Governor Gary Herbert selects candidates for Utah State Board of Education

SALT LAKE CITY — The 18 candidates who will vie for nine Utah State Board of Education seats during November's election were selected Friday by Gov. Gary Herbert.

Unlike other elections in the state, candidates for the state school board are vetted by a nominating and recruiting committee, which then narrow the field and forward names to the governor for selection. The committee passed 27 names to the governor from an initial field of 59.

In each case where an incumbent was nominated by the committee, Herbert included them as a candidate for November's ballot. Two incumbents, Janet Cannon and Carol Murphy, failed to clear the committee and will not appear on the ballot.

Members of the state school board serve four-year terms, with elections staggered every two years. The nominating committee is appointed by the governor and is made up of 12 individuals.

The candidates for State School Board are:

• District 1: Alan Shakespear and Tami Pyfer

• District 4: Bruce Davis and David Thomas

• District 7: Carlton Getz and Leslie Castle

• District 8: Christopher Williams and Jennifer Johnson

• District 10: David Crandall and Nina Welker

• District 11: Jefferson Moss and Sergio Vasquez

• District 12: Dixie Allen and Wendy Simmerman

• District 13: Ken Parkinson and Mark Openshaw

• District 15: Barbara Corry and Bette Arial

— Benjamin Wood