraduate at UW, but withdrew to work full-time in the elections office.

But Hudgins, a state representative who graduated from Notre Dame, said Wise misrepresented herself. He said the elections office demands high integrity.

Wise has an associate’s degree from Green River Community College and said she wants to eventually finish her degree at UW.

She said she thinks this dustup has something to do with the primary election results -- she received 63 percent of the vote and Hudgins received about 22 percent.