Two appointed Seattle Public Schools board members appear to be advancing to the general election to keep their seats after Tuesday’s primary, though one is currently in second place.
Seattle voters saw three school board races on the primary ballot. The top two candidates with the most votes in each race in Tuesday’s primary will face each other in the general election in November.
In District 2, incumbent Director Sarah Clark, director of policy for the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, who was appointed last year to fill a vacancy, was in second place with 43.10% of the vote; challenger Kathleen Smith, a data scientist at Microsoft, had 45.92% of votes. They led a third candidate, Eric Feeny. District 2 includes the area from Magnolia Interbay to Loyal Heights to Green Lake.
For District 4, incumbent Director Joe Mizrahi, secretary/treasurer of UFCW 3000, had 68.57% of the vote. Mizrahi was also appointed last year to fill a vacancy. In second place was challenger Laura Marie Rivera with 17.84%. They topped a field of five candidates. District 4 includes the area from Downtown up through Queen Anne to Fremont.
For District 5, an open race after incumbent Director Michelle Sarju said she would not run for her seat, former school board Director Vivian Song received 73.25% of the vote. Song had represented District 4 when she was first elected in 2021 but resigned after news reports that she moved to District 5. In second place was Janis White, the founder of an advocacy organization for youth with disabilities, with 15.73% of the votes. They led the field of six candidates on the ballot. District 5 includes Capitol Hill, Chinatown International District, First Hill, Leschi, Madison and the Central District.
In November, voters will also see a race for District 7, which represents Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Mount Baker, Seward Park and Rainier Beach. Carol Rava and Jen LaVallee advanced to the general because they were the only two candidates who filed for the open seat, currently held by School Board Director Brandon Hersey.
