Incumbents dominate school board elections in Alaska, Wisconsin
April 2, 2014
By Nick Katers
Voters showed support for incumbent board members over challengers in Tuesday's school board elections in Anchorage, Alaska and 11 districts in Wisconsin. Incumbents Pat Higgins and Kameron Perez-Verdia won new terms in Seats C and D on the Anchorage School Board. Incumbents serving in Wisconsin's largest school districts fared well with a 83.3 percent success rate in six competitive elections. A total of 13 incumbents were returned to board seats after unopposed elections in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Sheboygan and Waukesha. The most notable exception to the power of incumbency in this round of elections took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Spotlight: Kenosha Unified School District
Voters in Kenosha Unified School District opted for new faces on the school board this spring. The February 18 primary ousted incumbent Robert Nuzzo and board member Jo Ann Taube placed last in the April 1 general election. Gary J. Kunich and Dan Wade prevailed in a contentious election that attracted the attention of outside groups including Americans for Prosperity and the Greater Wisconsin Committee. Kunich ($6,498) and Wade ($5,776) received more contributions by the March 24 pre-election reporting deadline than Taube ($3,720) and challenger Mike Falkofske ($2,759).[1] The new board members will deal with the selection of a new superintendent, concerns about academic performance and an ongoing lawsuit regarding the board's contract negotiations with teachers in 2013.[2][3]
Candidates
Note: An (i) next to a candidate's name indicates incumbent status.
See also
- School board elections in Alaska and Wisconsin spark debates over budgets, academic performance
- School board elections, 2014
- Alaska school board elections, 2014
- Alaska elections, 2014
- Wisconsin school board elections, 2014
- Wisconsin elections, 2014
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through e-mail from Stacy Busby on March 25, 2014.
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Kenosha schools, teachers union at odds over deducting union dues," February 11, 2014
- ↑ Kenosha News, "Demonstration draws 60 to ESC," March 30, 2014
| |||||
