Republican Nicole McDermott and Democrat Araueni Olivares vie for Utah Board of Education District 8 seat
Republican Nicole McDermott and Democrat Araueni Olivares are the two candidates contesting the Utah State Board of Education District 8 position in the November election.
In the upcoming November 3 election, voters in Utah's District 8 will choose between Republican Nicole McDermott and Democrat Araueni Olivaas for a seat on the State Board of Education. The district includes sections of Taylorsville, Kearns and West Jordan and has been held by Christina Boggess since 2022, who is stepping down. McDermott, currently president of the Granite School District board and a former music teacher, emphasizes local control, attendance and AI challenges.
Olivaas, with a background in multilingual learner support and fourteen years at the Utah Department of Workforce Services, stresses the need for resources to serve a growing, diverse student population. Both addressed issues such as the state's sensitive-materials law, the Utah Fits All voucher program, and immigration enforcement in schools, and they share a stance against third-grade retention while supporting cellphone bans.
