There’s no question that during most school board races, many incumbents face no competition for their seats. This year, for whatever reason, that’s not the case in Hermiston with six candidates running for four open seats.

Incumbents Bryan Medelez and Karen Sherman are both running unopposed, Medelez for Position No. 2 and Sherman for Position No. 6.

Medelez, an operations manager for a Hermiston trucking company, has served since being appointed in 2019. While Sherman does have an opponent on the ballot, Caitlin Melhorn told the East Oregonian that she was dropping out of the race due to the time commitments she already has. Sherman has served on the Board of Education for 20 years and is a retired teacher. Both have done a good job and voters should have no hesitancy in checking their names on the ballot.

Position 3

A pair of newcomers — Liliana Gomez and Dain Gardner — are vying for the seat currently held by Mark Gomolski.

During an interview with the East Oregonian editorial board, Gomez, a Hermiston native and a records specialist for the Hermiston Police Department, said if elected one goal would be to help break down barriers to student success and parent involvement, including linguistic and cultural barriers. Another would be to help the district stay on sound financial footing, something Gomez knows a little bit about in her role on the district’s budget committee.

Gardner, an Air Force veteran who says he attended multiple schools “all over,” is a senior trooper for the Oregon State Police’s Fish and Wildlife Division. He said he decided to run for school board because of his two children in the district, and the difficult experience they have had during the pandemic.

While both bring something to the table, we were impressed with Gomez’s answers and her depth of knowledge about the district, and we believe voters should back Gomez.

Position 4

The incumbent Brent Pitney faces a challenge from Hermiston attorney Sally Anderson Hansell.

Pitney, a lifelong Hermiston resident, is running to retain his seat after he was appointed to an open seat on the Board of Education in 2018.

Pitney is vice president of Knerr Construction and has a child in high school. He said he’s learned a lot during his service on the board so far and would like to continue that work. He feels his background in construction can be useful to the district as it begins construction on projects funded by the 2019 bond.

Anderson Hansell, a Hermiston attorney, has past experience on the Hermiston School District Bond Oversight Committee in 2008 and other boards. With three children currently in the district, there’s no doubt the Hermiston High graduate has a vested interest in the growth and prosperity of the district.

We believe Pitney has done a good job on the board and deserves another term. We agree with him that his background in construction will prove useful for the district as it moves forward on bond projects already underway. However, we also feel Anderson Hansell would make a quality member of the board and should consider another run or applying for a vacant seat should the opportunity arise.