Election Filing Week is Over!
by Jenn Askew
Filing week has ended (though candidates may still withdraw through Monday), and we have a large group of candidates in the two school districts we’re currently tracking: Tahoma and Kent. There isn’t much information to share about each of these candidates yet, so stay tuned for future updates. For now, here’s a list of who’s running and in what positions.
Tahoma School District:
| Position | Candidate name | History in seat |
| 2 | Michael Wiggins | Incumbent, running unopposed |
| 3 | Malia Hollowell | Incumbent, running for second term |
| 3 | Stephen Deutschman | Candidate |
| 4 | Pete Miller | Incumbent, running for second term |
| 4 | Vincent Powell | Candidate |
| 5 | Matt Carreon | Appointed, running to finish first term |
| 5 | Patrick Peacock | Candidate |
Tahoma has three contested races this year. None of these races have three or more candidates, so none of them will have a primary election in August. All of these candidates will be on the ballot in November (unless someone drops out by Monday.)
Kent School District:
| Position | Candidate name | History in seat |
| 1 | Andy Song | Candidate for an open seat, unopposed |
| 2 | Meghin Margel | Appointed, running to finish first term |
| 2 | Andy Carter | Candidate |
| 3 | Leslie Kae Hamada | Incumbent, running for second term |
| 3 | Lizz Morgan | Candidate |
| 3 | Stephanie Lawson | Candidate |
| 3 | Donald Cook | Candidate |
Kent has two contested races. The position 2 race has only two candidates, so they will not appear in the primary election in August. Both candidates will be on the ballot in November. Position 3 has a total of four candidates. One incumbent – Leslie Kae Hamada – and three challengers. This race will go to a primary vote in August, and the top two vote-getters from that election will move on to the general election in November.
Most of these elections won’t start to heat up until late summer, when you should expect to start seeing the candidates (and their signs) out in their communities. The one exception is the position 3 race in Kent, which could start ramping up almost immediately. We’ll keep an eye on things and keep you all informed!
