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Aspen Richter
Aspen Richter is running for election to the Lake Washington School District School Board to represent District 4. Richter is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. Richter advanced from the primary on August 5, 2025.
Richter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Aspen Richter earned a bachelor's degree from the California Institute of Technology.[1]
Richter has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Lake Washington Parent Teacher Student Association
- Evergreen Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association
- Lake Washington Citizens Levy Committee
- Eastside Urbanism
- Pride Across the Bridge
- Washington State Recycling Association
Elections
2025
See also: Lake Washington School District, Washington, elections (2025)
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Lake Washington School District school board District 4
Kim Martin and Aspen Richter are running in the general election for Lake Washington School District school board District 4 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Kim Martin (Nonpartisan) ![]() | ||
Aspen Richter (Nonpartisan) ![]() |
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If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Lake Washington School District school board District 4
Aspen Richter and Kim Martin defeated incumbent Mark W. Stuart in the primary for Lake Washington School District school board District 4 on August 5, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Aspen Richter (Nonpartisan) ![]() | 63.0 | 24,567 | |
✔ | Kim Martin (Nonpartisan) ![]() | 18.8 | 7,350 | |
![]() | Mark W. Stuart (Nonpartisan) | 17.7 | 6,909 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 176 |
Total votes: 39,002 | ||||
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If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Endorsements
Richter received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Richter's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- State Sen. Derek Stanford (D)
- State Rep. Davina Duerr (D)
- State Rep. My-Linh Thai (D)
- State Rep. Lisa Wellman (D)
- Angela Birney Angela Birney
- Mayor of Kirkland Kelli Curtis (Nonpartisan)
- Mayor of Sammamish Karen Howe
- Bothell Mayor Mason Thompson
- Deputy Mayor of Kirkland Jay Arnold
- Kirkland City Council Memb. Neal Black
- Lake Washington School Board Memb. Leah Choi (Nonpartisan)
- Kenmore City Council Jon Culver
- Kirkland City Council Memb. Amy Falcone
- Steve Fields Steve Fields
- Jessica Forsythe Jessica Forsythe
- Dept. Mayor of Bothell Rami Gupta
- Sammamish City Council Memb. Sid Gupta
- Lake Washington School Board Memb. Lisa Guthrie (Nonpartisan)
- Vanessa Kritzer Vanessa Kritzer
- Lake Washington School Board Memb. Eric Laliberte (Nonpartisan)
- Deputy Mayor of Sammamish Amy Lam
- Angie Nuevacamina Angie Nuevacamina
- Kenmore City Council Valerie Sasson
- Melissa Stuart Melissa Stuart (Nonpartisan)
- Kirkland City Council Memb. Penny Sweet
- Kirkland City Council Memb. John Tymczyszyn
- Lake Washington School Board Memb. Lindsey Yocum (Nonpartisan)
- 1st Legislative District Democrats
- 45th Legislative District Democrats
- 48th Legislative District Democrats
- King County, Wash., Democratic Party
- Legis. District 1, Wash., Democratic Party
- Legis. District 41, Wash., Democratic Party
- Legis. District 45, Wash., Democratic Party
- Legis. District 48, Wash., Democratic Party
- Eastside Urbanism
- King County, Wash., Young Democrats
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Aspen Richter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Richter's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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|As a child whose family constantly moved from school to school and residence to residence, I know first-hand the challenges of trying to find belonging in a new environment. I also know the challenges of being in a household below the area median income. I believe this period of my life is what inspires me to advocate for everyone in a community, no matter what their income level or place of origin.
Education gave me a path to a better life. I always loved STEM, which led me to obtaining my bachelor’s degree from Caltech. After graduation I broadened my focus with professional work in software development, project management, and legislative and regulatory compliance. A quality education teaches more than specific subjects; it creates curious and empowered life-long learners, and that is what I want for my own students from their K-12 education.- Highest Educational Outcomes for All
Aspen will advocate for the highest quality education for students of all interests and abilities. As a parent of special education, general education, and highly capable education students, Aspen understands that education cannot be "one size fits all."
This means focusing on finding and retaining exceptional teachers, providing instruction that works for each student, and structuring classes to provide both academic knowledge and practical knowledge as appropriate. We need to continue to provide and expand access to all pathways to a better future for students, whether that is a 4-year college, vocational education, or another path of a student's choosing. - Communication and Engagement Collaboration with all stakeholders in our educational community is foundational to offering the highest quality education to all students. The Board must continue to monitor the District's progress on building relationships, valuing family perspectives, providing families with meaningful and timely information, and engaging in transparent decision-making. Aspen will continue to keep community engagement and community experience centered in their work. This includes working with the full Board to restart "engagement sessions" between the Board and school community members. It also means continuing to be personally available, active, and engaged in the school community and broader community.
- Sustainable Planning for the Future Sustainability is ensuring systems of funding, community, and environmental responsibility that can be maintained now and in the future, so that our schools can continue to thrive. It's being smart about where and how we build our facilities, about the impacts school decisions have on families' lives, and about making environmentally responsible choices. Aspen serves on the District's Facilities and Sustainability Advisory Committees, and has a certificate in Sustainable Business Practices. We need to be making future-oriented decisions as we grow and build, not just "the way it's always been done," so that we can benefit our people, our planet, and our pocketbooks.
I also have personal policy interests in sustainable development, land use, environmental policy, solid waste and waste water management, and transit. I am also deeply interested in the innovation and efficiencies that can be achieved when schools, municipalities, and local organizations work together. I believe I bring an important and forward-thinking perspective on school siting and construction to the board.
Who's there?
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Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Other survey responses
Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Richter completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Candidate Lake Washington School District school board District 4 |
Footnotes