Incumbents in the race for the Sequim School Board are headed for spots on the November general election.
Clallam County conducted its third count of primary election ballots on Aug. 3, with a voter turnout of 37.52 percent — or 15,288 ballots counted out of 40,745 given voters — and will do another count on Aug. 11.
Voters in both counties cast votes for three nonpartisan positions on the Sequim School Board.
Position 1
Position 1 incumbent Larry Jeffryes, a former chemistry and biology teacher who’s served since 2019, won a combined total of 5, 422 votes, or 51.56 percent in Clallam and Jefferson counties. The closest challenger is park ranger John Graham, who garnered a total of 3,013 votes, or 28.65 percent, in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Jeffryes said his being an incumbent and past experience with education helped him.
“I heard a lot from parents concerned about the realignment,” Jeffryes said, referring to a restructuring of two of the district’s elementary schools that took place earlier this year.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Larry Jeffreys, right, speaks with an attendee of The People’s Forum at the Sequim Prairie Grange on July 13.
“Talking to individuals, it was kind of a mixed bag of various topics,” Jeffryes said, “school security to budget, worries about critical race theory and LGBT issues.”
Jeffryes said he wants to find new ways to get feedback from the community. He said the board sends out information materials but doesn’t always hear back.
“We just might have to go out and meet with them and find new ways to do that, more successful ways,” Jeffryes said.
Graham, who appears to be advancing to the November general election, said the district should focus more on academic performance.
“I’m tired of watching as kids coming out of the school have no respect for rules; it didn’t used to be like that. I think a lot of that is what they’re being shown in school,” Graham said.
“The district should focus more on academics and less on sexual issues. Race shouldn’t be an issue. Everybody deserves a chance, and hard work is what gives it to you, not special programs.”
Data technician Jim Shepherd took 2,065 votes, or 19.64 percent in the combined total of Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Shepherd, an area native, said he was trying to get things back on track.
“We had a really good district when I was in high school, but it’s a totally different time now,” Shepherd said. “I don’t think there was anybody running with any ill intent; they just have different ways of going about it. Whoever ends up does kind of keep the public more informed and more involved.”
Shepherd said he plans to continue to be involved with the school district as a community member and may sign up for volunteer committees.
Position 4
Former principal Maren Halvorsen won a combined total of 6,414 votes, or 61.5 percent, in Clallam and Jefferson counties for the two-year unexpired term for Position 4, a seat she now fills as an appointee.
“I’m very pleased. The result was great,” Halvorsen said. “I think it was concern on the part of the voters for experience, and the importance of responsible good governance from the board.”
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Maren Halvorsen, center, speaks with attendees of The People’s Forum at the Sequim Prairie Grange on July 13.
Halvorsen said she spoke with dozens of constituents over the past weeks and the importance of experience was a priority.
“My interest is in student achievement and student success,” Halvorsen said. “Educational experience helps students prepare for the world they’re going to graduate into.”
Halvorsen said the district should focus on professional development for teachers and working with the state Legislature on long-term finances.
Challenging her were former school board candidate Derek Huntington, who took a combined total of 2,183 votes, or 20.93 percent, in Clallam and Jefferson counties, and former educator Dean Christian, who won 1,809 votes, or 17.35 percent, in the two-county total.
Huntington said he was happy with the results, noting that this is the first time he’s made it past the primary election.
Speaking to constituents, Huntington said many people were upset about the elementary school realignment.
“Transparency, that was a big thing that people were upset about,” Huntington said. “People felt like the realignment was thrust on them and there wasn’t a whole of transparency.”
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Derek Huntington, right, speaks with an attendee of The People’s Forum at the Sequim Prairie Grange on July 13.
If elected, Huntington said he would want to help the public understand what’s happening in the schools and why.
Christian said he is new to politics and could have done more to reach out to voters.
“I feel that the Sequim School District administration is overpriced and the office is too expensive,” Christian said. “I wanted to streamline that budget, especially the superintendent’s salary.”
Christian also criticized the district for a lack of communication and said they should emulate the policies of the Snohomish School District which offers online surveys and regular letters to parents.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Dean Christian, right, speaks with an attendee of The People’s Forum at the Sequim Prairie Grange on July 13.
“No matter who wins hope the Sequim School Board will hold more events like ice cream social and be more present on school campuses,” Christian said.
Position 5
Position 5 incumbent Michael Rocha won a combined total of 4,578 votes, or 43.9 percent in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
“I’m glad the voters were able to not be swayed by the singular issue of the realignment,” Rocha said, adding that the election results showed that most community members support the move.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Michael Rocha speaks with an attendee of The People’s Forum at the Sequim Prairie Grange on July 13.
“I did have some voters concerned about the materials. They were concerned with stuff that isn’t really happening, (critical race theory) or inappropriate sexual education,” Rocha said. “When I was able to talk to people about what’s happening in our schools, they understood that’s not really an issue that’s in our district.”
Rocha said he wanted to focus more on career and technical education, particularly in Sequim Middle School, and hopes to return driver’s education courses to the high school, pending accreditation.
Challenger Sandra Kellso took a combined total of 3,660 votes, or 35.1 percent, despite her having withdrawn from the race; she withdrew too late to be removed from the ballot.
Hunter Gilliam garnered 2,176 votes, or 20.9 percent, in the combined two-county total.
“It was a really wonderful experience and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of the process,” Gilliam said.
“I really do like everybody who is in (the race). All of them are in it for the right reason. I’m really excited to be a part of it and I want to help in any way that I can.”
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Hunter Gilliam speaks with Sequim schools superintendent Regan Nickels at the The People’s Forum at the Sequim Prairie Grange on July 13.
The race echoes a 2021 Sequim School Board race in which Kristi Schmeck filed for the Position 4 (at-large) seat and later decided to drop out of the race, but because she didn’t file a formal withdrawl soon after the filing week, her name remained on the ballot.
Officials with the Public Disclosure Commission said that candidates who file formal statements of termination with the PDC after candidate filing week agree not to campaign for election, solicit or accept campaign contributions, make campaign expenditures, and not accept the office if elected. The PDC’s Statement of Termination adds that candidates must withdraw through the “appropriate elections office, and not with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).”
Schmeck signed an intent to suspend her campaign in June with the Public Disclosure Commission, but that after speaking with elections staff and seeing the primary results, she changed her mind.
Schmeck went on to win the seat — beating out Virginia Sheppard and Huntington — but based on her withdrawl letter she was required to declare her intent to not retain the seat. The Sequim School Board then appointed Halvorsen for the role.
Ozias’ opponent drops out
Clallam County commissioner Mark Ozias no longer has an opponent in his bid to be re-elected to the District 1 seat.
His Republican challenger, Stan McClain, has withdrawn from the race, he confirmed on Aug. 3.
“I have a medical condition,” McClain said. “I am withdrawing under the advise of my doctor.”
McClain’s name will be on the November ballot since he dropped out too late for it to be removed.
Ozias, a Democrat, said he will continue to campaign.
“I look at it as an opportunity to hear what’s on people’s minds,” Ozais said. “I’m glad I have the opportunity to do that even in the absence of an opponent.”
