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Welcome to Fuse Progressive Voters Guide to the 2023 Washington general election! The Progressive Voters Guide compiles the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. Please share this guide with your friends and family and remember to return your ballot by November 7!
South Kitsap School Board
Nurse and incumbent Kate Espy is running to be retained on the South Kitsap School Board in Director District 1. Espy was originally appointed in 2021. She has spent 40 years in forensic and emergency room nursing, and also previously worked at an elementary school as a nurse for students who need special medical care. Espy is an active community leader, serving as the president of the Kitsap Support Advocacy Counseling Board, a member of Soroptimist International of Port Orchard, and a previous member of the South Kitsap School District Citizen Budget Review Committee.
Espy wants to bring the highest quality education and opportunities to South Kitsap students. If retained, she wants to strengthen the relationships between the board, district families, and staff. Espy’s board experience and professional work with trauma victims make her a strong listener and effective collaborator.
Local business owner John Sehmel is challenging Espy in this race. Sehmel is running a conservative campaign that fails to address the most pressing issues for students, teachers, and staff in the district. Instead, he wants to restrict funding for student resources and eliminate age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education. He is endorsed by extremist groups and religious organizations.
Kate Espy is the clear choice for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 1.
Last updated: 2023-10-17
Nurse and incumbent Kate Espy is running to be retained on the South Kitsap School Board in Director District 1. Espy was originally appointed in 2021. She has spent 40 years in forensic and emergency room nursing, and also previously worked at an elementary school as a nurse for students who need special medical care. Espy is an active community leader, serving as the president of the Kitsap Support Advocacy Counseling Board, a member of Soroptimist International of Port Orchard, and a previous member of the South Kitsap School District Citizen Budget Review Committee.
Espy wants to bring the highest quality education and opportunities to South Kitsap students. If retained, she wants to strengthen the relationships between the board, district families, and staff. Espy’s board experience and professional work with trauma victims make her a strong listener and effective collaborator.
Local business owner John Sehmel is challenging Espy in this race. Sehmel is running a conservative campaign that fails to address the most pressing issues for students, teachers, and staff in the district. Instead, he wants to restrict funding for student resources and eliminate age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education. He is endorsed by extremist groups and religious organizations.
Kate Espy is the clear choice for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 1.
Last updated: 2023-10-17
Endorsed By: Washington Education Association
Nurse and incumbent Kate Espy is running to be retained on the South Kitsap School Board in Director District 1. Espy was originally appointed in 2021. She has spent 40 years in forensic and emergency room nursing, and also previously worked at an elementary school as a nurse for students who need special medical care. Espy is an active community leader, serving as the president of the Kitsap Support Advocacy Counseling Board, a member of Soroptimist International of Port Orchard, and a previous member of the South Kitsap School District Citizen Budget Review Committee.
Espy wants to bring the highest quality education and opportunities to South Kitsap students. If retained, she wants to strengthen the relationships between the board, district families, and staff. Espy’s board experience and professional work with trauma victims make her a strong listener and effective collaborator.
Local business owner John Sehmel is challenging Espy in this race. Sehmel is running a conservative campaign that fails to address the most pressing issues for students, teachers, and staff in the district. Instead, he wants to restrict funding for student resources and eliminate age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education. He is endorsed by extremist groups and religious organizations.
Kate Espy is the clear choice for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 1.
Last updated: 2023-10-17
Endorsed By: Washington Education Association
Megan Higgins is running for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 2, the seat currently held by John Berg. Higgins works for Seattle Children’s Hospital in clinical research. She has also worked in tutoring and parents three students currently enrolled in the district.
Higgins is running on a progressive platform to invest in our school district. One of her top priorities is to support teaching staff to create a positive work environment and a high-quality education. If elected, Higgins also wants to make upgrades to the school district to repair and replace aging infrastructure. In this race, she has earned endorsements from progressive organizations and community leaders.
Jaime Cross, who owns his own masonry business, is also in this race. Endorsed by the Republican Party, Cross is running on an extremist platform to promote curriculums full of misinformation and political agendas. He will not bring a community focus to the board.
Megan Higgins is the best choice in this race for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 2.
Last updated: 2023-10-20
Megan Higgins is running for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 2, the seat currently held by John Berg. Higgins works for Seattle Children’s Hospital in clinical research. She has also worked in tutoring and parents three students currently enrolled in the district.
Higgins is running on a progressive platform to invest in our school district. One of her top priorities is to support teaching staff to create a positive work environment and a high-quality education. If elected, Higgins also wants to make upgrades to the school district to repair and replace aging infrastructure. In this race, she has earned endorsements from progressive organizations and community leaders.
Jaime Cross, who owns his own masonry business, is also in this race. Endorsed by the Republican Party, Cross is running on an extremist platform to promote curriculums full of misinformation and political agendas. He will not bring a community focus to the board.
Megan Higgins is the best choice in this race for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 2.
Last updated: 2023-10-20
Endorsed By: Washington Education Association
Megan Higgins is running for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 2, the seat currently held by John Berg. Higgins works for Seattle Children’s Hospital in clinical research. She has also worked in tutoring and parents three students currently enrolled in the district.
Higgins is running on a progressive platform to invest in our school district. One of her top priorities is to support teaching staff to create a positive work environment and a high-quality education. If elected, Higgins also wants to make upgrades to the school district to repair and replace aging infrastructure. In this race, she has earned endorsements from progressive organizations and community leaders.
Jaime Cross, who owns his own masonry business, is also in this race. Endorsed by the Republican Party, Cross is running on an extremist platform to promote curriculums full of misinformation and political agendas. He will not bring a community focus to the board.
Megan Higgins is the best choice in this race for South Kitsap School Board, Director District 2.
Last updated: 2023-10-20
Endorsed By: Washington Education Association
Jay Villars is running for the South Kitsap School Board in District 5. Villars has spent 38 years working in public education, including time as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent. He is a frequent volunteer with the local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, and holds a master's degree in public education.
Unlike his opponent Rhonda Edwards, Villars is an enthusiastic supporter of the bond that would fund much-needed improvements to our schools. If elected, he would make sure students could go to class in world-class facilities instead of closing schools and overcrowding classrooms to cut costs.
Another distinction from his opponent is his support for equity in schools. He wants to enfranchise and involve kids with special needs instead of segregating them from their peers, and says he is passionate about diversity and inclusion in education. He also supports the comprehensive sex education curriculum that has been vetted and approved to prepare students to take care of their health.
His opponent is Rhonda Edwards, a Republican-endorsed real estate broker. Edwards is aligned with the far-right group Moms For Liberty, which wants to ban books from school libraries, eliminate age-appropriate and comprehensive sex education, and change school curriculums to whitewash our history.
Edwards has spoken out publicly against gender inclusivity guidance in schools that recommends against school employees outing trans students to their parents. She also wants to increase testing in schools, limit books that "sexualize" kids, and allow parents to opt their kids out of critical sex education.
Edwards also testified against a bond that would fund diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as improvements to school infrastructure. Edwards wants to close schools and crowd students more tightly into classrooms instead of replacing our aging buildings.
Edwards' personal social media has posts where she supports eliminating Washington's popular vote-by-mail system, criticizes the George Floyd Protests, and calls for an end to Washington's COVID restrictions during the height of the pandemic in May of 2020.
Our students deserve to be represented by an experienced educator who would create high-quality, inclusive schools for every kid. Villars is by far the best choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-20
Jay Villars is running for the South Kitsap School Board in District 5. Villars has spent 38 years working in public education, including time as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent. He is a frequent volunteer with the local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, and holds a master's degree in public education.
Unlike his opponent Rhonda Edwards, Villars is an enthusiastic supporter of the bond that would fund much-needed improvements to our schools. If elected, he would make sure students could go to class in world-class facilities instead of closing schools and overcrowding classrooms to cut costs.
Another distinction from his opponent is his support for equity in schools. He wants to enfranchise and involve kids with special needs instead of segregating them from their peers, and says he is passionate about diversity and inclusion in education. He also supports the comprehensive sex education curriculum that has been vetted and approved to prepare students to take care of their health.
His opponent is Rhonda Edwards, a Republican-endorsed real estate broker. Edwards is aligned with the far-right group Moms For Liberty, which wants to ban books from school libraries, eliminate age-appropriate and comprehensive sex education, and change school curriculums to whitewash our history.
Edwards has spoken out publicly against gender inclusivity guidance in schools that recommends against school employees outing trans students to their parents. She also wants to increase testing in schools, limit books that "sexualize" kids, and allow parents to opt their kids out of critical sex education.
Edwards also testified against a bond that would fund diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as improvements to school infrastructure. Edwards wants to close schools and crowd students more tightly into classrooms instead of replacing our aging buildings.
Edwards' personal social media has posts where she supports eliminating Washington's popular vote-by-mail system, criticizes the George Floyd Protests, and calls for an end to Washington's COVID restrictions during the height of the pandemic in May of 2020.
Our students deserve to be represented by an experienced educator who would create high-quality, inclusive schools for every kid. Villars is by far the best choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-20
Jay Villars is running for the South Kitsap School Board in District 5. Villars has spent 38 years working in public education, including time as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent. He is a frequent volunteer with the local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, and holds a master's degree in public education.
Unlike his opponent Rhonda Edwards, Villars is an enthusiastic supporter of the bond that would fund much-needed improvements to our schools. If elected, he would make sure students could go to class in world-class facilities instead of closing schools and overcrowding classrooms to cut costs.
Another distinction from his opponent is his support for equity in schools. He wants to enfranchise and involve kids with special needs instead of segregating them from their peers, and says he is passionate about diversity and inclusion in education. He also supports the comprehensive sex education curriculum that has been vetted and approved to prepare students to take care of their health.
His opponent is Rhonda Edwards, a Republican-endorsed real estate broker. Edwards is aligned with the far-right group Moms For Liberty, which wants to ban books from school libraries, eliminate age-appropriate and comprehensive sex education, and change school curriculums to whitewash our history.
Edwards has spoken out publicly against gender inclusivity guidance in schools that recommends against school employees outing trans students to their parents. She also wants to increase testing in schools, limit books that "sexualize" kids, and allow parents to opt their kids out of critical sex education.
Edwards also testified against a bond that would fund diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as improvements to school infrastructure. Edwards wants to close schools and crowd students more tightly into classrooms instead of replacing our aging buildings.
Edwards' personal social media has posts where she supports eliminating Washington's popular vote-by-mail system, criticizes the George Floyd Protests, and calls for an end to Washington's COVID restrictions during the height of the pandemic in May of 2020.
Our students deserve to be represented by an experienced educator who would create high-quality, inclusive schools for every kid. Villars is by far the best choice in this race.
Last updated: 2023-10-20