Emma Saunders
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Emma Saunders was a candidate for at-large representative on the New Hanover County Schools school board in North Carolina. Saunders won the primary election on March 15, 2016, and lost the general election on November 8, 2016.
Saunders was also a Democratic candidate for an at-large seat on the New Hanover school board in 2014. She ran on the Elect Red4Ed slate with fellow Democratic candidates Tom Gale and Chris Meek against four Republican candidates in the general election on November 4, 2014. Saunders and her fellow Democratic candidates were all defeated in the general election. She also ran for the New Hanover school board in the general election on November 6, 2012, but was defeated.
Biography
Saunders earned her bachelor's degree in childhood education and elementary education from Florida A&M University. She later earned a master's degree in elementary education from Fayetteville State University. Saunders was a teacher and administrator with the district for three decades prior to her retirement. She has three children who have attended district schools.[1]
Elections
2016
Three of the seven seats on the New Hanover County Schools school board were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. All seats saw Republican and Democratic primaries on March 15, 2016.
The seats of Tammy Covil, Lisa Estep, and Jeanette Nichols were up for election. Four Republicans, two of whom are incumbents, filed for the primary election: Nichols, Estep, Frank Meares and David Wortman. Five Democrats, all newcomers, also filed: James Jamison, Jr., Sandra Leigh, Chris Meek, Emma Saunders, and Kevin Spears. Three Republicans and three Democrats advanced to the general. Lisa Estep, David Wortman, and Jeanette Nichols composed the Republican winners, and Emma Saunders, Sandra Leigh, and Kevin Spears made up the Democratic victorious. All three Republicans won the general election: Estep, Wortman, and Nichols.[2][3]
General results
| New Hanover County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Lisa Estep Incumbent |
19.41% | 55,861 | |
| Republican | David Wortman |
17.07% | 49,132 | |
| Republican | Jeanette Nichols Incumbent |
16.90% | 48,640 | |
| Democrat | Sandra Leigh | 16.00% | 46,059 | |
| Democrat | Emma Saunders | 15.42% | 44,372 | |
| Democrat | Kevin Spears | 15.20% | 43,754 | |
| Total Votes (100) | 287,818 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-New Hanover," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||||
Primary results
| New Hanover County Schools, At-Large Primary Democratic Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Emma Saunders |
26.31% | 13,487 | |
| Democrat | Sandra Leigh |
24.52% | 12,569 | |
| Democrat | Kevin Spears |
19.53% | 10,013 | |
| Democrat | James Jamison, Jr. | 14.96% | 7,666 | |
| Democrat | Chris Meek | 14.68% | 7,523 | |
| Total Votes (100) | 51,258 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official Primary Election Results," accessed September 2, 2016 | ||||
Funding
Saunders reported $3,285.00 in contributions and $817.67 in expenditures to the New Hanover County Board of Elections, leaving her campaign with $2,740.04 cash on hand as of July 8, 2016. No further reports were made available on the county's website as of November 4, 2016.[4]
School board candidates in North Carolina were required to file campaign finance reports to their county's board of elections unless the candidate:
(1) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in contributions, and
(2) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in loans, and
(3) Did not spend more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).[5]
The third quarter campaign finance deadline was October 31, 2016, and the fourth quarter deadline was January 11, 2017.[6]
2014
Emma Saunders and fellow Democratic candidates Tom Gale and Chris Meek sought election to the board as a slate in the general election on November 4, 2014. They faced Republican candidates Janice Cavenaugh, Don Hayes, Ed Higgins and Bruce Shell.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Janice Cavenaugh Incumbent |
16.1% | 34,666 | |
| Republican | Bruce Shell |
15.4% | 33,275 | |
| Republican | Don Hayes Incumbent |
14.6% | 31,540 | |
| Republican | Ed Higgins Incumbent |
14.2% | 30,700 | |
| Democratic | Emma Saunders | 13.9% | 30,101 | |
| Democratic | Tom Gale | 13% | 28,159 | |
| Democratic | Chris Meek | 12.7% | 27,524 | |
| Total Votes | 215,965 | |||
| Source: North Carolina Board of Elections, "2014 General Election Results," accessed December 30, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Saunders had not reported any contributions or expenditures to the North Carolina State Board of Elections as of October 23, 2014.[7]
Endorsements
Saunders had not received any official endorsements as of April 29, 2014.
2012
Saunders placed last in the race for three board seats on November 6, 2012.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lisa B. Estep |
18.1% | 50,820 | |
| Republican | Tammy Covil |
17.6% | 49,217 | |
| Republican | Jeannette S. Nichols |
17.5% | 49,135 | |
| Democratic | Elizabeth Redenbaugh | 16.8% | 47,079 | |
| Democratic | Karen Clay Beatty | 15.2% | 42,613 | |
| Democratic | Emma Saunders | 14.7% | 41,211 | |
| Total Votes | 280,075 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Contest: NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION," accessed April 29, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2014
Saunders provided the following statement on her campaign website:
| “ | Pre-K Education – Early Intervention
In an all-inclusive Pre-K program, students will be provided the basic foundations to be successful life long learners. Rebuilding Trust between the Board and Teachers Research shows that teachers have the greatest impact on the success of a child in school. Teachers have been under attack from both the federal and state governments. The New Hanover County Board of Education should support all those involved in the education of our county’s most precious resource: Our Children. Creating 21st Century Citizens Our students should be innovators in the 21st Century. We must prepare them for this endeavor through a rigorous curriculum that challenges their abilities on multiple levels.[8] |
” |
| —Emma Saunders' campaign website (2014)[9] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Emma Saunders' 'New Hanover County Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- New Hanover County Schools, North Carolina
- New Hanover County Schools elections (2016)
- New Hanover County Schools elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Michelle Sexton, Lumina News, "Primary 2012: New Hanover County Board of Education Candidate Profiles," April 11, 2012
- ↑ New Hanover County Board of Elections, "Candidate List Grouped by Contest," accessed January 22, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial General Election Results-New Hanover," accessed November 8, 2016
- ↑ New Hanover County, "Committee Reports," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "Chapter 163: Elections And Election Laws, Article 22A - Regulating Contributions and Expenditures in Political Campaigns," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedules," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "NC Campaign Report Search By Entity," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Elect Emma Saunders New Hanover County Board of Education, "Issues," accessed October 23, 2014
| 2016 New Hanover County Schools Elections | |
| Election date: | Primary: March 15, 2016 General: November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Lisa Estep (R) • Incumbent, Jeanette Nichols (R) • Frank Meares (R) • David Wortman (R) • James Jamison, Jr. (D) • Sandra Leigh (D) • Chris Meek (D) • Emma Saunders (D) • Kevin Spears (D) |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
