Unofficial results show leading candidates in the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District board race.
Five of 11 candidates are filling seats on the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 School District board, according to Tuesday’s unofficial vote count.
- In District A, Lara Maria Blair leads with 54.92% of votes.
- In District B, Barbara Mate leads with 100% of votes.
- In District D, Joshua Shumway leads with 57.00% of votes.
- In District E, Justine Bayles leads with 36.83% of votes
- In District F, Laura DeWitt leads with 47.02% of votes.
Mate ran unopposed. Mike Lynch of District G is the only returning board member who was not termed out or up for reelection.
“This victory belongs to all of us – families, volunteers, teachers and students – our community’s voice was heard loud and clear,” Blair told The Journal.
Blair is the finance manager at The Piñon Project Family Resource Center and has two sons attending Kemper Elementary and Montezuma-Cortez High School. She has lived in Cortez since 2009.
“I’m grateful for the community’s confidence and look forward to serving with integrity, transparency and a focus on what matters most – our kids,” Mate said.
Mate is a full-time real estate broker and recently worked part time for The Farm Bistro and the Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce. She has volunteered in her children’s education for 10 years.
In October, Mate told The Journal she hadn’t planned to run but felt the community needed a voice, describing herself as a “great listener.”
Shumway is director of pharmacy for Axis Health System and holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
“Thank you, Montezuma County voters for your confidence and to the team of teachers who supported my efforts,” Bayles said. “I look forward to all future conversations, dialogue and decisions to be made with our children’s best interest in mind. I look forward to engaging with the community and working with the other directors. I am appreciative of this opportunity to be a part of local education again.”
Bayles is a former elementary and middle school teacher, minibus driver, administrator and former Mancos school board treasurer. She now works part time at Cliffrose Garden Center.
DeWitt is an optometrist who has served on the District Accountability Committee and volunteered as a parent in the district.
“I’m deeply thankful for the trust this community has placed in me. I’ve had so many thoughtful conversations over the past few months … and I’ve learned something from every single one. I know this work won’t be easy, but I believe that when we listen to each other, really listen, we can find a way forward that puts students first and reflects the values of our community,” DeWitt said.
“Thank you, neighbors, for showing up, asking hard questions, and caring about our schools. I’m ready to get to work.”
New members will fill the seats of former board President Sheri Noyes (District F), who termed out, and Paul Beckler (District B), who did not seek reelection. Incumbents Leland Collins and Ed Rice are seeking reelection.
Other candidates include Tiffany Cheney (District A) with 45.08% of the vote; Zane Kuenzler (District E), 32.23%; Rice (District E), 30.93%; Erik Quiroz (District F), 12.70%; Ricky Carver (District F), 40.28%; and Collins (District D), 43.00%.
