City of Spokane

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Spokane School Board

Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below school district races on your ballot.

Spokane School Board, Director, Position #3

  • Melissa Bedford photo

    Melissa Bedford

    Website Facebook

  • Educator Melissa Bedford is running for Spokane School Board, Director Position 3. Bedford currently works as an assistant professor at Eastern Washington University and has worked as a public school teacher as well as served in institutional leadership positions. Outside of teaching, Bedford volunteers with after-school programs and local organizations like the Spokane Public Library.

    Bedford is running to make education more accessible, equitable, and inclusive. She believes that the pandemic highlighted the existing inequities within the state’s school system. If elected, Bedford wants to work to get broadband internet and other technology to all students, to promote the social and emotional health of students, and to make sure that all students feel welcome in the classroom. She has written about teaching civic engagement in the classroom and wants to bring the voice of an educator to the school board.

    Bedford is facing several candidates in this race, including Republican Daryl Geffken, a financial advisor and parent of two children in the district. If elected, Geffken would bring conservative values to the school board including supporting the reactionary, Trump-led conspiracy theory about critical race theory. He also opposes same-sex marriage, inclusive classrooms, and multicultural curriculums.

    There are five other candidates in this race. Kenneth Cameron is a small business owner who wants to have a voice in the turning point in public education in District 81. Cameron has experience serving on a couple of human and animal rights boards but lacks a notable campaign presence in this race. Jake Leadingham, another challenger, has worked as a tutor. He does not have a working website but aligns with the conservative, conspiracy-driven agenda regarding critical race theory. Karina Hernandez identifies herself as a mother interested in promoting individualized education for Spokane students. She has no campaign website.

    The final two candidates, Richard Cangelosi and Andrew Mendez, submitted no information to the Spokane County Voters Guide and have no campaign presence.

    In this crowded race, Melissa Bedford is by far the most qualified and progressive choice.

    Melissa Bedford

    Educator Melissa Bedford is running for Spokane School Board, Director Position 3. Bedford currently works as an assistant professor at Eastern Washington University and has worked as a public school teacher as well as served in institutional leadership positions.

    Educator Melissa Bedford is running for Spokane School Board, Director Position 3. Bedford currently works as an assistant professor at Eastern Washington University and has worked as a public school teacher as well as served in institutional leadership positions. Outside of teaching, Bedford volunteers with after-school programs and local organizations like the Spokane Public Library.

    Bedford is running to make education more accessible, equitable, and inclusive. She believes that the pandemic highlighted the existing inequities within the state’s school system. If elected, Bedford wants to work to get broadband internet and other technology to all students, to promote the social and emotional health of students, and to make sure that all students feel welcome in the classroom. She has written about teaching civic engagement in the classroom and wants to bring the voice of an educator to the school board.

    Bedford is facing several candidates in this race, including Republican Daryl Geffken, a financial advisor and parent of two children in the district. If elected, Geffken would bring conservative values to the school board including supporting the reactionary, Trump-led conspiracy theory about critical race theory. He also opposes same-sex marriage, inclusive classrooms, and multicultural curriculums.

    There are five other candidates in this race. Kenneth Cameron is a small business owner who wants to have a voice in the turning point in public education in District 81. Cameron has experience serving on a couple of human and animal rights boards but lacks a notable campaign presence in this race. Jake Leadingham, another challenger, has worked as a tutor. He does not have a working website but aligns with the conservative, conspiracy-driven agenda regarding critical race theory. Karina Hernandez identifies herself as a mother interested in promoting individualized education for Spokane students. She has no campaign website.

    The final two candidates, Richard Cangelosi and Andrew Mendez, submitted no information to the Spokane County Voters Guide and have no campaign presence.

    In this crowded race, Melissa Bedford is by far the most qualified and progressive choice.

    Melissa Bedford

    Educator Melissa Bedford is running for Spokane School Board, Director Position 3. Bedford currently works as an assistant professor at Eastern Washington University and has worked as a public school teacher as well as served in institutional leadership positions.

    • Endorsed By: Fuse

Spokane School Board, Director, Position #4

  • Riley Smith photo

    Riley Smith

    Website Facebook Endorsements Twitter

  • Riley Smith, an operations coordinator at Feeding Washington, is running for Position 4 on the Spokane School Board. He grew up in Spokane and spent 13 years in the Spokane public school system. Aside from his non-profit work, Smith works as a precinct committee officer and has previously aided a number of progressive campaigns. In his free time, he volunteers with Native Project COVAX Vaccination Clinic and Spokane Food Fighters.

    If elected, Smith has two main focuses: expanding student mental health resources and investing in support for alternative career paths like apprenticeships and trade schools. A pre-pandemic study from the Washington State Department of Health showed that nearly 40% of Spokane students struggle with their mental health. As a result, Smith argues that access to mental health resources, services, and support is fundamental to achieving student success and building a stronger school system. Additionally, he believes that skill training for blue-collar jobs would ultimately expand student opportunity and success.

    Riley Smith

    Riley Smith, an operations coordinator at Feeding Washington, is running for Position 4 on the Spokane School Board. He grew up in Spokane and spent 13 years in the Spokane public school system.

    Riley Smith, an operations coordinator at Feeding Washington, is running for Position 4 on the Spokane School Board. He grew up in Spokane and spent 13 years in the Spokane public school system. Aside from his non-profit work, Smith works as a precinct committee officer and has previously aided a number of progressive campaigns. In his free time, he volunteers with Native Project COVAX Vaccination Clinic and Spokane Food Fighters.

    If elected, Smith has two main focuses: expanding student mental health resources and investing in support for alternative career paths like apprenticeships and trade schools. A pre-pandemic study from the Washington State Department of Health showed that nearly 40% of Spokane students struggle with their mental health. As a result, Smith argues that access to mental health resources, services, and support is fundamental to achieving student success and building a stronger school system. Additionally, he believes that skill training for blue-collar jobs would ultimately expand student opportunity and success.

    Riley Smith

    Riley Smith, an operations coordinator at Feeding Washington, is running for Position 4 on the Spokane School Board. He grew up in Spokane and spent 13 years in the Spokane public school system.

    • Endorsed By: Spokane County Young Democrats
  • Rion Ametu photo

    Rion Ametu

    Website Facebook Endorsements Twitter

  • FedEx delivery driver and Navy veteran Rion Ametu is running to be a voice for students and parents who aren’t well-represented on the board. He is a state committee member of the 6th Legislative District Democratics and previously represented Spokane County in the same role. Previously, Ametu has worked as a sheet metal worker, sales executive, and RV detailer, and ran for state legislature in 2018. He is the parent of a student currently attending a Spokane public school.

    With his full-time job and rideshare driving on the side, Ametu has experienced how working-class parents get left out of the conversation when the school board is most responsive to parents who have the time to be loud advocates for their kids. He hopes to bring all voices to the table and make sure everyone is heard. Aside from bringing representation to the board, Ametu is running to ensure mental health care, equity, and opportunity for all students. He is interested in expanding special needs services and supports age-appropriate sexual health education in schools.

    Rion Ametu

    FedEx delivery driver and Navy veteran Rion Ametu is running to be a voice for students and parents who aren’t well-represented on the board. He is a state committee member of the 6th Legislative District Democratics and previously represented Spokane County in the same role.

    FedEx delivery driver and Navy veteran Rion Ametu is running to be a voice for students and parents who aren’t well-represented on the board. He is a state committee member of the 6th Legislative District Democratics and previously represented Spokane County in the same role. Previously, Ametu has worked as a sheet metal worker, sales executive, and RV detailer, and ran for state legislature in 2018. He is the parent of a student currently attending a Spokane public school.

    With his full-time job and rideshare driving on the side, Ametu has experienced how working-class parents get left out of the conversation when the school board is most responsive to parents who have the time to be loud advocates for their kids. He hopes to bring all voices to the table and make sure everyone is heard. Aside from bringing representation to the board, Ametu is running to ensure mental health care, equity, and opportunity for all students. He is interested in expanding special needs services and supports age-appropriate sexual health education in schools.

    Rion Ametu

    FedEx delivery driver and Navy veteran Rion Ametu is running to be a voice for students and parents who aren’t well-represented on the board. He is a state committee member of the 6th Legislative District Democratics and previously represented Spokane County in the same role.

    • Endorsed By: Spokane Education Association

There are three other candidates in this race. Life coach and mother of five Kata Dean is running to bring right-wing policy to the school board. She supports repealing meal programs, daycare support, and multicultural curriculums. Dean would also push for Christian doctrine to be taught alongside evolutionary biology in public schools. She is not only anti-choice and against same-sex marriage, but she believes her views should dictate the policy of the school board.

Educator Culzean Fairley is also running for Director Position 4. Fairley taught middle and high school in Spokane charter schools and works as the​​ director for education programs focused on Spokane’s most under-resourced students. She was a student at Spokane public schools and is running to make sure that all students have the opportunity for success in the district’s schools, especially those from marginalized communities.

Corstian Dehle-Jones is the final challenger in this race. He works at Spokane International Airport with a food service company and has spent the last five years working with UniteHere Local 8 (the hospitality union), assisting on contract negotiations and the hospitality industry temporary shutdown. Though Delhe-Jones has progressive beliefs, he has not shared a detailed platform in this race and does not have a website as of July 13.

 

Spokane School Board P4 Others

There are three other candidates in this race. Life coach and mother of five Kata Dean is running to bring right-wing policy to the school board. She supports repealing meal programs, daycare support, and multicultural curriculums.

Spokane County, Water District #3

Commissioner, Position #2

  • Nathan Jeffries photo

    Nathan Jeffries

    Website Facebook Endorsements

  • Nathan Jeffries is running for re-election to Spokane County Water, District 3, Position 2. He also serves the community during the day as an EMT and firefighter in Spokane. Since his election in 2017, Jeffries has worked to upgrade pump houses, develop infrastructure replacement plans, increase efficiency by replacing existing water meters with radio read meters, and bring additional water flow capacity to the area. He is endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund as well as Spokane County Water District Commissioner Mary Wissink.

    Jeffries faces a challenge from Kevin McMulkin and Bob Cunningham. McMulkin held this position from August 2016 to November 2017 and is a civil engineer and consulting engineer for several water systems. Cunningham does not have a campaign website or strong platform.

    Jeffries is the best choice for Spokane County Water District 3, Position 2.

    Nathan Jeffries

    Submitted by shevonne on Wed, 06/30/2021 - 18:24

    Nathan Jeffries is running for re-election to Spokane County Water, District 3, Position 2. He also serves the community during the day as an EMT and firefighter in Spokane. Since his election in 2017, Jeffries has worked to upgrade pump houses, develop infrastructure replacement plans, increase efficiency by replacing existing water meters with radio read meters, and bring additional water flow capacity to the area. He is endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund as well as Spokane County Water District Commissioner Mary Wissink.

    Jeffries faces a challenge from Kevin McMulkin and Bob Cunningham. McMulkin held this position from August 2016 to November 2017 and is a civil engineer and consulting engineer for several water systems. Cunningham does not have a campaign website or strong platform.

    Jeffries is the best choice for Spokane County Water District 3, Position 2.

    Water District
    Spokane County, Water District #3

    Nathan Jeffries is running for re-election to Spokane County Water, District 3, Position 2. He also serves the community during the day as an EMT and firefighter in Spokane. Since his election in 2017, Jeffries has worked to upgrade pump houses, develop infrastructure replacement plans, increase efficiency by replacing existing water meters with radio read meters, and bring additional water flow capacity to the area. He is endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund as well as Spokane County Water District Commissioner Mary Wissink.

    Jeffries faces a challenge from Kevin McMulkin and Bob Cunningham. McMulkin held this position from August 2016 to November 2017 and is a civil engineer and consulting engineer for several water systems. Cunningham does not have a campaign website or strong platform.

    Jeffries is the best choice for Spokane County Water District 3, Position 2.

    Nathan Jeffries

    Submitted by shevonne on Wed, 06/30/2021 - 18:24

    Nathan Jeffries is running for re-election to Spokane County Water, District 3, Position 2. He also serves the community during the day as an EMT and firefighter in Spokane. Since his election in 2017, Jeffries has worked to upgrade pump houses, develop infrastructure replacement plans, increase efficiency by replacing existing water meters with radio read meters, and bring additional water flow capacity to the area. He is endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund as well as Spokane County Water District Commissioner Mary Wissink.

    Jeffries faces a challenge from Kevin McMulkin and Bob Cunningham. McMulkin held this position from August 2016 to November 2017 and is a civil engineer and consulting engineer for several water systems. Cunningham does not have a campaign website or strong platform.

    Jeffries is the best choice for Spokane County Water District 3, Position 2.

    Water District
    Spokane County, Water District #3