Whidbey school board incumbents lead in early vote counts

By Jessie Stensland / Whidbey News-Times

Incumbent school board members on both ends of Whidbey Island are winning in the first count of ballots of the General Election Tuesday night.

The proposition to increase Whidbey hospital district’s property tax levy is passing with nearly 55% of ballots cast in its favor. If passed, the measure will increase the annual levy from the current $0.078 to $0.5 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Perhaps the biggest upset on the island is an Oak Harbor City Council race. Joel Servatius, a longtime council member, is far behind challenger Shane Hoffmire.

Servatius received 600 votes, or 26%, while Hoffmire has 1,690 votes, which is about 74%.

Hoffmire was thrilled with the outcome, but also tired after knocking on hundreds of doors over the weekend.

“We built the campaign around listening to people and we got out there and did exactly that,” he said.

In another council race, Bryan Stucky is significantly ahead of Andy Plumlee for a seat without an incumbent. Stucky has 1,563 votes, or nearly 70%, while Plumlee has 678, or 30%.

In the contest for the other open seat, Dan Evans is ahead of Fe Mischo. Evans has 1,206 votes, or 53%, while Mischo has 1,065, or 47%.

The two incumbents on the Oak Harbor School Board are both ahead in the race, although by different margins.

Incumbent John Diamond has 2,580 votes, or 52%, while challenger Jessica Thompson has 2,393 ballots cast in her favor, which is 48%.

The other incumbent school board member, Erik Mann, has 2,970 votes in his favor, or about 60%, while challenger Jason Uemoto has 1,946, or 40%.

In the South Whidbey School Board contest, the three incumbents were ahead of challengers with each earning about 70% of the vote.

Coupeville School Board had two seats without incumbents in the election. Nancy Conard has 2,100 votes, or 76%, while Paul Rempa has 681, or 24%.

In the other, Morgan White is well ahead of Ward Sparacio. White has 1,895 votes, or 69%, while Sparacio has 834, or 31%.

In the race for a seat on the hospital board, a challenger is ahead of the incumbent. James Golder has 52% while Kurt Blankenship was 48%.

This story originally appeared in the Whidbey News-Times, a sister publication to The Herald.