(Center Square) – The director of the Richland School Board, which is battling a recall effort, has announced his candidacy for the 2024 Washington gubernatorial election.
If elected, Misipati “Semi” Byrd, who has established herself as a “Constitutional Christian Conservative,” would become the state’s first black governor and the first Republican to hold the top seat since 1981.
“The people of this great state aspire to accountability for its leadership to help bring about positive change for all,” says Veterans Day Olympia Legislative Announcement Speech Byrd said. “When we, as citizens of Washington, work together to create workable solutions, we are not only stronger, we are far more effective.”
Byrd said his military service, spirituality, and background in assembling teams to overcome challenges prepared him to lead the state.
“Our service to this great nation has no expiration date. Because this is a great nation, we must continue to honor our pledge to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America,” he said in November. said on the 11th.
Byrd and two other school board members, Kari Williams and Audra Byrd, were accused in February of defying statewide mask mandates by making face coverings voluntary in Richland schools. I was. The school district then canceled two days of classes for her, so administrators could figure out how best to respond to the controversial board directive.
School districts rescinded mask removal within days of being threatened with state funding for non-compliance.
Four members of the community then launched a grassroots campaign to bring back board members who defied Gov. Jay Inslee’s mask mandate. They said the elected officials had violated state law and multiple district ethics and policy in their voting.
On his campaign website birdforgovernor.com, Byrd said his life’s journey began “in the ghetto of East Oakland, California.” He was born to a single mother with his seven children. This mother was a firm believer that one should overcome external circumstances in order to control one’s destiny.
Although he struggled in school and dropped out of high school after his junior year, Byrd enlisted in the Marine Corps and eventually transitioned into the Army, where he became a “Green Berets” in the Special Forces. and earned two of the nation’s highest awards for heroism, a Bronze Star with Valor’s “V” device, and a Purple Heart.
Bird earned his first graduate degree from Villanova University, where he studied Human Resource Development. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Organizational Psychology. He holds six of his professional certifications and is an executive-in-residence at Washington State University in the Tri-Cities.
Through his international work, Bird has become an expert in the field of organizational and professional development.
Byrd now wants to put those skills to work in Washington. He seeks to restore public confidence in governance by holding officials accountable to the citizens they serve.
To that end, Bird would like to initiate a government-wide third-party audit and evaluation of all state offices and programs. He wants to provide transparency to the public about how the government works and promote financially responsible planning to maximize performance.
If elected, his goal is to restore the rule of law by providing tax breaks for citizens, adequately funding law enforcement, and tackling the mental health and addiction issues that drive crime. That’s it.
His campaign platform also prioritizes land and water rights for farmers, unhindered by bureaucratic red tape in growing state and national food.
Bird wants to give parents more choice in how their children are educated, whether in charter, private or public schools.
