Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Cheryl Johnson Watts
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive election coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This board member is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.
Cheryl Johnson Watts is an at-large representative on the Allentown City School District school board in Pennsylvania. Watts won a first term in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
Click here to read this candidate's 2017 campaign themes.
Elections
2017
Four seats on the Allentown City School District school board were up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. Democratic and Republican primary elections were held on May 16, 2017.
Board incumbent Sara Jane Brace and newcomer Robert Walker cross-filed to run in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. Three candidates filed to run as Democrats: Phoebe Harris, Cheryl Johnson Watts, and Lisa Conover. All five candidates advanced to the general election, where Brace, Harris, Watts, and Conover defeated Walker to win election. Brace won both the Democratic and Republican primaries, while Walker won the Republican primary. Harris, Conover, and Watts won the Democratic primary.[1][2][3]
General results
| Allentown City School District, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic/Republican |  Sara Jane Brace Incumbent |
24.82% | 8,222 | |
| Democratic | Cheryl Johnson Watts |
21.44% | 7,102 | |
| Democratic | Lisa Conover |
21.38% | 7,081 | |
| Democratic | Phoebe Harris |
19.36% | 6,412 | |
| Republican | Robert Walker | 12.99% | 4,303 | |
| Total Votes | 33,120 | |||
| Source: Lehigh County Pennsylvania, "Election Results," accessed November 8, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||||
Democratic primary results
| Allentown City School District, At-Large Democratic Primary Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Cheryl Johnson Watts |
22.07% | 3,061 | |
| Democratic | Lisa Conover |
21.71% | 3,011 | |
| Democratic | Sara Jane Brace Incumbent |
21.62% | 2,999 | |
| Democratic | Phoebe Harris |
19.06% | 2,643 | |
| Democratic | Robert Walker | 15.54% | 2,156 | |
| Total Votes | 13,870 | |||
| Source: Lehigh County, "Municipal Primary - May 2017: School Districts Director Results," accessed June 19, 2017 | ||||
Funding
| 2017 Campaign Finance Deadlines in Pennsylvania[4] | |
|---|---|
| Date | Deadline |
| May 5, 2017 | 2nd Friday Pre-Primary report due |
| June 15, 2017 | 30-Day Post-Primary report due |
| October 27, 2017 | 2nd Friday Pre-Election report due |
| December 7, 2017 | 30-Day Post-Election report due |
School board candidates in Pennsylvania were required to report their campaign finance activity. Those who spent or received more than $250 in a reporting period had to file full reports. Those below the threshold had to file forms to declare they were exempt from reporting. Candidates could have, but were not required to, form committees to handle campaign finance transactions. They were not required to have separate bank accounts for campaign purposes.[5]
The table to the left details the four campaign finance deadlines in 2017.[4]
Endorsements
Watts received official endorsements from Planned Parenthood, the Lehigh Valley AFL-CIO, and the East Penn Democratic Club.[6][7][8]
Campaign themes
2017
Watts posted the following on her Facebook campaign page:[9]
| “ | The future of Allentown sits in our K-12 classrooms. I am Cheryl Johnson Watts and I am a candidate for the Allentown School District Board of Directors, so we may provide our children, the future of Allentown, every possible resource for success.
I am a graduate of the New York City Public School System. It prepared me to earn a Princeton University degree in 1985. I am a firm believer that public schools are able to provide the education our children need to succeed. My early career in sports and entertainment during the global expansion of MTV Networks and the National Basketball Association/NBA informed my belief that the strength of our United States economy will rely heavily on our children’s ability to compete on the world stage. My mid career years producing investment conferences tailored for Chief Investment Officers of public pensions, foundations and endowments across the globe, enlightened me on the variety of concerns for meeting pension obligations for our teachers as we continue to rely on them to put our children first. Organizing large scale events for thousands by building teams of people with varying objectives and goals, helped me develop my negotiation and leadership skills that will guide me as we set our sights on continuing to bring Allentown schools to higher levels of academic achievement and community service. My husband and I moved to Allentown in September of 2012 and love claiming Allentown as our home. It is positioned to be one of the outstanding cities in the 21st Century. The innovation and growth that Allentown has already experienced is earning national recognition. Our children must have the opportunity to thrive and succeed in this great city. I humbly ask for your support in making sure I, Cheryl Johnson Watts, will have a seat on the Allentown School District Board of Directors. Together let’s provide the future of Allentown, our youth, every possible resource for success.[10] |
” |
| —Cheryl Johnson Watts (2017)[9] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lehigh County, "Unofficial List of Candidates," accessed March 8, 2017
- ↑ Lehigh County, "Municipal Primary - May 2017: School Districts Director Results," accessed May 16, 2017
- ↑ Lehigh County Pennsylvania, "Election Results," accessed November 8, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed April 19, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Campaign Finance Reporting Law," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ Planned Parenthood, "2017 Voter's Guide," accessed October 31, 2017
- ↑ Lehigh Valley Labor Council, "Vote General Election November 7th!" accessed October 31, 2017
- ↑ Lehigh County Democratic Club, "Democratic Sample Ballot," accessed November 6, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cheryl Johnson Watts for Allentown, "About," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Allentown City School District elections in 2017 | |
| Lehigh County, Pennsylvania | |
| Election date: | Primary: May 16, 2017 General: November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Incumbent, Sara Jane Brace (D)(R) • Robert Walker (R) • Phoebe Harris (D) • Lisa Conover (D) • Cheryl Johnson Watts (D) |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
