Mead School Board incumbent in danger of losing seat

Incumbent Mead School Board member Carmen Green was in a tight race to keep her seat Tuesday night.

Green’s challenger, BrieAnne Gray, a nurse practitioner, was leading the race with about 51%.

The race brought in more contributions than any race in the Mead School District in recent history. Gray raised more than $42,000 as of Tuesday, more than double Green, who raised about $19,000.

Prior to 2019 when one candidate raised $10,500, no Mead School Board candidate raised more than $5,000.

Despite the results, Green said she was “super hopeful” with the amount of ballots still left to count.

“However, it turns out, I’m fine,” Green said. “I’m just really hopeful for the Mead School District.”

Gray said Tuesday she was feeling “really good” with the results, but there were obviously a lot more ballots to be counted.

“We put in the work to get our message out, and our message is resonating with people in the community,” she said.

Gray’s campaign brought in endorsements from big conservative names, including U.S. Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers; state Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley; and Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.

Green said her opponents’ endorsements outside of the district created a “partisan feel” to the race, Green said.

“I think that’s unfortunate,” she said. “It’s not necessarily indicative of my political leanings.”

In her campaign, Gray said she hoped to bring a “new voice” to the district. She criticized the district for not doing more to stand up against the statewide mask mandate. She also had concerns with critical race theory and comprehensive sex education being taught in schools.

Green, who was on the board as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, supported the board’s decisions to reopen schools in September 2020 – the largest district in the state to do so – and to follow the statewide mask mandate, something she said was out of her hands.