Rising political leader — and controversial school board member — is new Benton GOP chair
Hot off the heels of announcing his 2024 gubernatorial run, Richland’s Semi Bird has been selected to lead the Benton County Republican Party.
He was nominated and elected chairman of the local Republican Party at a meeting this month to select new leaders. Bird will lead the party for two years, through the conclusion of the 2024 presidential election.
“We will focus on uniting our party, creating value for our community and developing a six-year strategic plan which will guide us toward success,” Bird said in a statement, adding that he was “honored and humbled” to have been selected.
Bird — a rising conservative star and controversial Richland School Board member under a recall effort — replaces Michael Massey, who will serve as the group’s Washington state commiteeman.
“We’re very excited as a party to have him lead us. He has a lot of incredible skills. He’s a jewel for us to have as leader of our party,” Massey told the Tri-City Herald.
“He’s looking at what the party can do in the next six years and beyond that. We’re going to continue to grow our party, continue to find and vet good candidates – our neighbors – who are going to the school board meetings and city council meetings, and cultivate leaders in our community run for positions in the county, the state and even the federal,” he added.
During Massey’s tenure, Republicans continued to put conservative candidates onto local school boards and city councils, and expand their reach.
Massey also led the party through some political contentious months, with the recall of Sheriff Jerry Hatcher and the failed attempt to oust 4th District Congressman Dan Newhouse over his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.
Richland recall effort
But Massey said Republicans are fired up about Bird’s campaign for governor, which was announced on Veterans Day, and he said Bird plans to carry on his effort to unite Republicans and moderate voters.
Bird has sat on the Richland School Board for about a year now. He’s the owner of his own business consultant group, Team Concepts Training and Consulting.
Separately, he also serves as a Republican precinct committee officer.
Earlier this year, Bird voted in favor of a motion to make COVID face masks optional in Richland schools and to go against the Washington state indoor mask mandate.
He and two other school board members are currently facing a recall effort by district taxpayers over the vote. But the decision has been appealed to the Washington Supreme Court, which likely will rule sometime next month.
If that clears the courts and gets enough signatures from the public, a measure to remove them from office could head to voters.
Benton County Superior Court Judge Norma Rodriguez earlier this year found that four charges against the trio met the state’s standard for recall. Those charges deal with alleged violations to the Open Public Meetings Act, the state mask mandate and district ethics and policies.
Other political party positions
Also elected to Benton County Republican leadership: Teresa Anderson (vice chair), Ashley Stubbs (state committee woman), Aaron Massey (secretary) and Jerry Strickler (treasurer).
This winter is a season of reorganizing for local political parties.
Benton County Democrats will elect their leadership team for the next two years at a meeting slated for Jan. 8 at the Richland Public Library.
This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Rising political leader — and controversial school board member — is new Benton GOP chair."
