Olympia School Board primary race flips to Reed with fewer than 500 votes to count
After three days of tallying, primary election results show Talauna Reed pulling ahead of Andrew Flojo and into second place in the race for the Olympia School District board seat representing District 1. If she remains there, she will advance to the Nov. 7 general election.
Reed had 26.8% of the vote as of Thursday’s count, and Flojo had 26.35%, a difference of 83 votes. Reed was trailing Flojo after initial vote tallies Tuesday, but she moved within 51 votes with Wednesday’s tally.
There were an estimated 475 ballots to count, with the next update coming late Friday, according to the Thurston County Auditor’s website.
As it stands, Reed is set to face incumbent Maria Flores in the November election. Reed currently represents District 2 on the board but no longer lives within that district. Flores had 46.6% of the vote, or 8,171 votes.
Reed told The Olympian Thursday that she would have loved to see a bigger lead over Flojo, and higher voter turnout, but that she’d be happy to make it to the general election. She said if she keeps her lead, she’s pushing a new leg of her campaign as soon as the results are finalized Aug. 15.
Reed said the tight race has prompted her to rethink her strategy and how to get more people to the polls. She said her concerns are that people don’t understand the value of local elections and having her voice on the board.
“Or they disapprove of me as a candidate, and that’s OK, too,” she said. “But we need to educate people and get people to the polls.”
Reed said she’s glad to have had the opportunity to serve on the board for nearly a year already, and it’s given her a better understanding of how the system works. She said so far, she feels she’s been the lone voice speaking out and advocating for the people.
“No matter what happens, I’m not going to stop doing what I do,” Reed said. “There are flaws in our education system, and unless things are changed, not all of our students are going to be served adequately.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 12:15 PM.
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