Washington school board elections, 2023

Washington 2023 elections

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Appellate courts • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls • How to run for office |

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Washington was one of 10 states where Ballotpedia provided comprehensive school board election coverage in 2023.
Learn more about our comprehensive coverage here.

## Contents

* 1 Elections
* 2 Academic performance
* 2.1 NAEP scores
* 2.2 Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
* 2.3 Dropout rate
* 3 State profile
* 3.1 State profile
* 3.1.1 Presidential voting pattern
* 3.1.1.1 Pivot Counties (2016)
* 3.1.1.2 Pivot Counties (2020)
* 4 Pivot Counties
* 4.1 Pivot Counties
* 4.1.1 Presidential results by legislative district
* 5 Additional elections
* 5.1 Battleground election
* 5.1.1 Richland School District
* 5.2 Battleground election
* 5.2.1 Seattle Public Schools
* 5.3 See also
* 5.4 Footnotes

# Elections[edit]

The table below contains links to all school board elections within Ballotpedia's regular coverage scope in this state, which included all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population, the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

2023 Washington School Board Elections

District  | Primary | General Election | General Runoff Election | Regular term length | Seats up for election | Total board seats | 2022-2023 enrollment
Cheney School District | 8/1/2023 | 11/7/2023 | N/A | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5,540
Lake Washington School District | 8/1/2023 | 11/7/2023 | N/A | 4 | 3 | 5 | 30,991
Seattle Public Schools | 8/1/2023 | 11/7/2023 | N/A | 4 | 4 | 7 | 51,238
Spokane Public Schools | 8/1/2023 | 11/7/2023 | N/A | 6 | 1 | 5 | 28,714

Ballotpedia is covering all other school board elections in Washington, including those outside of our regular coverage scope. Use the links below to view all covered elections in Washington.

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* Aberdeen School District, Washington, elections
* Adna School District, Washington, elections
* Almira School District, Washington, elections
* Anacortes School District, Washington, elections
* Arlington School District, Washington, elections
* Asotin-Anatone School District, Washington, elections
* Auburn School District, Washington, elections

* Bainbridge Island School District, Washington, elections
* Battle Ground School District, Washington, elections
* Bellevue School District, Washington, elections
* Bellingham School District, Washington, elections
* Benge School District, Washington, elections
* Bethel School District, Washington, elections
* Bickleton School District, Washington, elections
* Blaine School District, Washington, elections
* Boistfort School District, Washington, elections
* Bremerton School District, Washington, elections
* Brewster School District, Washington, elections
* Bridgeport School District, Washington, elections
* Brinnon School District, Washington, elections
* Burlington-Edison School District, Washington, elections

* Camas School District, Washington, elections
* Cape Flattery School District, Washington, elections
* Carbonado School District, Washington, elections
* Cascade School District, Washington, elections
* Cashmere School District, Washington, elections
* Castle Rock School District, Washington, elections
* Centerville School District, Washington, elections
* Central Kitsap School District, Washington, elections
* Central Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Centralia School District, Washington, elections
* Chehalis School District, Washington, elections
* Cheney School District, Washington, elections
* Chewelah School District, Washington, elections
* Chimacum School District, Washington, elections
* Clarkston School District, Washington, elections
* Cle Elum-Roslyn School District, Washington, elections
* Clover Park School District, Washington, elections
* Colfax School District, Washington, elections
* College Place School District, Washington, elections
* Colton School District, Washington, elections
* Columbia School District (Walla Walla), Washington, elections
* Columbia School District (Stevens), Washington, elections
* Colville School District, Washington, elections
* Concrete School District, Washington, elections
* Conway School District, Washington, elections
* Cosmopolis School District, Washington, elections
* Coulee-Hartline School District, Washington, elections
* Coupeville School District, Washington, elections
* Crescent School District, Washington, elections
* Creston School District, Washington, elections
* Curlew School District, Washington, elections
* Cusick School District, Washington, elections

* Damman School District, Washington, elections
* Darrington School District, Washington, elections
* Davenport School District, Washington, elections
* Dayton School District, Washington, elections
* Deer Park School District, Washington, elections
* Dieringer School District, Washington, elections
* Dixie School District, Washington, elections

* East Valley School District (Spokane), Washington, elections
* East Valley School District (Yakima), Washington, elections
* Eastmont School District, Washington, elections
* Easton School District, Washington, elections
* Eatonville School District, Washington, elections
* Edmonds School District, Washington, elections
* Ellensburg School District, Washington, elections
* Elma School District, Washington, elections
* Endicott School District, Washington, elections
* Entiat School District, Washington, elections
* Enumclaw School District, Washington, elections
* Ephrata School District, Washington, elections
* Evaline School District, Washington, elections
* Everett Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Evergreen Public Schools (Clark), Washington, elections
* Evergreen School District (Stevens), Washington, elections

* Federal Way Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Ferndale School District, Washington, elections
* Fife Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Finley School District, Washington, elections
* Franklin Pierce School District, Washington, elections
* Freeman School District, Washington, elections

* Garfield School District, Washington, elections
* Glenwood School District, Washington, elections
* Goldendale School District, Washington, elections
* Grand Coulee Dam School District, Washington, elections
* Grandview School District, Washington, elections
* Granger School District, Washington, elections
* Granite Falls School District, Washington, elections
* Grapeview School District, Washington, elections
* Great Northern School District, Washington, elections
* Green Mountain School District, Washington, elections
* Griffin School District, Washington, elections

* Harrington School District, Washington, elections
* Highland School District, Washington, elections
* Highline Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Hockinson School District, Washington, elections
* Hood Canal School District, Washington, elections
* Hoquiam School District, Washington, elections

* Inchelium School District, Washington, elections
* Index School District, Washington, elections
* Issaquah School District, Washington, elections

* Kahlotus School District, Washington, elections
* Kalama School District, Washington, elections
* Keller School District, Washington, elections
* Kelso School District, Washington, elections
* Kennewick School District, Washington, elections
* Kent School District, Washington, elections
* Kettle Falls School District, Washington, elections
* Kiona-Benton City School District, Washington, elections
* Kittitas School District, Washington, elections
* Klickitat School District, Washington, elections

* La Center School District, Washington, elections
* La Conner School District, Washington, elections
* LaCrosse School District, Washington, elections
* Lake Chelan School District, Washington, elections
* Lake Quinault School District, Washington, elections
* Lake Stevens School District, Washington, elections
* Lake Washington School District, Washington, elections
* Lakewood School District, Washington, elections
* Lamont School District, Washington, elections
* Liberty School District, Washington, elections
* Lind School District, Washington, elections
* Longview Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Loon Lake School District, Washington, elections
* Lopez School District, Washington, elections
* Lyle School District, Washington, elections
* Lynden School District, Washington, elections

* Mabton School District, Washington, elections
* Mansfield School District, Washington, elections
* Manson School District, Washington, elections
* Mary M. Knight School District, Washington, elections
* Mary Walker School District, Washington, elections
* Marysville School District, Washington, elections
* McCleary School District, Washington, elections
* Mead School District, Washington, elections
* Medical Lake School District, Washington, elections
* Mercer Island School District, Washington, elections
* Meridian School District, Washington, elections
* Methow Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Mill A School District, Washington, elections
* Monroe School District, Washington, elections
* Montesano School District, Washington, elections
* Morton School District, Washington, elections
* Moses Lake School District, Washington, elections
* Mossyrock School District, Washington, elections
* Mount Adams School District, Washington, elections
* Mount Baker School District, Washington, elections
* Mount Pleasant School District, Washington, elections
* Mount Vernon School District, Washington, elections
* Mukilteo School District, Washington, elections

* Naches Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Napavine School District, Washington, elections
* Naselle-Grays River Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Nespelem School District, Washington, elections
* Newport School District, Washington, elections
* Nine Mile Falls School District, Washington, elections
* Nooksack Valley School District, Washington, elections
* North Beach School District, Washington, elections
* North Franklin School District, Washington, elections
* North Kitsap School District, Washington, elections
* North Mason School District, Washington, elections
* North River School District, Washington, elections
* North Thurston Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Northport School District, Washington, elections
* Northshore School District, Washington, elections

* Oak Harbor School District, Washington, elections
* Oakesdale School District, Washington, elections
* Oakville School District, Washington, elections
* Ocean Beach School District, Washington, elections
* Ocosta School District, Washington, elections
* Odessa School District, Washington, elections
* Okanogan School District, Washington, elections
* Olympia School District, Washington, elections
* Omak School District, Washington, elections
* Onalaska School District, Washington, elections
* Onion Creek School District, Washington, elections
* Orcas Island School District, Washington, elections
* Orchard Prairie School District, Washington, elections
* Orient School District, Washington, elections
* Orondo School District, Washington, elections
* Oroville School District, Washington, elections
* Orting School District, Washington, elections
* Othello School District, Washington, elections

* Palisades School District, Washington, elections
* Palouse School District, Washington, elections
* Pasco School District, Washington, elections
* Pateros School District, Washington, elections
* Paterson School District, Washington, elections
* Pe Ell School District, Washington, elections
* Peninsula School District, Washington, elections
* Pioneer School District, Washington, elections
* Pomeroy School District, Washington, elections
* Port Angeles School District, Washington, elections
* Port Townsend School District, Washington, elections
* Prescott School District, Washington, elections
* Prosser School District, Washington, elections
* Pullman School District, Washington, elections
* Puyallup School District, Washington, elections

* Queets-Clearwater School District, Washington, elections
* Quilcene School District, Washington, elections
* Quillayute Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Quincy School District, Washington, elections

* Rainier School District, Washington, elections
* Raymond School District, Washington, elections
* Reardan-Edwall School District, Washington, elections
* Renton School District, Washington, elections
* Republic School District, Washington, elections
* Richland School District, Washington, elections
* Ridgefield School District, Washington, elections
* Ritzville School District, Washington, elections
* Riverside School District, Washington, elections
* Riverview School District, Washington, elections
* Rochester School District, Washington, elections
* Roosevelt School District, Washington, elections
* Rosalia School District, Washington, elections
* Royal School District, Washington, elections

* San Juan Island School District, Washington, elections
* Satsop School District, Washington, elections
* Sedro-Woolley School District, Washington, elections
* Selah School District, Washington, elections
* Selkirk School District, Washington, elections
* Sequim School District, Washington, elections
* Shaw Island School District, Washington, elections
* Shelton School District, Washington, elections
* Shoreline School District, Washington, elections
* Skamania School District, Washington, elections
* Skykomish School District, Washington, elections
* Snohomish School District, Washington, elections
* Snoqualmie Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Soap Lake School District, Washington, elections
* South Bend School District, Washington, elections
* South Kitsap School District, Washington, elections
* South Whidbey School District, Washington, elections
* Southside School District, Washington, elections
* Spokane Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Sprague School District, Washington, elections
* St. John School District, Washington, elections
* Stanwood-Camano School District, Washington, elections
* Star School District, Washington, elections
* Starbuck School District, Washington, elections
* Stehekin School District, Washington, elections
* Steilacoom Historical School District, Washington, elections
* Steptoe School District, Washington, elections
* Stevenson-Carson School District, Washington, elections
* Sultan School District, Washington, elections
* Summit Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, Washington, elections
* Sunnyside School District, Washington, elections
* Seattle Public Schools, Washington, elections

* Tacoma Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Taholah School District, Washington, elections
* Tahoma School District, Washington, elections
* Tekoa School District, Washington, elections
* Tenino School District, Washington, elections
* Thorp School District, Washington, elections
* Toledo School District, Washington, elections
* Tonasket School District, Washington, elections
* Toppenish School District, Washington, elections
* Touchet School District, Washington, elections
* Toutle Lake School District, Washington, elections
* Trout Lake School District, Washington, elections
* Tukwila School District, Washington, elections
* Tumwater School District, Washington, elections

* Union Gap School District, Washington, elections
* University Place School District, Washington, elections

* Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Vancouver Public Schools, Washington, elections
* Vashon Island School District, Washington, elections

* Wahkiakum School District, Washington, elections
* Wahluke School District, Washington, elections
* Waitsburg School District, Washington, elections
* Walla Walla School District, Washington, elections
* Wapato School District, Washington, elections
* Warden School District, Washington, elections
* Washougal School District, Washington, elections
* Washtucna School District, Washington, elections
* Waterville School District, Washington, elections
* Wellpinit School District, Washington, elections
* Wenatchee School District, Washington, elections
* West Valley School District (Yakima), Washington, elections
* White Pass School District, Washington, elections
* White River School District, Washington, elections
* White Salmon Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Wilbur School District, Washington, elections
* Willapa Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Wilson Creek School District, Washington, elections
* Winlock School District, Washington, elections
* Wishkah Valley School District, Washington, elections
* Wishram School District, Washington, elections
* Woodland School District, Washington, elections
* Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth, Washington, elections
* Washington State School for the Blind, Washington, elections
* West Valley School District (Spokane), Washington, elections

* Yakima School District, Washington, elections
* Yelm School District, Washington, elections

* Zillah School District, Washington, elections

# Academic performance[edit]

See also: Public education in Washington

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The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.

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Education terms

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For more information on education policy terms, see this article.

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School board elections portal
Glossary of education terms
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

### NAEP scores[edit]

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Idaho, Montana, and Oregon), Washington had the highest percentage of students score at or above proficient in all categories.[1]

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013

| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8
Washington | 48% | 42% | 40% | 42%
Idaho | 40% | 36% | 33% | 38%
Montana | 45% | 40% | 35% | 40%
Oregon | 40% | 34% | 33% | 37%
United States | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

### Graduation, ACT and SAT scores[edit]

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Washington and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[1][2][3]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[4]

Washington schools reported a graduation rate of 76.4 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, second highest among its neighboring states.

In Washington, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1537.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013

State  | Graduation rate, 2013  | Average ACT composite, 2013  | Average SAT composite, 2013
Percent  | Quintile ranking**  | Score  | Participation rate  | Score  | Participation rate
Washington | 76.4% | Fourth | 22.8 | 21% | 1537 | 60%
Idaho | N/A | N/A | 22.1 | 49% | 1364 | 99%
Montana | 84.4% | Third | 21.3 | 72% | 1595 | 25%
Oregon | 68.7% | Fifth | 21.5 | 34% | 1539 | 49%
United States | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1498 | 50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally.
Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express"
ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores"
The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

### Dropout rate[edit]

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Washington was higher than the national average at 4 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 3.8 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[5]

# State profile[edit]

## State profile[edit]

Demographic data for Washington

| Washington| U.S.
Total population:| 7,160,290| 316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):| 66,456| 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:| 77.8%| 73.6%
Black/African American:| 3.6%| 12.6%
Asian:| 7.7%| 5.1%
Native American:| 1.3%| 0.8%
Pacific Islander:| 0.6%| 0.2%
Two or more:| 5.2%| 3%
Hispanic/Latino:| 12%| 17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:| 90.4%| 86.7%
College graduation rate:| 32.9%| 29.8%
Income
Median household income:| $61,062| $53,889
Persons below poverty level:| 14.4%| 11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Washington.

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**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

### Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Washington

Washington voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

#### Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Washington, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[6]

#### Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Washington had four Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 2.21 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Washington coverage on Ballotpedia

* Elections in Washington
* United States congressional delegations from Washington
* Public policy in Washington
* Endorsers in Washington
* Washington fact checks
* More...

# Pivot Counties[edit]

## Pivot Counties[edit]

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 39 Washington counties—12.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008

County  | Trump margin of victory in 2016  | Obama margin of victory in 2012  | Obama margin of victory in 2008
Clallam County, Washington | 2.76% | 0.38% | 3.30%
Cowlitz County, Washington | 13.32% | 4.44% | 11.15%
Grays Harbor County, Washington | 6.99% | 14.11% | 14.56%
Mason County, Washington | 5.81% | 7.09% | 8.66%
Pacific County, Washington | 6.74% | 11.52% | 14.07%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Washington with 52.5 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 36.8 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Washington cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 73.3 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Washington supported Democratic candidates for president more often than Republican candidates, 53.3 to 43.3 percent. The state favored Democrats in every election between 2000 and 2016.

#### Presidential results by legislative district[edit]

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Washington. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[7][8]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 34 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 25.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 30 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 32.1 points.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 15 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 13.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 19 out of 49 state House districts in Washington with an average margin of victory of 14.9 points.

2016 presidential results by state House district

District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin
1 | 59.66% | 37.93% | D+21.7 | 61.73% | 30.36% | D+31.4
2 | 47.71% | 49.88% | R+2.2 | 37.79% | 53.05% | R+15.3
3 | 57.66% | 38.63% | D+19 | 51.82% | 38.12% | D+13.7
4 | 40.00% | 57.37% | R+17.4 | 34.91% | 56.36% | R+21.4
5 | 53.41% | 44.29% | D+9.1 | 54.74% | 37.12% | D+17.6
6 | 46.76% | 50.72% | R+4 | 44.72% | 46.75% | R+2
7 | 36.16% | 61.01% | R+24.9 | 29.00% | 63.45% | R+34.5
8 | 36.10% | 61.49% | R+25.4 | 34.54% | 57.03% | R+22.5
9 | 37.70% | 59.71% | R+22 | 35.13% | 56.40% | R+21.3
10 | 50.21% | 47.38% | D+2.8 | 46.94% | 45.07% | D+1.9
11 | 67.51% | 30.27% | D+37.2 | 67.74% | 25.40% | D+42.3
12 | 39.91% | 57.67% | R+17.8 | 37.34% | 55.97% | R+18.6
13 | 35.70% | 61.75% | R+26 | 31.04% | 61.91% | R+30.9
14 | 42.63% | 54.97% | R+12.3 | 38.98% | 54.23% | R+15.2
15 | 45.75% | 52.31% | R+6.6 | 42.51% | 51.74% | R+9.2
16 | 38.20% | 59.21% | R+21 | 36.00% | 56.67% | R+20.7
17 | 48.28% | 49.36% | R+1.1 | 45.51% | 46.88% | R+1.4
18 | 43.85% | 54.12% | R+10.3 | 42.36% | 50.56% | R+8.2
19 | 53.59% | 43.66% | D+9.9 | 41.57% | 50.52% | R+8.9
20 | 40.98% | 56.26% | R+15.3 | 30.96% | 61.41% | R+30.4
21 | 61.52% | 36.25% | D+25.3 | 62.27% | 30.19% | D+32.1
22 | 63.17% | 33.68% | D+29.5 | 60.67% | 30.15% | D+30.5
23 | 57.91% | 39.72% | D+18.2 | 56.69% | 34.37% | D+22.3
24 | 54.21% | 42.81% | D+11.4 | 48.95% | 43.35% | D+5.6
25 | 50.87% | 46.92% | D+4 | 45.23% | 46.56% | R+1.3
26 | 49.33% | 48.06% | D+1.3 | 45.36% | 45.35% | D+0
27 | 67.29% | 30.00% | D+37.3 | 65.15% | 26.43% | D+38.7
28 | 54.44% | 43.37% | D+11.1 | 52.61% | 38.96% | D+13.7
29 | 62.55% | 34.97% | D+27.6 | 54.47% | 36.76% | D+17.7
30 | 58.70% | 39.18% | D+19.5 | 56.77% | 35.96% | D+20.8
31 | 47.88% | 49.93% | R+2.1 | 41.61% | 50.16% | R+8.5
32 | 70.64% | 26.92% | D+43.7 | 71.67% | 21.56% | D+50.1
33 | 65.65% | 32.25% | D+33.4 | 64.85% | 28.57% | D+36.3
34 | 77.41% | 20.25% | D+57.2 | 79.30% | 14.85% | D+64.4
35 | 51.47% | 45.95% | D+5.5 | 44.25% | 46.59% | R+2.3
36 | 81.82% | 15.34% | D+66.5 | 85.25% | 9.15% | D+76.1
37 | 86.30% | 11.18% | D+75.1 | 87.06% | 8.13% | D+78.9
38 | 59.99% | 37.08% | D+22.9 | 53.38% | 37.81% | D+15.6
39 | 49.44% | 47.52% | D+1.9 | 40.00% | 50.75% | R+10.7
40 | 62.09% | 34.70% | D+27.4 | 62.61% | 29.29% | D+33.3
41 | 60.00% | 38.22% | D+21.8 | 67.76% | 26.09% | D+41.7
42 | 49.67% | 47.37% | D+2.3 | 47.57% | 44.43% | D+3.1
43 | 85.99% | 10.63% | D+75.4 | 88.74% | 5.96% | D+82.8
44 | 54.08% | 43.61% | D+10.5 | 50.96% | 40.24% | D+10.7
45 | 58.18% | 39.63% | D+18.6 | 64.80% | 28.03% | D+36.8
46 | 78.25% | 19.15% | D+59.1 | 81.92% | 12.42% | D+69.5
47 | 55.53% | 42.30% | D+13.2 | 54.37% | 38.29% | D+16.1
48 | 61.67% | 35.86% | D+25.8 | 68.17% | 25.02% | D+43.2
49 | 57.30% | 40.04% | D+17.3 | 54.21% | 37.87% | D+16.3
Total | 56.16% | 41.29% | D+14.9 | 54.30% | 38.07% | D+16.2
Source: Daily Kos

# Additional elections[edit]

See also: Washington elections, 2023

What's on your ballot?

Click here to find out using My Vote

## Battleground election[edit]

### Richland School District[edit]

See also: Richland School District, Washington, elections (2023)

Ballotpedia identified the November 7, 2023, general election as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.

Incumbent Jill Oldson, Chelsie Beck, and Katrina Waters were elected to the Richland School District school board in Benton County, Washington, on November 7, 2023. Three districts were up for regular election: Position 3, Position 4, and Position 5.

The district had approximately 14,100 students during the 2022-2023 school year.[9]

Voters recalled three of the board's five members on the same day as the board's primary on August 1, 2023.[10][11] Kari Williams, one of the three members removed from office, ran in November for Position 4. Recall supporters said that the board members violated the Open Public Meetings Act; violated district policies, procedures, and code of ethics; and voted to make masks optional while a statewide mask requirement was in place.[12] All three board members denied any wrongdoing.[13] To learn more about the recall, click here.

The Washington Education Association (WEA) PAC endorsed Chelsie Beck (Position 3), Katrina Waters (Position 4), and incumbent Jill Oldson (Position 5). WEA "recommends and helps to elect pro-public education, pro-labor candidates to office."[14]

The Benton County Republican Party endorsed Nino Kapitula (Position 3) and Gene Nemeth (Position 5).[15]

Chelsie Beck and Nino Kapitula ran for Position 3. Beck was a chemist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.[16] She said, "My goal is to work with parents, students, and school staff to understand the needs of all students and work to support them. ... I understand that there is a limited budget. In my job I have experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets."[17] Kapitula was the director for project development and design for Providence Land LLC.[18] She said, "We should have the right to know what is being taught in the classroom, fully transparent about teaching and learning materials. ... I will work to close the gap between parents and teachers to rebuild a broken trust."[18]

Katrina Waters and Kari Williams ran for Position 4. Waters was a laboratory fellow and chief scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.[19] She said, "... I have 25 years of experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and serving on federal advisory boards. I .... understand transparency and accountability. ..."[20] and "I will work to ensure that Richland School District meets the needs of all students and staff, ensure fiscal responsibility, lobby for sufficient funding and effective use of taxpayer money."[21] Williams previously worked as an elementary school teacher.[22] She said she would "continue to champion her initiative to overcome COVID learning losses by prioritizing every child reading on grade level. ... [and] support our community’s family values as she pushes the district to keep our classrooms a place where all children feel safe to learn and where the instruction is focused on teaching our children how to think — not what to think."[22]

Incumbent Jill Oldson and Gene Nemeth ran for Position 5. Oldson was elected to the board in 2018. She said, "I believe the parent/guardian has the ultimate say in their child's education. ... My core values include mental health, special education, academic success, transparency, accountability, fiscal responsibility, and local control."[23] Nemeth was the facility operations and maintenance group lead at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.[24] He said he was "committed to ... student achievement and special education, advocating for parent rights, implementing measurable goals, spending more time monitoring goals, increasing transparency and accountability ... , listening to educators and what they need to succeed, ensuring all stakeholders, including students, are engaged in the plan to achieve excellence, and tying budget priorities to student outcomes."[25]

## Battleground election[edit]

### Seattle Public Schools[edit]

See also: Seattle Public Schools, Washington, elections (2023)

Ballotpedia identified the November 7, 2023 as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.

Incumbent Liza Rankin, incumbent Lisa Rivera Smith, Evan Briggs, and Gina Topp won four of the seven seats on the Seattle Public Schools School Board in Washington in the general election on November 7, 2023. Two candidates ran for each of the four seats up for election, for a total of eight general election candidates.

School board directors were elected to represent one of seven districts, and candidates were required to live in the district they would represent. In the primary, voters in each district nominated their district's candidates for the general election. On the general election ballot, all Seattle voters could vote for one candidate in each district.[26] Each winning candidate was elected to a four-year term.

Seattle Public Schools had approximately 51,000 students as of the 2021-22 school year and was the largest school district in Washington. As of October 2023, Washington was one of 41 states with state laws providing for nonpartisan school board elections.

Two incumbents in the four districts ran for re-election: Rankin in District 1 and Rivera Smith in District 2. The incumbents in Districts 3 and 6 did not run for re-election.

Candidates focused their campaigns on issues including declining enrollment, potential school closures, school safety, mental health services for students, equity of student outcomes, and board representation. The district's enrollment fell by more than 8% between the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 school years and the district was facing a projected budget deficit of $104.4 million in the 2024-25 school year.[27][28] The district also experienced a school shooting that resulted in the death of a student in November 2022.[29]

Incumbent Rankin, who first assumed office in 2019 and was the vice president of the board, and Debbie Carlsen ran in District 1. In an interview with KUOW about the election, Rankin said, "I will continue to prioritize eliminating barriers to education for marginalized students and families and provide direction to the district in policy that is based on the vision and values of our communities."[30] Carlsen, also in an interview with KUOW, said, "To ensure our schools are fully funded, the board needs an independent party to examine the district’s spending, so we can show our state legislators that the state is not fulfilling its paramount duty of fully funding K-12 education."[30]

Incumbent Rivera Smith, who first assumed office in 2019, and Christina Posten ran in District 2. In an interview about the election, Rivera Smith said, "As a former reporter, I think that I came into this job really with an emphasis on communication and transparency."[31] Posten said that her experience as a former Seattle School Board employee gave her a unique perspective, and said, "We need to determine at each school in each neighborhood how the schools themselves are working together where the discretionary dollars are being spent."[32]

Briggs and Ben Gitenstein ran in District 3. In an interview with KUOW, Briggs said, "If elected to the school board, I am committed to ensuring transparency and responsible financial management."[33] Gitenstein, also in an interview with KUOW, said, "My number one priority will be returning the school board to its role of effective oversight of the District."[33]

Topp and Maryanne Wood ran in District 6. In an interview with KUOW, Topp said that her main priority was to, "Improve equity in education for all students, regardless of their background, so that every child has the opportunity to succeed."[34] Wood said that her priority was to, "Halt and dial back huge capitol expenditures for what I call 'mega schools.'"[34]

In June 2023, the board voted 5-2 to adopt a Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG) model. According to the board's website, the model "sets goals for student outcomes, based on the community’s vision for the district, and guardrails, based on the community’s values for how the vision will be achieved." The SOFG model was developed and promoted by the Council of the Great City Schools. At least two candidates in the November 7 general election, Ben Gitenstein and Debbie Carlsen, criticized the change.[35][36] Both incumbents up for re-election, Liza Rankin and Lisa Rivera Smith, voted in favor of adopting the new governance model.[37]

According to The Stranger, a Seattle newspaper, Gitenstein "complained about the SOFG model eliminating opportunities for broader policy conversations with the public."[35] Carlsen, on their campaign website, said, "At the beginning of the pandemic, the school board voted in a new governance model, with little community engagement, that has lessened the board’s ability for oversight and accountability."[38] On the occasion of the vote to adopt the new governance model, Director Rankin said, "Part of this vote to me is the mutual commitment to building a better structure because the real root of the problem was inconsistent or inequitable access to information that the Board needs and that the public needs and wants."[39] Director Rivera Smith, speaking about the need for communication between the board and the district superintendent under the new governance model, said, "It is important for us to have that holistic view of our district beyond just the goals and guardrails."[39]

## See also[edit]

Washington | School Boards | News and Analysis

|
|

* Public education in Washington
* List of school districts in Washington

* School board elections, 2023
* School board elections, 2022
* Washington school board elections, 2022

* Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
2. ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
3. ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
4. ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
5. ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
6. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
7. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
8. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
9. ↑ The Center Square, "Voters favor ousting three Richland School Board members for COVID masking vote," August 2, 2023
10. ↑ KEPR, "RSD Board Recall on the Ballot for August Special Election," May 23, 2023
11. ↑ Richland School District, "Board Members," accessed July 22, 2022
12. ↑ The Wenatchee World, "Judge tosses out 1 charge in Richland School Board recall," June 14, 2022
13. ↑ KEPR, "Richland School Board members to appeal recall decision to Supreme Court, attorney says," May 11, 2022
14. ↑ Washington Education Association, "2023 Endorsements," accessed September 26, 2023
15. ↑ Benton County Republican Party, "Endorsements," May 25, 2023
16. ↑ LinkedIn, "Chelsie Beck," accessed September 25, 2023
17. ↑ issuu, "Chelsie Beck," accessed September 25, 2023
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 issuu, "Benton County Official Local Voters' Pamphlet," June 14, 2023 (page 14)
19. ↑ LinkedIn, "Katrina Waters," accessed September 25, 2023
20. ↑ Katrina Waters Richland School Board Position 4, "Excerpt from Interview with the Tri-City Herald," accessed September 25, 2023
21. ↑ Katrina Waters Richland School Board Position 4, "Leadership for the Richland School District," accessed September 28, 2023
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 issuu, "Kari Williams," accessed September 25, 2023
23. ↑ issuu, "Jill Oldson," accessed September 25, 2023
24. ↑ LinkedIn, "Eugene Nemeth," accessed September 26, 2023
25. ↑ issuu, "Gene Nemeth," accessed September 25, 2023
26. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Phone call with King County Election Services," October 25, 2023
27. ↑ The Seattle Times, "Budget cuts, school closures top issues in Seattle School Board election," July 17, 2023
28. ↑ The Urbanist, "Seattle Public Schools Unveil Plans for Sweeping Cuts and Lasting Austerity," October 11, 2023
29. ↑ KIRO 7 News, "Suspect arrested after fatal shooting of student at Ingraham High School," November 9, 2022
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 KUOW, "Seattle School Board primary: District 1 candidates talk funding, equity, and priorities," July 25, 2023
31. ↑ YouTube, "Lisa Rivera Smith Seattle Schools Pos.2 Endorsement Interview 36th District Democrats 2023 Primary," May 21, 2023
32. ↑ YouTube, "Christina Posten Seattle Schools Pos. 2 Endorsement Interview 36th District Democrats 2023 Primary," May 21, 2023
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 KUOW, "Seattle School Board primary: Meet the District 3 candidates," July 24, 2023
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 KUOW, "Seattle School Board primary: District 6 candidates have different approaches to fixing budget shortfall," July 25, 2023
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 The Stranger, "The Seattle School Board Wants to Stop Micromanaging the District," June 21, 2023
36. ↑ Debbie 4 Seattle Schools, "Issues," accessed October 10, 2023
37. ↑ Seattle Public Schools, "June 7, 2023 – Regular Board Meeting," June 7, 2023
38. ↑ Debbie 4 Seattle Schools, "Issues," accessed October 13, 2023
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 YouTube, "Seattle School Board Meeting June 7, 2023," June 7, 2023

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