Pasco’s 1st Latina mayor calling it quits + Ex-Richland mayor won’t run again
The first Latina council member ever elected to serve as Pasco mayor says she will not seek reelection this year.
Blanche Barajas confirmed to the Tri-City Herald on Thursday her plans to step away from the city council after serving two four-year terms. She’s instead recommending a former Pasco High School teacher and Latino voter organizer, Mark Figueroa, to seek her seat.
District 1 includes several neighborhoods south of Interstate 182, stretching from North Road 44 to Ochoa Middle School.
“We did many great things for Pasco and accomplished so much while we had a diverse and inclusive team,” Barajas wrote in a text message.
“Pasco has been an example to other cities, even taking us to Dallas, Texas, as one of five cities across the U.S.A. chosen to speak on the progress to address homelessness, housing issues and other projects that addressed our disenfranchised communities,” she wrote.
She’s stepping away to focus on personal matters, she said. Barajas currently works as executive director of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
Filing week ends Friday, May 9, for 2025 elections in Washington state. There are more than 100 nonpartisan seats up for election this year in the Tri-Cities — from city councils and school boards, to port commissions and regional fire departments.
Seats that attract more than two candidates will appear in the primary election. The top-two vote recipients will then advance to the general election. Seats with two or fewer registered candidates will appear only on the general election ballot.
On Wednesday and Thursday, a flurry of challengers registered to run for public office with hopes of unseating incumbents.
- Case manager and prior council hopeful Calixto Hernandez will challenge Melissa Blasdel, who is seeking election after her 2023 appointment to the District 6 seat. She represents the city’s downtown and parts of east Pasco. Leo Perales, who’s seeking a second full term on Pasco City Council, will be challenged by regional real estate broker Bryan Verhei.
- The Kennewick School Board’s top two leaders, both seeking second terms, are also being challenged. President Gabe Galbraith has attracted a challenge from Nicolas Uhnak, a radiochemist who works at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Vice President Micah Valentine is being challenged by WSU assistant professor of history and prominent Hanford historian Robert Franklin.
- At least one Pasco School Board member confirmed Thursday she will not be seeking reelection. Amy Phillips, who served four terms, says she will not seek reelection. Another candidate, Heather Kubalek, has filed to fill her District 4 seat. It’s unclear if Pasco School Board member Steve Simmons plans to run for reelection. No one had filed for his at-large seat as of early Thursday afternoon, and he had yet to responded to an email inquiry.
- On the Richland City Council, all four seats are being challenged by newcomers. Ryan Whitten, the U.S. Navy veteran and Energy Northwest technician, appointed to Position 7 in 2023, has attracted a challenge from Colin Michael.
Sandra Kent, who first won election to the council in 2009, will run for another term and is being challenged by Pat Holten.
Former Richland Mayor Ryan Lukson does not plan to run for a third term on council. Donald Landsman, a retired pavement manager, has filed to run for his seat and is currently unopposed.
Kurt Maier, the newest Richland city councilman, will face a challenge from Kyle Saltz, former commander of the local VFW. Both are veterans.
- Former Washington Rep. Brad Klippert is no longer the only candidate filed to run for the Kennewick City Council’s lone at-large seat. Danielle Schuster, a Kennewick native, has thrown her hat in the ring. The seat is being vacated by Council member Jason McShane, who is instead running for the ward seat held by Mayor Gretl Crawford, who is not seeking re-election.
- On Thursday, May Hays, who serves on the West Richland City Council, filed for mayor. She’ll challenge Mayor Pro Tem and fellow Council member Fred Brink for the full-time seat. Longtime Mayor Brent Gerry says he recently began mentoring Brink to learn the role.
Other contested races
- Port of Benton, District 1: Incumbent Roy Keck and challenger William O’Neil.
- Port of Kennewick, District 2: Raul Contreras Gonzalez and Tammy Kenfield.
- Grandview School Board, District 5: Amanda Rodriguez and Cecilia Lamas Noriega.
- Connell City Mayor: Shelly Harper and Patricia Barrera.
- Connell City Council, Pos. 2: Terri Cerna and Patrice Hebel.
Connell City Council, Pos. 4: incumbent Joe Escalera and Duey Dixon.
Uncontested races
- Kennewick Public Hospital District, Pos. 4: incumbent Spencer Harris.
- Kennewick Public Hospital District, Pos. 5: incumbent Wanda Briggs.
- Kennewick Public Hospital District, Pos. 6: Rick Reil.
- Prosser Public Hospital District:, Pos. 4: incumbent Brandon Bowden.
- Prosser Public Hospital District, Pos. 5: incumbent Glenn Bestebreur.
- Prosser Public Hospital District, Pos. 6: incumbent Stephen Kenny.
- West Richland City Council, Pos. 2: incumbent Ken Stoker.
- West Richland City Council, Pos. 4: incumbent Richard Bloom.
- Prosser City Council, Pos. 1: Bill Jenkin.
- Prosser City Council, Pos. 2: Jackie Kimble.
- Prosser City Council, Pos. 3: Harold Lewis.
- Kennewick City Council, Ward 1: Jason McShane.
- Kennewick City Council, Ward 2: incumbent Loren Anderson.
- Kennewick City Council, Ward 3: incumbent John Trumbo.
- Benton City City Council, Pos. 1: Gerry Hill.
- Grandview School Board, District 1: John Greene.
- Ki-Be School Board, District 2: Mike Peterson.
- Finley School Board, District 2: Rory Bush.
- Finley School Board, At-Large: Chris Knighten.
- Prosser School Board, District 3: Eric Larez.
- Prosser School Board, District 4: incumbent Jason Rainier.
- Richland School Board, Director 1: incumbent Bonnie Mitchell.
- Richland School Board, Director 2: incumbent Rick Jansons.
- Benton County Fire District #2, Pos. 2: incumbent Steve Rouse.
- Benton County Fire District #4, Pos. 2: incumbent Garrett Goodwin.
- West Benton Regional Fire Authority, Pos. 1: incumbent Randy Cobble.
- Port of Kahlotus, District 1: incumbent Richard Halverson.
- Port of Pasco, District 2: Matt Watkins.
- Port of Pasco, District 3: incumbent Hans-Joachim Engelke.
- Kahlotus School District, Pos. 3: incumbent Kelly Cochrane.
- North Franklin School Board, Pos. 4: Gabe Martinez.
- North Franklin School Board, Pos. 5: incumbent Hannah Shaw.
- Pasco School Board, District 3: incumbent Amanda Brown.
- Star School District, Pos. 4: incumbent Richard Wiswall.
- Connell City Council, Pos. 3: Michelle Welch.
- Kahlotus City Mayor: incumbent Michael Robitaille.
- Kahlotus City Council, Pos. 2: Jonathan Seibert.
- Kahlotus City Council, Pos. 3: incumbent Perrie Robitaille.
- Mesa City Council, Pos. 2: Wyatt Harrington.
- Pasco City Council, District 4: incumbent Pete Serrano.
- Franklin County Fire District 2, Pos. 4: incumbent Joe Roach.
- Franklin County Fire District 3, Pos. 2: incumbent Gary Larsen.
- Franklin County Fire District 4, Pos. 3: incumbent Kim Pauley.
- Franklin County Hospital District 1, Pos. 2: incumbent Lori Hayles.
- Basin City Water-Sewer District, Pos. 1: incumbent Robert Andrews.
- Basin City Water-Sewer District, Pos. 2: Matthew Naef.
Interested in running?
For a full list of elected positions on the 2025 ballot, check out the Tri-City Herald’s coverage.
Paperwork and registration payments must be made out to the Washington Secretary of State’s Office by 5 p.m. May 9. To be eligible to run for public office, a candidate must be a registered voter within the district in which they’re seeking office.
Most seats are at-large, meaning they span the entirety of the district. Other seats may have specific residency requirements and require candidates to live in certain neighborhoods.
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM.
