Tri-Cities school candidate drops out of race, but will remain on ballot
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Candidate Nicolas Uhnak suspended his campaign; ballots will be mailed Oct. 17 with his name.
- If Uhnak wins, he can decline the seat and Kennewick School Board will appoint a replacement.
- General election ballots are due by 8 p.m. Nov. 4.
A challenger to the Kennewick School Board president says he’s no longer seeking office, though his name will still appear on ballots set to be mailed out Oct. 17.
Nicolas Uhnak, a radiochemist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, told the Tri-City Herald in a Thursday email that he is suspending his campaign due to personal reasons.
He was challenging board President Gabe Galbraith for his Position 2 seat. Galbraith, a small business owner and Hanford security specialist, is seeking a second term.
Ballots have already been printed and mailed out to overseas voters and military service members. The rest of the ballots will be mailed out to regular voters later this month.
“It’s an important role to be a guiding force between parents, teachers, lawmakers and the broader community in the education of future generations, (and) requires commitment and consideration beyond what a full-time working father of four has at the moment,” Uhnak wrote to the Herald.
The Nov. 4 general election ballots will feature local candidates running for city council, school board, fire districts and port commissions, among other races. Nearly 130 candidates will run in Benton and Franklin counties.
Uhnak is among several candidates in the Tri-Cities who are no longer actively seeking the office they’re on the ballot for.
Uhnak described himself in the voters pamphlet as a “public education advocate, scientist and committed husband of a local medical provider.” Two of his four kids currently attend Kennewick schools.
While Galbraith — also a Kennewick father and former substitute teacher — is a shoo-in for the seat, there remains a rare chance Uhnak could still win the race. In that case, Uhnak could decline to take the seat and the school board would then be tasked with appointing his replacement.
But both candidates have run low-profile campaigns so far. Neither Galbraith nor Uhnak has reported any fundraising to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.
Galbraith said it takes “courage and commitment” for community members to step up and run for office. He plans to attend a Friday evening meet-and-greet with other Kennewick candidates hosted by the League of Women Voters of Benton-Franklin Counties.
“I’m excited to continue the amazing work we’ve been building together in our school district and remain focused on supporting students, families and staff,” Galbraith wrote in a statement to the Herald.
Voters have until Oct. 27 to register or update their information online through vote.wa.gov. After that, voters must update their registration at their local county elections center.
The deadline to submit ballots is 8 p.m. on election day.
