Grace Baltich
Grace Baltich was a candidate for the District 3 seat on the Anoka-Hennepin school board. She did not win the seat in the general election on November 5, 2013. District 3 includes the communities of Champlin, Dayton and portions of Coon Rapids. She was also a 2012 Democratic candidate for District 36A of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Biography
Grace Baltich resides in Champlin, Minnesota with her husband. Baltich graduated from Champlin Park High School before receiving her Bachelor's degree from the College of St. Benedict and her Master's degree from the University of Minnesota. She is employed as a social worker and has served as a leader in multiple local labor organizations, including as president of AFSCME Local 2685 and as vice president of AFSCME Council 65.[1]
Elections
2013
Grace Baltich unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Bill Harvey for the District 3 seat in the general election on November 5, 2013.
Results
| Anoka-Hennepin School District, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Bill Harvey Incumbent |
60.8% | 1,275 | |
| Nonpartisan | Grace Baltich | 38.5% | 808 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.6% | 13 | |
| Total Votes | 2,096 | |||
| Source: Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Results for Selected Contests in School District No. 11 - Anoka-Hennepin," accessed December 17, 2013 | ||||
Funding
Grace Baltich began the race with an existing campaign debt of $318.23. She reported $6,029.48 in contributions and $5,389.82 in expenditures to the Anoka County Office of Elections & Voter Registration, which left her campaign with $321.43 on hand.[2]
Endorsements
Grace Baltich received an official endorsement for her 2013 campaign from the Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota teachers union, but it was withdrawn on October 21 due to allegations that Baltich plagiarized parts of her campaign website.[3][4]
2012
Baltich ran in the 2012 election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 36A. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 14 and was defeated by Mark Uglem (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[5][6]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Uglem |
51.1% | 10,691 | |
| Democratic | Grace Baltich | 48.9% | 10,235 | |
| Total Votes | 20,926 | |||
Campaign themes
2013
Baltich's campaign website listed the following campaign themes for 2013:[7]
|
"I believe that a great education can open up a world of possibilities. The thought of my daughter receiving an education worth less than mine is disheartening. This is why I have consistently advocated for education funding reform to create predictable, sustainable, and equitable school investments for our children starting with early-childhood through higher education. With long-term reform, our classroom teachers and school leaders can create stronger programs to tackle the problems facing schools today." |
Note: The above quote is from the candidate's website, which may include some typographical or spelling errors.
2012
Baltich's 2012 website highlighted the following campaign themes:[8]
Fighting to put Minnesota on a path to prosperity
- Excerpt: "I am running for State Representative because I am passionate about improving people’s lives. I know that we can work together to improve the quality of life we enjoy in Minnesota and preserve our commitment to greatness for the next generation."
Fighting for Middle Class Jobs
- Excerpt: "I will fight to put Minnesotans back to work like we have for decades, by investing in our highly-educated workforce. We must expand job retraining and stop the ever-increasing barriers to higher education."
Fighting for World Class Schools
- Excerpt: "I believe that a great education can open up a world of possibilities. The thought of my daughter receiving an education worth less than mine is disheartening."
Fighting for an Honest Budget
- Excerpt: "I will always be open and honest about Minnesota’s budget situation. I oppose using one-time budget gimmicks to balance our state’s budget."
Fighting to Expand Freedom
- Excerpt: "I oppose these amendments, not only because they embed discrimination into our state’s constitution, but also because they will deny basic freedoms to hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans."
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Grace + Baltich + Anoka-Hennepin + School + District"
See also
External links
- District page
- Campaign website
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
Footnotes
- ↑ Grace Baltich for All Kids - Anoka-Hennepin Dist. 11 School Board, "About Grace," accessed October 21, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Anoka County, Minnesota, "Campaign Finance Search," accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ Sarah Horner, TwinCities.com, "Anoka-Hennepin school board candidate accused of plagiarism online," October 18, 2013
- ↑ Sarah Horner, TwinCities.com, "Anoka-Hennepin teacher's union withdraws school board candidate's endorsement," October 22, 2013
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2012 State General Election Candidate Filings," accessed June 19, 2012
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary Results," accessed June 19, 2012
- ↑ Grace Baltich for All Kids - Anoka-Hennepin Dist. 11 School Board, "Grace’s Priorities," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ Vote Grace Baltich, "Home," accessed June 19, 2012
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