Gordon Comfort
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Gordon Comfort was the Position 5 representative on the Richland Board of Directors in Washington. Comfort won his first term after advancing from the primary election on August 4, 2015, to win the general election on November 3, 2015.[1]
Biography
Comfort earned a B.A. at Brigham Young University and an M.Ed. at Harvard University. He is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. at Capella University. Comfort has worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal, as well as the executive director of Goodwill Industries of Columbia.[2]
Elections
2015
Three seats on the Richland School District school board were up for general election on November 3, 2015. Positions 3, 4, and 5 were on the ballot. Because more than two candidates filed for Positions 4 and 5, a primary election for those races was held on August 4, 2015, with the top two vote-recipients advancing to the general election.
A mandatory recount for Position 4 was necessary due to the narrow margin between the two candidates in the general election. Position 4 incumbent Mary Guay did not file to seek re-election. Her open seat drew the most candidate filings in the district's elections. Brett Amidan, a returning candidate from 2013, Emily Allen, and Jill Oldson appeared on the primary ballot for the seat. Amidan and Oldson triumphed over Allen in that race and competed in the general election. Certified results showed just two votes placed Oldson over Amidan, necessitating the recount for the race. After the recount, the candidates were declared tied. A coin toss was held to break the tie, and Amidan was declared the winner.[3]
Ronald Higgins, a 2012 candidate for Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction, initially filed to run for the Position 4 seat. He withdrew from that race on May 15, 2015, in order to run for the Position 3 seat, instead. He lost to Position 3 incumbent Rick Donahoe in that race.
Position 5 incumbent Phyllis Strickler saw the second highest candidate filings in her race and was ultimately unseated. Returning 2013 candidate Gordon Comfort and Donald Todd ran against her in the primary. Strickler and Comfort advanced to the general election, where Comfort defeated the sitting board member.
Results
| Richland School District Board of Directors, Position 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Gordon Comfort |
52.1% | 6,585 |
| Phyllis Strickler Incumbent | 47.9% | 6,062 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 12,647 | |
| Source: Benton County, Washington, "November 3, 2015 General Election," November 24, 2015 | ||
| Richland School District Board of Directors, Position 5 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Phyllis Strickler Incumbent |
40.2% | 2,977 |
| Gordon Comfort |
36.9% | 2,737 |
| Donald Todd | 22.9% | 1,698 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 7,412 | |
| Source: Benton County, "August 4, 2015 Primary," accessed August 20, 2015 | ||
Funding
Comfort reported no contributions or expenditures to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission as of October 30, 2015.[4]
Endorsements
Comfort was endorsed by the Tri-City Herald.[5]
Campaign themes
2015
Comfort provided the following statement for the Benton County voter pamphlet:
''Gordon Comfort, "Gordon Comfort for Richland School Board," June 26, 2015 |
| “ | I believe in innovation, having clear goals, and supporting students through excellent teachers.
Along with STEM, I would like to help create a Health and Sciences Academy in partnership with local school districts, colleges, and hospitals that would provide opportunities for students interested in Health Careers. We have a good district that can be great with a clear vision throughout the organization. Accountability starts with good leadership from the school board and superintendent. During campaign cycles and district negotiations, the rallying cry "We put students first!" is often heard. If one side is for students, does that mean the other side is not? I champion the idea that district leaders put students first via happy, dedicated, and supported teachers. My job as a school board member is to set policy, hire the right district leader, and have the proper fiscal priorities that allow teachers to do what they do best: love and teach students.[6] |
” |
| —Gordon Comfort (2015)[2] | ||
See also
- Richland School District, Washington
- Richland School District elections (2015)
- Incumbency no guarantee of success in Nov. 3 school board elections (November 6, 2015)
- What happened in Nov.'s top board elections? (November 4, 2015)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcandidates - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Benton County Auditor's Office, "Voter Pamphlet: Gordon Comfort," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ Tri-City Herald, "Amidan wins coin toss for Richland School Board seat," December 8, 2015
- ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Search the Database: Local Candidates," accessed October 30, 2015
- ↑ Tri-City Herald, "Our Voice: Comfort, Donahoe and Amidan for Richland schools," October 8, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2015 Richland School District Elections | |
| Benton County, Washington | |
| Election date: | Primary - August 4, 2015
General - November 3, 2015 |
| Candidates: | Position 3 : Incumbent, Rick Donahoe • Ronald Higgins
Position 4 : Brett Amidan • Emily Allen • Jill Oldson Position 5 : Incumbent, Phyllis Strickler • Gordon Comfort • Donald Todd |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
