Vivian Song
Vivian Song is a member-elect of the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors in Washington, representing District 5.
Song ran for election to the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors to represent District 5 in Washington. She won in the general election on November 4, 2025.
Song completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Vivian Song Maritz was born in Ohio.[1] She earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 2002. Her career experience includes working in finance.[2]
Elections
2025
See also: Seattle Public Schools, Washington, elections (2025)
General election
General election for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 5
Vivian Song defeated Janis White in the general election for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 5 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Vivian Song (Nonpartisan)  | 77.2 | 79,017 |
 | Janis White (Nonpartisan) | 22.8 | 23,377 | |
| Total votes: 102,394 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 5
The following candidates ran in the primary for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 5 on August 5, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vivian Song (Nonpartisan) | 74.0 | 21,545 |
| ✔ | | Janis White (Nonpartisan) | 15.2 | 4,437 |
| Julissa Sanchez (Nonpartisan) | 3.6 | 1,056 | ||
| Landon Labosky (Nonpartisan) | 2.4 | 704 | ||
| Allycea Weil (Nonpartisan) | 2.4 | 703 | ||
| Vivian van Gelder (Nonpartisan) | 2.0 | 576 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 91 | ||
| Total votes: 29,112 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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
Song received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Song's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here.
- U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D)
- State Rep. Nicole Macri (D)
- Seattle City Council Memb. Joy Hollingsworth (Nonpartisan)
- King County, Wash., Democratic Party
- Legis. District 32, Wash., Democratic Party
- Legis. District 37, Wash., Democratic Party
- LiUNA! Local 242
- Seattle Building Trades Unions
- Alliance for Gun Responsibility
- Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Washington and Alaska
- Everytown for Gun Safety
- Fuse Washington
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District Lodge 751
- King County, Wash., Young Democrats
- Moms Demand Action
- National Women's Political Caucus of Washington
- One America Votes
- OneAmerica Votes
- Seattle Education Association
- The Stranger
- WEA-PAC
- Washington Education Association
- Women of Color In Politics
2021
See also: Seattle Public Schools, Washington, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4
Vivian Song defeated Laura Marie Rivera in the general election for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vivian Song (Nonpartisan) | 72.0 | 170,364 |
 | Laura Marie Rivera (Nonpartisan) | 27.7 | 65,469 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 851 | ||
| Total votes: 236,684 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4
Vivian Song and Laura Marie Rivera defeated incumbent Erin Dury and Herbert Camet Jr. in the primary for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4 on August 3, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vivian Song (Nonpartisan) | 59.8 | 18,268 |
| ✔ | | Laura Marie Rivera (Nonpartisan) | 21.4 | 6,534 |
 | Erin Dury (Nonpartisan) | 10.7 | 3,276 | |
 | Herbert Camet Jr. (Nonpartisan) | 7.5 | 2,297 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 170 | ||
| Total votes: 30,545 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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
To view Maritz's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2025
Vivian Song completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Song's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I know firsthand how public education can transform lives, and that’s why I have been giving back for the last 25 years through volunteer work with kids and immigrant communities. More recently, I have served as a PTA president, on the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council, and as a Seattle School Board Director. I also serve on several nonprofit boards, including one of Seattle’s largest Head Start providers and an immigrant and refugee resettlement agency. As a founding member of Make Us Visible Washington, I have pushed for an inclusive curriculum so all students see themselves in their education.
My professional finance background, combined with school board experience and community ties, gives me the skills to navigate complex budgets, ensure fiscal responsibility, and fight for long-term planning that avoids harmful short-term cuts. At the heart of my campaign is a simple vision: academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, and a diverse portfolio of schools that meet the needs of every student.- A Diverse Portfolio of Schools That Serve Every Family: We need a diverse portfolio of program and schools to meet the diverse needs of our students and families. I believe in building—not shrinking—opportunities, so families can find programs that fit their children —whether it’s dual language, STEM, alternative learning models, or neighborhood schools. I have opposed one-size-fits-all closure plans and fought instead for community-driven solutions that honor the unique strengths of each school. My commitment is to expand choices, strengthen programs, and ensure every family has a high-quality option in Seattle Public Schools.
- Fiscal Responsibility and Long-Term Planning: Seattle Public Schools faces persistent budget challenges, but we cannot cut our way to excellence. I know how to analyze the numbers, close deficits responsibly, and ensure transparency for the public. I am committed to making smart, long-term financial decisions that protect classrooms, grow enrollment, and build stability. Families, educators, and community members deserve clarity and honesty about how dollars are spent. I bring the skills to dig into the details and the courage to stand against short-sighted cuts like mass school closures. Fiscal responsibility means every dollar should advance student success—and I will make sure our resources are used equitably and effectively.
- Student Safety, Well-Being, and Standing Up for Our Values: Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and respected at school. We must prioritize student mental health and ensure schools are safe places for every child—regardless of race, language, disability, or background. I am committed to making sure our schools remain places where all students can learn without fear. I will work to expand mental health supports, strengthen anti-bullying policies, and defend Seattle’s values of inclusion and respect.
I worked in the restaurant throughout middle and high school, often after school and on weekends. It was where I learned responsibility, customer service, and teamwork. I saw firsthand the long hours, attention to detail, and persistence it took to keep a small business running. I also learned resilience—because in restaurants, something always goes wrong, and you have to figure out how to solve problems quickly while keeping customers cared for.
It was also a place where I bridged cultures. Working in the restaurant pushed me to communicate with customers from all walks of life. I began to see the restaurant as more than a business—it was also a community hub, a place where food created connection. That experience gave me deep respect for the immigrant work ethic and the importance of building community in whatever role you’re in.
At the district level, we must make sure our staffing and investments actually align with our academic goals. We say we want to improve third grade reading proficiency, but we have not invested in the reading interventionists, curriculum, or professional development needed to meet that goal. Instead, we’ve cut librarians, underfunded critical literacy supports, and relied on inconsistent one-time fixes. Similarly, while we talk about equity, too many of our highest-need schools still lack the resources to provide the wraparound supports students need to thrive.
As a finance professional and former school board director, I know how to analyze budgets, close deficits responsibly, and insist on transparency. I will push for long-term financial planning instead of harmful mass school closures, which destabilize communities without solving the underlying funding challenges. I will also demand fiscal transparency, so families, educators, and community members clearly see how dollars are being spent and how every investment is tied to student outcomes.
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 Song completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
2021
Vivian Song completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Song's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Prior to her involvement in education, Vivian worked for 15 years in finance and operations at Google and Goldman Sachs. She received her B.A. in Economics from Harvard University and a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
- I have the lived experience as a person of color, an English as a Second Language student, and a special education student (hearing loss) to know the challenges of our marginalized student populations. I seek this position to represent them and to work to ensure all Seattle Public School students have equitable access to an excellent public education.
- Our $1B budget must reflect our values. I will dive into our capital and operating budgets to ensure that our students and staff are getting the support they need to succeed. I have over 15 years of professional finance and operations experience in organizations at the scale of our district and seek to use these skills to serve our community.
- We must work collaboratively with our city and state leaders to "build back better." I will advocate fiercely for the resources, policy, and support our students and staff need.
• Prioritizing diversity and inclusion, by recruiting and retaining teachers and staff of color, scaling culturally responsive curriculum, and adopting inclusionary practices for our special education students
• Improving transportation for working families by working with local stakeholders on better bus route planning and expansion of free ORCA passes to secondary students
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.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
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Candidate Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 5 |
Personal |
Footnotes
