Threeway race set for Kittitas School Board seat

BRIAN KELLY

staff writer

Three Kittitas residents have stepped up to run for a seat on the Kittitas School Board.

Kittitas County opened a special three-day filing period last week to find candidates who would run for Director Position 1. During the candidate filing period in May, no one submitted a declaration of candidacy for the school board seat.

Carrie Kavanaugh currently serves in the position and did not choose to run for the seat.

Three people have filed as candidates: Clinton Van de Venter, Nicole Ogan and Krystal Newcomb.

Van de Venter is a landfill operator at Kittitas County Solid Waste, and Ogan has worked as an environmental/ transportation planner for Kittitas County. Newcomb is a public benefits specialist supervisor for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

The three candidates will not be up for a vote during the August primary election.

Because the primary is already underway, Kittitas County Auditor Bryan Elliott said the trio will all be listed as candidates on the ballot for November’s general election.

Two other positions on the Kittitas School Board are on the ballot.

Ellen Cartwright is running unopposed for Position 4. Incumbent Mark Crowley did not seek a new term.

Incumbent Kittitas School Board Member Jerry Lael is also running unopposed for Position 5.

During last week’s special filing period, Greg Shelley registered as a candidate for the Commissioner 2 position for Water District 4 in Thorp. The race did not attract a candidate during the May filing period.