| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Reykdal | 1,728,794 | 53.19% |
| David Olson | 1,521,401 | 46.81% |
* 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.
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 finance: Raised more than $315,000 as of Oct. 2, 2024, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Contributors include $60,900 from political action committees, many representing labor unions; and $38,200 from various labor unions such as the school employees’ union; $45,000 from the Washington State Democratic Central Committee; $2,400 from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; $4,800 from the Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe, $4,800 from the Tulalip Tribe; and $2,400 from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
Residence: Gig Harbor
Education: Graduated from Conroe High School in Texas in 1977. Graduated from Southern New Hampshire University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. Received U.S Navy First Class Diver Training in 1987 and U.S. Navy saturation diver training in 1991. Technical School, U.S. Navy in 1978. U.S. Navy officer candidate school in 2000.
Work experience: Served in the U.S. Navy for 28 years, working as a defense contractor from 2005-11. Held various banking positions: branch manager, business banker, vice president from 2012-24.
Political experience: Has served as a Peninsula School Board member since 2013. Served as Pierce County Charter Review Commissioner in 2015. Lost a race for Pierce County Council in 2018.
Family: Married to Tonia Olson. Has four children and a grandchild.
Campaign finance: Has received nearly 113,000 as of Oct. 2, 2024, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Donors include $2,400 from the Gallery Glass and Wares, which sells glassware to aid in cannabis consumption and other smoking accessories; $2,400 from the Gallery Cannabis Retail, $2,400 from Sono Bello CEO Thomas Barr; $1,200 from the Associated General Contactors of Washington PAC; $1,000 from unDivided podcast host Brandi Kruse; and $1,000 from the San Juan County Republican Party.
If Tuesday’s vote counts hold, Democrats will keep the keys to the governor’s mansion along with eight other powerful offices, including attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and lands commissioner.
Washington voters this year can grant a third term to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal or fill the office with a fresh face to match newcomers who will fill at least four other statewide offices, including governor.
School districts across Washington should work with their communities over the next year to update policies for limiting cellphones during instructional time, according to guidance published Wednesday by the state superintendent’s office.
Incumbent Chris Reykdal and conservative challenger David Olson took an early lead in the race to oversee public education in Washington.
Candidates for state superintendent of public instruction hold strikingly varied positions on the expansion of charter schools in Washington.
Three challengers seek to head public education in Washington, vying for the role of superintendent of public instruction held by incumbent Chris Reykdal since 2017.
Candidates for state superintendent discussed their perspectives on various topics, including school funding, sex education, mental health and parents rights at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Washington at Ridgeline High School Monday night.
May 1—The last time Washingtonians elected a state schools leader was in 2020, when most school buildings were empty because of the pandemic. Running an all-online campaign, incumbent Chris Reykdal handily won reelection to a second term in the state’s highest education office. The pandemic was an important factor in that race, but much less was known about how, and when, kids would return to …
In the race to lead Washington’s public school system, Reid Saaris, a teacher and founder of an education nonprofit, has raised twice as much as the incumbent, Chris Reykdal.
The candidates who managed to clinch a party endorsement are not guaranteed a spot on the general election ballot come November. However, an endorsement earns them free publicity and fundraising help from the party in the coming months.
Jan. 18—This year’s public school enrollment count shows that many districts are starting to gain back students for the first time since the pandemic. Overall, public school enrollment across Washington has climbed by about 2,000 students this year, a 0.2% increase from last year, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Enrollment reached a high in 2019 with 1,146,882 …
