Superintendent of Public Instruction
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Reykdal (N) | 1,195,329 | 50.69% |
| Erin Jones (N) | 1,163,000 | 49.31% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About The Race
A former literacy coach at Rogers High School in Spokane faces a state legislator in the race for state schools superintendent. One will replace Randy Dorn, who is retiring. Dorn pushed hard for more school funding, which put him at odds with many legislators.
State Rep. Chris Reykdal said he has experience in budget and policy. Erin Jones stresses her experience as an educator. She is an administrator in the Tacoma School District.
Reykdal said he will be active in discussion of the Supreme Court’s mandate. “There is an enormous need to fully fund our system and do that more equitably,” he said.
Jones said she wants to be a resource for legislators, while working to educate Washington residents and encourage them to push lawmakers to increase education funding. “We do need additional revenues,” Jones said. “We need more teachers and new buildings.”
Jones said she has a unique perspective on the state’s education system because her children have experienced the inequity that the school funding lawsuit sought to fix. They were students at a high-poverty school in Tacoma and then at another Title I school that was dramatically overcrowded in Puyallup. Reykdal also would bring a parent’s perspective to the job. But while Jones’ kids are now adults, Reykdal’s children were still in elementary school last school year.
The Candidates
Chris Reykdal
- Party:
- No party
- Age:
- 52
- City:
- Tumwater, Washington
Residence: Tumwater
Education: Graduated from Snohomish High School in 1990. Graduated from Washington State University in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in social studies, minors in political science and geology and a teaching certificate. Graduated from University of North Carolina with a masters of public administration in 1999.
Work experience: Worked as teacher in Longview, Washington: Worked as fiscal analyst for the Washington State Senate from 1999-2002. Worked on the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges as operating budget director and ultimately deputy executive director from 2002-16.
Political experience: Served on Tumwater School Board from 2007-11. Won seat as Washington state representative in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Has won two terms as superintendent of public instruction since first winning in 2016. Served as a precinct committee officer in Whitman County and member of the Whitman County Democratic Central Committee from 1992-94. Served as a precinct committee officer in Thurston County in the 2000s.
Family: Married to Kim Reykdal. Has two adult children.
Campaign Contributions: Has received $182,455 as of July 12; $69,472 is from individual donors. Notable donors include $46,500 from various political action committees, like $4,800 each from Washington Education Association, Public School Employees of Washington and from Boeing. Other donors include $1,200 from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and $25,600 from several labor unions.
Erin Jones
- Party:
- No party
- City:
- Tacoma, WA
Age: 45
Education: Grew up in the Netherlands. Earned bachelor’s degree in comparative literature at Bryn Mawr College. Earned teaching certificate at Pacific Lutheran University.
Work experience: Teaching coach and program administrator for the Tacoma School District. Former literacy coach at Rogers High School in Spokane where she won a national Milken Educator Award in 2007.
Political experience: This is Jones’ first run for elected office.
Family: Married. Has three children.
Complete Coverage
Candidates for state superintendent of education have similar goals, different approaches
The two candidates for the state superintendent of public instruction, State Rep. Chris Reykdal and Erin Jones, expressed similar goals, but different methods, in a debate Tuesday.
Lawmaker, former Rogers teacher compete for Washington state superintendent post
Randy Dorn is stepping down after eight years as state superintendent of public instruction, and two Democrats are vying to replace him as head of Washington’s K-12 public education system. The nonpartisan job pays $132,000 a year and oversees some $9 billion in education spending.
Editorial: Jones for state superintendent
We interviewed three candidates who are all impressive, but we believe Erin Jones has the background and vision to address significant challenges
Crowded field for Washington schools chief race
There’s a crowded field of candidates vying to be Washington’s next superintendent of public instruction, but the three top candidates all bring something new to the contest.