Who had ever thought of a school board race as funny, a possibility to meet lots of interesting people and learn about oneself?
Dean Vlachos (second from right) and his supporters checking the first election results.
That is exactly how Dean Vlachos, school board candidate for Boulder Valley’s School Board District E, describes his candidacy. Although he finally didn’t win the race, he is taking the campaign as a good experience of being involved and active in the community.
As the first unofficial results were announced 7 p.m. Tuesday evening, Vlachos challenger Donna Miers was leading with 9,433 votes. Vlachos himself got second place with 7,485 votes.
Vlachos supporters met in the familiar atmosphere of the West Flanders Brewing Company. They were sharing experiences during the campaign, when more and more people gathered around their laptops or cell phones. After 7 p.m. a slight disappointment is noticeable. But people still seem to have some hope.
“We have to live with these results until 8.15 p.m.,” said John Fuerst, one of Vlachos’s supporters. Although, he admitted, votes are not likely to change in a local election.
And he was right: When the forecasts were updated an hour later, the numbers had changed, but not the percentages. “It hasn’t really moved,” said one person on Vlachos team. Donna Miers is still leading with 46 percent of the votes, followed by Vlachos with almost 37 percent and Raj Rawat with nearly 17 percent.
Only two of the three open seats in the BVSD’s Board of Education were contested. Two candidates – Alexandra Eddy and Kitty Sargent – were running for District F. Three candidates – Donna Miers, Raj Rawat and Dean Vlachos – were running for District E. Christina Marquis, candidate for District B, is uncontested.
As by 10.06 p.m., when the results were updated for the third time, the votes were distributed as follows:
District E
Donna Miers: 15,605 votes (46,80 percent)
Dean Vlachos: 12,129 votes (36,37 percent)
Raj Rawat: 5,613 votes (16,83 percent)
District F
Kitty Sargent: 18,611 votes (67,19 percent)
Alexandra Eddy: 9,089 votes (32,81 percent)
District B
Christina Marquardt: 28,222 votes (100 percent)
“No, I am not really surprised,” said Vlachos. Given that the election is very local, there are no polls that predict the results weeks before. How could he be surprised when he didn’t know what to expect, asked Vlachos.
“I am going home smiling,” he told his supporters. “It has been so rewarding to connect with you and other people that I would have never had the possibility of meeting.”
Communicating with different people was just one of the “enchanting” experiences during the campaign. “Yes, I have enjoyed it and No, I have no regrets,” Vlachos said. He learned a lot, about education and about how people think.
Will he run again? He doesn’t know. “I don’t even know what I will have for lunch tomorrow,” he added with a laugh.
Six candidates wait for the first results on how will attend the BVSD school board. #ElectionDay #edcolo
— Ann Ryderwood (@AnnRyderwood) November 8, 2017
Everyone is checking phones after the first results were published 5min ago #ElectionDay #edcolo
— Ann Ryderwood (@AnnRyderwood) November 8, 2017
We have to live with this until the results are updated, said one of Dean Vlachos supporters about the unofficial results #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/jOs7KwvFV6
— Ann Ryderwood (@AnnRyderwood) November 8, 2017
"I will go home with a smile", said Dean Vlachos. The latest results suggest that Donna Miers will be next school board member #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/rTaP2q45Oz
— Ann Ryderwood (@AnnRyderwood) November 8, 2017