Darcy Huffman, a communications and resource director for her church, is running for Olympia School Board director in District 3. The former finance professional challenged an incumbent Republican in the state’s 35th Legislative District last year. Huffman currently also works on the Affordable Housing Taskforce for a coalition of Washington churches, and as a member of the Quixote Communities board, which works to provide permanent supportive housing for people struggling with homelessness.

If elected, Huffman wants to make sure that Olympia’s public schools are supportive learning environments for all students. Her platform includes strengthening lines of communications with parents, prioritizing the emotional and social wellbeing of students, funding essential skills learning, and closing the opportunity gap. Huffman’s vision to create a more equitable school system is supported by a large number of local progressive and Democratic organizations and leaders in this race.

Wealth advisor Mark Boyer is also in this race. He is running on a vague platform that highlights no priorities or policy and states his campaign’s purpose as bringing a new perspective and leadership to the school board. Boyer has been involved in a number of community organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters and Olympia Rotary Club.

Gary Landis is an Army veteran running a conservative, conspiracy-based campaign against critical race theory, communism, and mandatory masking in public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. He has stated that he wants to “bring God…back into our schools.”

In this crowded race, we recommend Darcy Huffman because of her progressive background, strong community support, and clear vision for the District 3 director position.