OLYMPIA, WA - The commission that sets salaries for state-level elected officials voted to approve a round of pay raises on Monday. The raises vary by job but a total of 19 elected positions, including the governor, state senators and representatives, and the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, were included.

The raises were approved by the Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials (WCCSEO). Some raises are modest, like the 6.8 percent bump for the governor, but some judges will get raises approaching 18 percent.

The WCCSEO says elected officials need the raises to keep current with other government jobs. For example, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal earns about $136,000 per year, far less than local school district chiefs. Bellevue Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran earns $280,000, and Seattle Superintendent Denise Juneau earns $295,000 per year.