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Incumbents tumble in Alabama school board primaries
March 2, 2016
By Nick Katers
School board primaries in Alabama's county school districts headlined an evening that included primaries in Knox County, Tennessee, a general election in Sevier County, Tennessee, and a special election for the Orange Unified School District in California. Eleven incumbents faced primary challenges in Alabama on Tuesday, with seven advancing to the general election and four defeated by challengers. The margin of victory for these challengers ranged from 4.06 percent for Randy Smalley (R) over Joe Boteler (R) in Tuscaloosa County to 34.4 percent for Heath Allbright (R) over three candidates, including incumbent James Thompson (R), in Cullman County.
There were 13 seats requiring primary elections in the 11 Alabama county districts covered by Ballotpedia, representing 54.2 percent of the 24 seats up for election this year. The District 7 seat in Montgomery County and the Place 1 seat in Jefferson County will head to primary runoff elections on April 12, 2016. The District 5 race in Madison County will be the only race contested in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Our Spotlight Districts for the March 1 elections include a California school district forced into a special election due to a vacancy and a Tennessee school primary that centered on an IRS complaint related to campaign fundraising.
Spotlight districts
Orange Unified School District
Community members led by former Orange Unified Board of Education member Diane Singer forced a special election to fill her vacancy on the board. Singer resigned from the board in August 2016 after she moved out of Trustee Area 1, the district she represented. Though the board is nonpartisan, it has a conservative majority. The members appointed Gregory Salas, a Republican, to the vacant seat, but he was forced to leave that position when enough signatures were deemed valid to put the special election on the ballot. Those who supported holding a special election supported Andrea Yamasaki, a Democrat who had applied to fill the vacant seat on the board.[1][2] She defeated Salas in the special election, receiving nearly 75 percent of the votes.[3]
Knox County Schools
Before the primary election, District 2 candidate Jennifer Owen filed a complaint with the IRS against a nonprofit director after he sent an email through his Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville account supporting and asking for donations for her opponent Grant Standefer as well as District 5 candidate Reuben "Buddy" Pelot.[4][5] The foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which has strict regulations on participating in the political process.[6] Campaign finance reports submitted to the Knox County Clerk in February 2016 showed that both Pelot and Standefer had raised over $20,000 more in contributions than any of their opponents. Every donor who “maxed out” donations—$3,000 per couple—to the two candidates had received Tullock's email, according to the Shopper News.[7][8]
Despite the larger sums of campaign funding, neither Pelot nor Standefer came out on top in the primary election. Pelot received the second-most votes, allowing him to advance to the general election. Standefer, however, was defeated by Owen.[9]
The winners of the general election will help choose the district's next superintendent. Superintendent Jim McIntyre announced he would be stepping down after his three biggest supporters on the board declined to run for re-election.[10]
Candidates
Note: An (i) next to a candidate's name indicates incumbent status.
See also
- Alabama school board elections, 2016
- California school board elections, 2016
- Tennessee school board elections, 2016
- School board elections, 2016
- Alabama school districts
- California school districts
- Tennessee school districts
Footnotes
- ↑ Anaheim Blog, "Salas Appointment to OUSD Board Terminated; Special Election for Area 1 Trustee Seat Set for March 1," October 29, 2015
- ↑ Anaheim Blog, "OUSD Board To Interview Applicants On Sept. 21 For Board Seat Representing Anaheim Hills," September 18, 2015
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "OUSD Special Vacancy Election: Unofficial Results for election," accessed March 1, 2016
- ↑ Knoxville News Sentinel, "Knox school board candidate cries foul over nonprofit’s endorsing opponent," January 15, 2016
- ↑ WBIR.com, "Knox County school board candidate files complaint with IRS," January 18, 2016
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Political and Lobbying Activities," accessed July 10, 2015
- ↑ Knox County Clerk, "Financial Disclosures: Candidate Information," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Shopper News, "Carringer, Fugate Show Differences," February 16, 2016
- ↑ Knox County Board of Elections, "Live Election Results," accessed March 1, 2016
- ↑ WBIR.com, "KCS Superintendent McIntyre to step down," January 4, 2016
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