Who's Running for Seattle School Board in the General Election?

The Candidates


District IV
Eden Mack - 70.47%
Herbert J. Camet, Jr. - 7.7%

District V
Zachary DeWolf - 47.36%
Omar Vasquez - 17.53%

District VII
Betty Patu - 68.41%
Chelsea Byers - 20.98%

Donations/Spending (via PDC)

Mack - $ 15,952.34/$13,926.74
Camet - 0/0

Notable Mack contributors: Director Jill Geary, Director Leslie Harris

DeWolf - $19,241.00/$4,644.97
Vasquez - $19,241.00/$10,000 (spending/debt)

Notable DeWolf contributors: WEA, CM Debora Juarez, Rep. Frank Chopp, Director Jill Geary, Rep. Nicole Macri

Notable Vasquez contributors: Democrats for Ed Reform, Vulcan, head of DFER WA, TFA reps, several charter school heads,
As well, Vasquez paid for campaign support from LEE, Leadership for Education Equity, which is the arm of TFA that helps TFAers with "leadership development."

Patu - $1,540/$35.00
Byers - $6,778.00/$139.65

Notable Patu contributors - Director Jill Geary, philanthropist Kay Bullitt

Notable Byers contributors - none

My early thoughts:

District IV
Everyone now has a website include Camet.  His website continues his pattern of name-calling and a misguided belief that he is running for superintendent and not School Board.  I honestly think it will be fascinating to see him in action at forums.

Mack clearly knows her stuff but that's no reason not to ask both candidates hard questions.

District V

DeWolf outpaced a talented field in District V.  I'll have to ask Helmstetter and Cooper who they might be endorsing but given that they both don't believe in charter schools and many types of corporate ed reform, I'd venture they would support DeWolf.

Neither candidate knows the district well but DeWolf has lived and worked in Seattle for a long time with many ties to various low-income constituencies.  

Look for this to be the biggest spending race of the three and I suspect that there may be some big financial firepower, coming from both in-state and out-of-state sources.

District VII
Patu has been to this dance before so I would look for her to stick to her tried-and-true formula of being herself and presenting her background/experience.  Byers is a quiet, kind person so I don't expect to see her on the attack.

What I would expect is attacks on Patu from PACs a lá the ones that we saw when Director Sue Peters ran four years ago.

I'll let you know if I hear of any worthwhile candidate forums.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
8/16/17, 5:12 PM
Anonymous said…
Expect low turnout to continue. Except for Eden Mack it's a grim field of candidates that tells me don't bother. They know nothing. Clueless ones, meet the legislature. The legislature isn't changing. This boulder is already halfway down the hill.

Bee2
8/17/17, 11:49 AM
Anonymous said…
We need to understand that candidates who do not advance to the primary may not want to endorse one of the two that are advancing. That isn't a requirement, and they should not be pinned down to do so. Cooper and Helmstetter may have issues with Omar's ties to charter schools and they may be concerned about Zach's business-friendly attitude and what it may herald when it comes to deepening public-private partnerships [read: Gates F] and city influence in our district. I'm 100% supportive of neither of them endorsing either of the candidates.

-D5 fail
8/17/17, 12:44 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
D5Fail, I agree on endorsements; any candidate gets to do what he/she wants (see Nikkita Oliver). Tell me more about DeWolf's ideas about public-private partnerships.
8/17/17, 2:58 PM
Anonymous said…
SEATTLE - Starbucks founder and chairman Howard Schultz has told employees that bigotry, hatred and senseless acts of violence against "people who are not white" cannot stand.

Looks like he's saying it OK if they are white?

He should stick to coffee.

PBJ


8/17/17, 4:24 PM
Outsider said…
If one candidate got an absolute majority in the primary, do they actually vote again in the general election?
8/17/17, 5:03 PM
Anonymous said…
very odd to close an open thread that was addressing racism - a very germane topic always and especially now. i understand it makes the admins uncomfortable to have people searching the archives for racist content but isn't that what then nation and our city and our schools need to do RIGHT NOW?

frenchie
8/17/17, 5:43 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
No, Frenchie, it was a personal attack on me. I don't and won't allow that.

I do plan to have a very specific thread on race and our district very soon.

You can search the entire blog as much as you like. Some blogs don't even have a search feature.
8/17/17, 5:52 PM
Anonymous said…
Geary, please stay out of politics. We are so disappointed in you. Give your seat to someone who cares.

Maggie
8/18/17, 2:30 PM
Cap hill said…
Cooper isn't endorsing either candidate in D5. Neither is qualified.

--Cap Hill
8/18/17, 5:05 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree with Cooper. Terribly under qualified and clueless. They need to get in the classrooms and talk to parents...pronto. Shoulda been a Cooper/ Helmsetter race.

D VI
8/18/17, 5:18 PM
Anonymous said…
Cap Hill,

Are you talking about yourself in third person?

Poor Me
8/19/17, 4:24 PM
Trojan Horse said…
Omar Vasquez is a Trojan horse for charter schools. He has already accepted money from Democrats For Education Reform. He has already accepted $1000 from Vulcan and $1000 from Democrats for Education Reform. DFER works to privatize education.

As well, Vasquez sits on a charter school board.

It appears, to Vasquez, that his support for non profit charter schools does not constitute charter school support.
8/24/17, 9:51 AM
D5 Disappointed said…
Neither DeWolfe or Vasquez are attractive candidates.
8/24/17, 2:41 PM
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