All eyes in the Gresham-Barlow School District are on a contested school board seat during election night.

Heather Coleman-Cox and Stefanie Craft both ran for School Board Position 6 during the 2025 Special Election Tuesday evening, May 20. Coleman-Cox led with 49.96% of votes; while Craft trailed with 48.56%. The difference after the latest update Wednesday evening, May 21, was 129 people.

In total more than 9,200 votes had been counted.

The seat was vacated following incumbent Mayra Gomez’s withdrawal because she’s moving out of state.

The other trio of seats have candidates running unopposed — Brenna Puderbaugh (Position 3, Zone 2); incumbent Holly Riegelmann (Position 4, at-large); and incumbent Blake Petersen (Position 5, Zone 4).

Puderbaugh had 97% of more than 6,800 votes; Riegelmann had 97% of more than 7,600 votes; and Petersen had 97% of more than 7,200 votes.

All four positions are four-year terms ending June 30, 2029.

Craft is the special projects manager for Ad-Tek and the founder/treasurer of Barlow VIPs nonprofit organization. She was also the 2016 School Bond Campaign Manager for the Gresham-Barlow School District.

Coleman-Cox is a former engineer with Intel Corporation and Frontier Communications. She is a Grant High alum and has been serving on the Gresham Community Enhancement Committee since the spring.

Puderbaugh is taking over a position that has been vacant since Cathy Keathley was successful in her bid to run for Gresham City Council. She works as a creative director and is a former preschool teacher. Puderbaugh is a Reynolds High alum and attended Mt. Hood Community College.

Riegelmann is the bookkeeper at Riegelmann’s Appliance and a Barlow High alum. She is the current vice chair of the School Board.