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Eric Mandel (Hopkins Public Schools, At-large, Minnesota, candidate 2025)
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Eric Mandel is running for election to the Hopkins Public Schools, At-large in Minnesota. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Mandel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Eric Mandel provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 9, 2025:
- High school: William Howard Taft, Woodland Hills, CA
- Bachelor's: California Institute of the Arts, 1989
- J.D.: University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 1995
- Gender: Male
- Profession: Consultant
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: Real Conversations. Real Accountability. Real Results.
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
- Campaign Instagram
Elections
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Hopkins Public Schools, At-large (3 seats)
Sara Wilhelm Garbers, Rachel Hartland, Johanna Hyman, Eric Mandel, and Tim Molepske are running in the general election for Hopkins Public Schools, At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Sara Wilhelm Garbers (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Rachel Hartland (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Johanna Hyman (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Eric Mandel (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Tim Molepske (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Mandel received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- State Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart (D)
- State Rep. Patty Acomb (D)
- Former State Rep. Laurie Pryor (D)
- Minnetonka City Council Memb. Deb Calvert (Nonpartisan)
- Minnetonka City Council Memb. Paula Ramaley
- Frmr. Hopkins School Board Memb. Susan Wooten
- Frmr. State Rep. Yvonne Selcer (D)
- Frmr. State House Maj. Leader Ryan Winkler (D)
- Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
- OutFront Minnesota Action
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Eric Mandel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mandel's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Eric and his wife Jennifer chose Hopkins in 2010 for its diversity and educational opportunities, including the XinXing Mandarin immersion program. As parents of two Hopkins High School students, they've witnessed both the dedication of Hopkins educators and the challenges facing the district.
Eric's commitment to public service began at 14, knocking doors for Democratic candidates. As a teenage Congressional intern and House Page in the U.S. House of Representatives, he learned how democratic institutions work best: through transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making.
Eric built a career helping organizations solve complex problems at the intersection of law and technology. As an internationally recognized expert, he has testified in federal courts, led major professional organizations, and authored publications on governance best practices. His work requires analyzing complex systems, managing large budgets, evaluating detailed proposals, and asking difficult questions to ensure accountability.
Eric's campaign centers on three principles: Real Conversation where every voice matters, Real Accountability where promises are measured, and Real Results because Hopkins families deserve more than rhetoric.- Hopkins students deserve programs proven to work. Eric will advocate for adopting curriculum that includes clear success metrics before implementation and ensuring honest measurements of outcomes. When strategies aren't delivering results, Eric will push for timely adjustments. Hopkins has incredible potential—with evidence-based decision making, proper planning, and transparent progress reporting, we can help deliver equitable academic opportunities for every student. Eric brings three decades of experience evaluating and implementing complex programs and is ready to collaborate with the board and superintendent to turn educational ideals into measurable reality.
- Our community deserves clear information about how we utilize our resources. Eric will advocate for monthly financial reports aligning budget categories with actual spending, public dashboards tracking academic progress by school and demographic group, and regular updates on program effectiveness. Eric believes safe transportation shouldn't depend on family circumstances. He'll advocate for restoration of bus service while seeking savings elsewhere. Eric additionally believes transparent governance will help rebuild community trust and ensure every dollar is targeted at achieving student success. Through collaborative oversight and honest reporting, Hopkins can demonstrate measurable progress toward our shared, equitable goals.
- Our exceptional teachers deserve comprehensive support to help every student thrive. Eric will advocate for proper preparation time and resources for educators before implementing new programs and push for safe channels where teachers can provide professional feedback. He'll encourage the board and administration to understand why families are leaving Hopkins neighborhood schools and address their legitimate concerns. Eric believes retaining students requires investing in excellence that makes families want to stay. When leadership listens to teachers and engages families as genuine partners, student achievement improves. Eric's commitment: fostering real conversation and collaborative decision-making for better outcomes.
As a potential school board member, running for office for the first time, his words guide me and inform my desire to listen to families across all backgrounds, recognizing that parents who leave Hopkins and those who stay both want excellent education for their children. It means to me engaging in honest, often challenging, conversations about where we're falling short while maintaining hope that we can improve.
I see a future where AI is used by teachers to handle administrative tasks, provide insights on student progress, and most importantly, enable more personalized learning experiences.
Since AI will likely be part of nearly every career path, students will need to learn to work alongside AI tools, understanding both their capabilities and their limitations.
Schools must approach AI integration carefully. First, we need clear policies protecting student privacy, ensuring adequate teacher training, and utilizing systematic pilot programs before allowing for widespread adoption. It is essential that AI be used to enhance human teaching, not replace it. In my view, our schools should be focused on developing students' uniquely human capabilities, including critical thinking, creativity, ethical reasoning, collaboration, so that we have a future living in partnership with AI and avoid any attempt to complete with it.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
