State superintendent candidates will speak at Tacoma forum

Four candidates who want to lead the state’s school system as its next superintendent will speak at a forum Thursday in Tacoma.

The public candidate forum will take place as part of a 7 p.m. meeting of the Pierce County Democrats, which will will be held at the IBEW Local 76 Hall at 3049 S. 36th Street.

The state superintendent candidates are expected to start speaking about 7:30 p.m. They are:

▪ State Rep. Chris Reykdal, a Democrat from Tumwater.

▪ Erin Jones, a Tacoma Public Schools administrator who lives in Lacey.

▪ Gil Mendoza, deputy superintendent for K-12 education in the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

▪ Larry Seaquist, a former Democratic state representative from Gig Harbor.

Another candidate who has filed for the position, Robin Fleming, has been invited but has not confirmed.

The state superintendent of public instruction is a nonpartisan office and oversees the state’s public school system of about 1 million students.

The current officeholder, Randy Dorn, is not seeking re-election.

The meeting and forum will be preceded by a 6 p.m. potluck and social hour, which the public is invited to attend, the Pierce County Democrats said.

This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 7:08 PM with the headline "State superintendent candidates will speak at Tacoma forum."