Update: 2 Kennewick school, council members hanging on to their seats
READ MORE
Tri-Cities area Nov. 7, 2023 Election Results
Here are the latest election results for the Nov. 7, 2023 General Election in Benton and Franklin Counties.
Expand All
Kennewick voters were returning incumbents to seats on the Kennewick School Board and the city council following updated ballot counts posted Wednesday afternoon.
Three of five seats on the school board were up for election in Kennewick and three at-large seats were being voted on for the council during the Nov. 7 general election.
In both, an experienced incumbent was at risk of being pushed out by the Benton County Republican Party’s candidate of choice. But both Kennewick Councilman Jim Millbauer and school board member Mike Connors were expected to retain their seats.
So far, about 32,400 ballots had been counted, with about 10,000 more expected to be counted over the next few days. Election results will be certified on Nov. 28.
Kennewick City Council
Kennewick only had one competitive city council race on the ballot Tuesday. The three seats up for election this cycle were “at large” and were voted on city-wide.
Position 7 incumbent Jim Millbauer was winning a hard-fought race to retain his position.
Millbauer has been a moderating voice on the council in recent years, as a newer majority has pushed through development and taken political stands.
He has resisted adding public prayer to meetings and approving a long-in-the-works development plan for Thompson Hill.
Millbauer took 55% of the vote, or 4,900 votes, to his challenger Ted Owens’ 4,000 votes, or 45%, as of Wednesday’s count.
The two have starkly opposing views on the Horse Heaven Wind Farm proposal, with Owens promising to find a way to stop it if elected. Millbauer said he has spoken to the landowners involved and supports their decision to use the land for energy production.
In recent years the council has had a frequent 5-2 split on issues.
Position 5 incumbent Chuck Torelli, who often sided with Millbauer, had no challenger and will be re-elected.
Torelli has served on the council since being appointed in 2019. He served on the planning commission for two years before that.
Position 6 incumbent Brad Beauchamp also won a new term unopposed.
Beauchamp was first elected in 2019. He is a homebuilder and developer.
Kennewick Schools
Kennewick School Board incumbent Michael Connors was winning re-election by a wide margin Wednesday.
In the Director 3 race, Connors had 7,000 votes, or 61%, while his conservative opponent, Dustin Petersen, had 4,400 votes, or 38%.
Connors is a third generation farmer and owner of Skone and Connors Produce in Pasco. His wife, April Connors, serves as a Republican representative in the Washington Legislature.
He has two high school-age children who attend Kennewick schools.
Connors was the only incumbent running for re-election to the Kennewick School Board. Diane Sundvik and Ron Mabry both declined to run again.
Petersen is a food safety officer at Ecolab. His family moved to the Tri-Cities in 2017, and he has two young children in Kennewick schools. He’s endorsed by the Benton County Republican Party.
Brittany Gledhill won election to Kennewick School Board’s Director 4 seat in a landslide.
She had 8,000 votes, or about 70%, and Aaron M. Massey had 3,300 votes, or about 29%.
Gledhill is a full-time, stay-at-home mother with five children in Kennewick schools. Her family owns Gledhill Dental in Kennewick.
Massey is a process server and contractor whose two children attend Kennewick schools.
In the Director 5 position, Josh Miller had 6,500 votes, or 59% on Wednesday night. His opponent Lisa Peppard, ended her campaign but not in time to withdraw from the race. She’s still earned 4,400 votes, or 40%.
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 8:55 PM.
