Change doesn’t always begin in a council chamber.
Sometimes it begins with a loss.
In 2023, a historic school board candidate overwhelmingly won her district — but lost citywide under an at-large voting system. That moment sparked a question: What if the system itself was preventing fair representation?
In early 2024, ELLA, working alongside Amend Law and the ACLU of Washington, served notice to the Sunnyside School District under the Washington Voting Rights Act. After months of negotiations — and after attorneys compiled extensive historical documentation detailing racial disparities and patterns of exclusion — a settlement was reached.
The outcome was historic:
• A new district-based voting map
• All five school board seats up for election in 2025
• A pathway toward fairer representation
That settlement paved the way for this year’s results — meaning residents now elected representatives from within their own geographic districts.
That change mattered.
Under at-large systems, majority voting blocs could override the voices of neighborhoods that deserved direct representation. District-based voting increased the likelihood that communities of color — especially in majority-Latino areas — could elect leaders who understand their lived experiences.
Because of our work with the ACLU to challenge the electoral structure of the Sunnyside School District, all five school board seats were up for election; a moment in history that was unprecedented for Sunnyside. The result? A major success for our community. Three of our emerging leaders were elected to the Sunnyside School Board — meaning real representation for our community.
Prior to this victory, families in Sunnyside consistently named safety and security as their top concern. Academic performance mattered, but parents first wanted to know their children would return home safely. ELLA Adelante is proud to say that we endorsed candidates who understood that reality. Adequate representation means leaders understand firsthand what it means to grow up in working-class families. Leaders understand safety concerns. Leaders know what disproportionate suspensions and expulsions do to students’ futures.
Sandra Zesati, who previously won her district decisively, brings years of youth engagement and higher education recruitment work. She understands the importance of opportunity for our children.
Evaristo Salas carries a powerful story of resilience. He believes no child should be pushed into punitive systems when intervention and care are possible.
Raquel López, a nurse and mother, stepped forward after experiencing firsthand what she felt was a failure of school accountability during a violent incident involving her child. She is committed to strengthening safety policies so other families do not face the same fear.
These leaders lead today. These are not symbolic candidates. They are professionals with deep community ties. They bring with them experience that matters; that will help them be excellent representatives of their communities.
Representation, when paired with competence and courage, reshapes institutions.
This is what participatory democracy looks like — not just voting, but restructuring systems to make voting meaningful.
When communities organize, challenge inequitable systems, and step forward as candidates, the message is clear:
We are not asking for permission to lead.
We are preparing to change our community for the better.
If you want to learn more about how you can get involved, reach out and we can get you connected.
Posted April 07, 2026
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