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Don Wilkerson
Don Wilkerson is an at-large member of the Ann Arbor Board of Education in Michigan. Wilkerson assumed office on January 1, 2025. Wilkerson's current term ends on December 31, 2028.
Wilkerson ran for election for an at-large seat of the Ann Arbor Board of Education in Michigan. Wilkerson won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Wilkerson earned both his bachelor's degree in business administration and his master's degree in accounting from the University of Michigan. He has been employed as a risk assurance associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Wilkerson has served as the president of the Northside Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization, where both of his children have been enrolled.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Ann Arbor Public Schools, Michigan, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Leslie Wilkins (Nonpartisan)  | 22.4 | 39,986 |
| ✔ |  | Don Wilkerson (Nonpartisan) | 19.9 | 35,592 |
| ✔ | Glynda Wilks (Nonpartisan) | 19.8 | 35,298 | |
| Megan Kanous (Nonpartisan) | 18.1 | 32,413 | ||
| Ernesto Querijero (Nonpartisan) | 13.8 | 24,714 | ||
| Eric Sturgis (Nonpartisan) | 5.6 | 9,938 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 758 | ||
| Total votes: 178,699 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Woodrow Williams II (Nonpartisan)
Endorsements
Wilkerson received the following endorsements.
- Washtenaw County, Mich., Democratic Party
- Anishinaabek Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party
- Better Boards Better Schools
- Focus on Education Ann Arbor
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan
- The Michigan Daily
Pledges
Wilkerson signed the following pledges.
2016
Three of the seven seats on the Ann Arbor Public Schools school board were up for general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbents Simone Lightfoot and Deb Mexicotte filed for re-election, while Andy Thomas opted not to seek a new term. Lightfoot and Mexicotte ran against challengers Jeff Gaynor, Rebecca Lazarus, Jeremy Glick, Harmony Mitchell, Don Wilkerson, and Hunter Van Valkenburgh. Gaynor, Lightfoot, and Mitchell won in the election.[2]
Results
| Ann Arbor Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jeff Gaynor |
16.04% | 22,258 |
| Simone Lightfoot Incumbent |
15.48% | 21,487 |
| Harmony Mitchell |
14.78% | 20,507 |
| Deb Mexicotte Incumbent | 14.07% | 19,524 |
| Hunter Van Valkenburgh | 12.66% | 17,566 |
| Rebecca Lazarus | 11.40% | 15,822 |
| Don Wilkerson | 7.88% | 10,940 |
| Jeremy Glick | 7.00% | 9,718 |
| Write-in votes | 0.68% | 940 |
| Total Votes | 138,762 | |
| Source: Washtenaw County, Michigan, "Official Election Results," accessed November 22, 2016 | ||
Funding
School board candidates in Michigan were required to file pre-election campaign finance reports with their county election offices by October 28, 2016. Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016.[3]
In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, candidates must form a candidate committee. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. A candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election, and annual campaign statements.[4]
October 28 filing
Candidates received a total of $15,654.22 and spent a total of $8,378.46 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Wasthenaw County Clerk/Register.[5]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simone Lightfoot (incumbent) | $4,143.57 | $3,282.62 | $1,005.98 |
| Deb Mexicotte (incumbent) | $2,262.30 | $450.00 | $1,812.30 |
| Jeff Gaynor | $1,361.12 | $0.00 | $1,361.12 |
| Jeremy Glick | $3,815.00 | $3,281.60 | $553.40 |
| Rebecca Lazarus | $1,350.00 | $1,364.24 | -$14.24 |
| Harmony Mitchell | $1,361.12 | $0.00 | $1,361.12 |
| Don Wilkerson | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Hunter Van Valkenburgh | $1,361.11 | $0.00 | $1,361.11 |
2014
The election in Ann Arbor featured four at-large seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Susan Baskett and Christine Stead ran against challengers Jeffery Harrold, Donna Lasinski, Patricia Ashford Manley, Jack Panitch, Deirdre Piper, Hunter Van Valkenburgh, Don Wilkerson and Roland Zullo for the seats. Baskett, Harrold, Van Valkenburgh and Zullo campaigned together as an unofficial slate.[6] Fellow board members Glenn Nelson and Irene Patalan did not file for re-election.
Incumbents Susan Baskett and Christine Stead and challengers Donna Lasinski and Patricia Ashford Manley won the four seats.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Susan Baskett Incumbent |
15.1% | 17,121 | |
| Nonpartisan | Donna Lasinski |
13.9% | 15,794 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christine Stead Incumbent |
13.2% | 14,941 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patricia Ashford Manley |
12.2% | 13,845 | |
| Nonpartisan | Hunter Van Valkenburgh | 10.4% | 11,847 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeffery Harrold | 8.5% | 9,643 | |
| Nonpartisan | Roland Zullo | 7.2% | 8,183 | |
| Nonpartisan | Don Wilkerson | 7% | 7,908 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jack Panitch | 6.9% | 7,785 | |
| Nonpartisan | Deirdre Piper | 5.6% | 6,353 | |
| Total Votes | 113,420 | |||
| Source: Washtenaw County Elections Division, "Election Summary Report," accessed December 29, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Wilkerson did not report any contributions or expenditures during the election, according to the Washtenaw County Elections Division.[7] In Michigan, a candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election and annual campaign statements without legal penalty.[8]
Endorsements
Wilkerson received endorsements from board members Andy Thomas, Glenn Nelson and Irene Patalan along with a local business, The Little Seedling.[9]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Don Wilkerson did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Other survey responses
Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Wilkerson completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
2016
Wilkerson provided the following responses for the voter guide compiled by MLive.com:
| “ |
Why are you running for office? What are your top three priorities? What is the most pressing issue for this office? |
” |
| —Don Wilkerson (2016) | ||
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Mlive, "Election 2014: Meet the candidates for Ann Arbor school board," August 4, 2014
- ↑ Washtenaw County Elections Division, "Official List of Candidates-November 8, 2016 General Election," August 26, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Bureau of Elections, "2016 and 2017 Campaign Finance Filing Schedule," January 12, 2016
- ↑ Genesee County, "Filing Requirements under Michigan's Campaign Finance Act," February 7, 2014
- ↑ Washtenaw County Clerk/Register, "Campaign Finance," accessed October 30, 2016
- ↑ Facebook, "Hunter Van Valkenburgh for School Board," accessed October 16, 2014
- ↑ Washtenaw County Elections Division, "Campaign Finance," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ Genesee County, "Filing Requirements under Michigan's Campaign Finance Act," February 7, 2014
- ↑ Vote Don Wilkerson, "Endorsements," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ MLive.com, "Voter Guide," accessed October 20, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2016 Ann Arbor Public Schools Elections | |
| Washtenaw County, Michigan | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Simone Lightfoot • Incumbent, Deb Mexicotte • Jeff Gaynor • Rebecca Lazarus • Jeremy Glick • Harmony Mitchell • Don Wilkerson • Hunter Van Valkenburgh |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
| 2014 Ann Arbor Public Schools Elections | |
| Washtenaw County, Michigan | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Susan Baskett • Incumbent, Christine Stead • Jeffery Harrold • Donna Lasinski • Patricia Ashford Manley • Jack Panitch • Deirdre Piper • Hunter Van Valkenburgh • Don Wilkerson • Roland Zullo |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
