A former PLU grad, youth sports coach, school music teacher, activist, and current Director for the Center for Latino Leadership will challenge Superintendent Chris Reykdal in November for the right to lead Washington schools. Maia Espinoza nosed out fellow GOP challenger Ron Higgins to earn a spot on the ballot.

It's interesting to note that there's still pending legal action between the two. Reykdal sued Espinoza over a statement in her voter's guide information that Reykdal favors the new controversial sex ed program, "a policy that teaches sexual positions to 4th graders.” 

Reykdal filed with a Thurston County Superior Court Judge who ordered that line removed. However, Espinoza countered right back with an appeal that has yet to be decided by the State Supreme Court.

Espinoza received 24% of the vote, another 20% went to West Richland's Higgins (former Marine Corp decorated veteran and decades of teaching and instruction experience plus numerous degrees) while Reykdal got just over 40 percent.

However, much like the Attorney General's race, if you add Higgin's votes to Espinoza in the general election in November (if voters throw support behind her) the combined numbers would defeat the incumbent by about 40,000 votes--based of course, upon August 4 primary numbers.

This was by far the most successful campaign run by Higgins, who also challenged for the position in the previous election.

So Espinoza will face off vs. Reykdal in November. Given resistance and pushback to Reykdal's controversial sexual education program (R-90 challenging) his position is considered perhaps the most vulnerable of those in the Inslee administration.

Three other candidates totaled  to receive about 15 percent of the remaining votes in the primary.

More From 870 AM KFLD