In what turned out to be a close race between four candidates for three open seats on the School District of Washington’s Board of Education, two incumbents and one newcomer emerged to claim the three spots during the general municipal election on Tuesday, June 2.
Incumbents Susan Thatcher and Scott Byrne were re-elected by earning the most votes in ballots from Franklin, Warren and St. Charles Counties.
The third and final seat came down to incumbent Bob Oreskovic and newcomer Dan Leslie.
While Oreskovic collected 20 more votes than Leslie in Franklin County and five more in St. Charles County, Leslie pulled ahead in Warren County with a 35-vote advantage to claim the third open seat by 10 votes over Oreskovic.
Only 148 votes separated the top vote-getter (Thatcher with 840) and the fourth-place finisher (Oreskovic with 692). Byrne finished 823 total votes. Leslie collected 702 total votes.
Byrne was elected to his fifth term on the Board while Thatcher was elected to her third term. Oreskovic served one term.
Board of Education members serve three-year terms.
Byrne, Thatcher and Leslie will be sworn in to office during the Board’s reorganization meeting on Tuesday, June 16, at the District Office at 7:30 a.m.
Unofficial Board of Education results from the June 2 election:
Susan Thatcher
Franklin County – 644
Warren County – 137
St. Charles County - 59
Total – 840 (27.41 percent)
Scott Byrne
Franklin County – 625
Warren County – 140
St. Charles County - 58
Total – 823 (26.85 percent)
Dan Leslie
Franklin County – 528
Warren County – 134
St. Charles County - 40
Total – 702 (22.9 percent)
Bob Oreskovic
Franklin County – 548
Warren County – 99
St. Charles County - 45
Total – 692 (22.58 percent)
Write-Ins
Franklin County – 8
St. Charles County – 0
Warren County – 0
Total – 8 (0.26 percent)
Susan Thatcher
Scott Byrne
Dan Leslie