Ryan Gaylor is currently ahead in the race for a seat on the Winlock School Board.
The Lewis County Auditor’s Office reported that Gaylor had 382 votes, or 55.28% of the ballots, to Thadeus P. Nelson’s 295 votes, or 42.69% of the ballots. The Lewis County Auditor’s Office counted 691 votes for the race in the initial release.
In the runup to the election, Gaylor said the district’s “budget crisis” would be a top priority.
“A school needs its funds to be well managed in order to give the students and staff the tools necessary for academic success. However, my point of view comes from working for the district in the classroom. We need more support for struggling families,” Gaylor told The Chronicle. “One goal, if elected, is to create or increase programs like the Strengthening Families Program or Love and Logic. Once a more stable budget is created, I would also like to see a family advocate at each school.”
The preliminary count included the results of 13,338 ballots. The Lewis County Auditor’s Office estimated there were still 701 ballots left to count on election night, with an estimated total voter turnout of 24.15%.
The next ballot count will be released at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Election certification will take place on Nov. 28.
