We endorse: Washington school superintendent and auditor both earn second terms
Navigating Washington’s 294 independent school districts through the unchartered territory of a months-long pandemic is a daunting job, but Chris Reykdal has done it with a steady hand. It’s why we’re endorsing him for a second term as the Washington state school superintendent.
Last March more than one million of the state’s K-12 public school students were sent home to learn remotely, and today that’s where most remain. Reykdal, 48, didn’t make the decision; the governor and local public health directors determine COVID-19 school closures. But under him, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) quickly shifted to providing guidance and technology so that students don’t fall too far behind.
As the state’s chief education official, this former history teacher manages more than 400 employees. The Tumwater resident has the benefit of three terms in the state House, where he served on the House Education Committee.
Reykdal also has a strong background preparing students for life after K-12, thanks to 14 years working at the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Many Washingtonians need career pathways outside a traditional four-year college degree, and Reykdal gets it.
His Republican challenger, Maia Espinoza of Lakewood, articulates well the vehement parent complaints against the state’s new comprehensive sex education law, and Reykdal’s unwavering defense of it. But Espinoza, who made an unsuccessful bid for a state House seat two years ago, doesn’t have adequate experience for this job.
There’s also the question of integrity. Espinoza, 31, calls herself a teacher but isn’t credentialed. In the primary voter’s pamphlet, she stated she’d earned a master’s degree in curriculum from Western Washington Governors University. It turns out that she had yet to complete that program.
Among her credentials, she cites her role as founder/director of the Center for Latino Leadership but failed to note the nonprofit went without tax exempt status for years. It only became active again after the Associated Press inquired.
So, not only does Reykdal have the clear advantage in education experience and agency management, he’s earned voters’ trust in a way Espinoza has not.
The pandemic has exposed weak spots in Washington’s school safety net, such as mental health supports for isolated students. OSPI must fight tirelessly for resources, and Reykdal has the respect and political capital in Olympia to get it done.
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Washington state auditor might not be the most exciting race on this year’s ballot, but we contend it’s one of the most important. It’s the only office whose sole job is to hold government accountable and keep corruption and incompetence at bay.
Enter incumbent Pat McCarthy. The former Pierce County executive has a well-earned reputation as a prudent manager and strong leader, and we wholeheartedly endorse her for a second term.
During our interview, McCarthy, 66, shared frustration over the lack of guidelines on hundreds of millions of federal dollars that have poured into Washington this year. She says her office is committed to keep an accounting of them. Thank goodness for that; somebody has to ensure this relief money is actually bringing relief to people in need.
McCarthy’s Republican challenger is fellow Tacoma resident Chris Leyba, 34, a police officer who says he’s ready to patrol local and state finances. His recent work in a Seattle Police Department audit and inspection unit is applicable but can’t match McCarthy’s decades of state and local government and school board experience.
No doubt Leyba, a first-time candidate, would bring the same smarts that earned him a molecular biology degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from Washington State University. But this isn’t a job for novices trying to break into politics.
McCarthy easily vaulted the low bar set by her predecessor, Troy Kelley, convicted in 2017 of fraud and other charges tied to his real estate business. She’s restored morale and focus to the auditor’s office. If reelected, her priorities should be increasing transparency and timeliness.
She’s at work untangling the debacle at the state Employment Security Department that led to outrageous jobless benefits delays during the COVID shutdown. She plans an additional audit to investigate the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars to fraudsters. This work needs to be completed as quickly as possible.
ABOUT OUR ENDORSEMENTS
The News Tribune Editorial Board interviewed candidates and did other research before making our picks for the 2020 election. Endorsements are intended to promote civic discourse and encourage voters to dig deeper. Board members who sat in on this set of endorsement sessions include: Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and publisher; Matt Misterek, editorial page editor; Karen Irwin, editorial writer; Matt Driscoll, local news columnist; and Pamela Transue, community representative and former president of Tacoma Community College. Read more about the candidates in our online Voter Guide.
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 5:45 AM.