2021 Election: Hermiston School Board candidates make their case hermistonherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hermistonherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thereâs no question that during most school board races, many incumbents face no competition for their seats. This year, for whatever reason, thatâs not the case in Hermiston with six candidates running for four open seats.
Incumbents Bryan Medelez and Karen Sherman are both running unopposed, Medelez for Position No. 2 and Sherman for Position No. 6.
Medelez, an operations manager for a Hermiston trucking company, has served since being appointed in 2019. While Sherman does have an opponent on the ballot, Caitlin Melhorn told the
East Oregonian that she was dropping out of the race due to the time commitments she already has. Sherman has served on the Board of Education for 20 years and is a retired teacher. Both have done a good job and voters should have no hesitancy in checking their names on the ballot.
Liliana Gomez
Liliana âLiliâ Gomez, running for Position No. 3, is a Hermiston native and a records specialist for the Hermiston Police Department. She said she has always had an interest in education, including serving as a tutor during her teenage years and teaching English overseas. She is on the Hermiston School District budget committee.
Now that students have returned to school full time, Gomez said she believes it is important for the district to focus on studentsâ mental health and be proactive about having resources available for students as they return.
âWe all know that this took a toll on every single person, adults included, and no doubt this took a toll on students,â she said.
The filing deadline for these seats is Thursday, March 18.
In Hermiston, the seats belonging to Karen Sherman, Mark Gomolski, Bryan Medelez and Brent Pitney are all up for election. Sherman and Pitney are running for new terms on Position 6 and Position 4, respectively.
Dain Gardner, a senior trooper with the Oregon State Police, is running for Position 3, the seat held by Gomolski.
If no one files for an open seat, the winner of the write-in vote will be offered the seat. If they decline, the board can appoint someone to the seat.
Besides school boards, all fire districts, cemetery districts, water control districts and parks and recreation districts will also be on the ballot.
Deadline to run in May election is March 18 hermistonherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hermistonherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.