An early candidate with experience in the public and nonprofit sectors has emerged for the role of Island County auditor.

Andrea Downs, a member of the South Whidbey School Board and the executive director of Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse, filed with the Public Disclosure Commission earlier this month to run for the elected office as a Democratic candidate.

According to Downs, part of why she announced her candidacy so far in advance is to give ample notice to CADA, should the election go her way in November. The nonprofit organization’s board recruited her over two years ago for her background in supporting programs through systemic changes, filling a void in leadership.

Downs, a Freeland resident, has served on the school board since 2017 and plans to continue. She was recently searching for a way to expand her participation in public service.

“The auditor position has always stood out to me as kind of an underrepresented position in the community,” she said. “I don’t think people understand all the pieces of what the auditor does.”

If elected, she hopes to ensure Island County elections run smoothly in a free and fair way. In the context of the county’s budget, ensuring grant funds are spent in a timely manner is one of her priorities, something she has done in her position with CADA.

“Ensuring that those funds are spent before they expire is a really critical piece of that so that we’re not leaving money on the table,” Downs said.

In her previous experience, Downs has managed budgets as large as $35 million. Before CADA, she was the assistant director of special services for Northwest Educational Service District 189 and ran educational programming for juvenile detention centers and treatment centers for students with high levels of special education needs.

Downs is hesitant to name any big changes she wants to address if elected as auditor.

“I’m sure that there are things that I will eventually identify and want to shift or change,” she said, “but I really think it’s important to come in, listen and learn, and learn what’s working, what’s not working and why, before coming out saying I’m going to make all these changes.”

Republican Sheilah Crider, the current auditor since 2008, has not yet announced if she will run for reelection this year.