Iredell-Statesville Schools elections (2016)
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Three of the seven seats on the Iredell-Statesville Schools school board—Districts 2, 4 and 6—were up for general election on November 8, 2016. A Republican primary for District 2 was held March 15, 2016. This election marked the first partisan contest for the district, following the passage of House Bill 110 in 2015.
Three Republican newcomers filed for the District 2 race, necessitating a primary election to reduce the field of candidates for the general election: Steven Hatley, Bill Howell and John Miller. Howell won the primary and defeated Nickey Mott (D) in the general election. Incumbent David Cash did not file to seek re-election to the District 2 seat, guaranteeing at least one newcomer would join the board.
In District 4, incumbent Charles Aubrey Gallyon II (D) originally faced challenger Ryan Pegarsch (R). However, when Pegarsch moved out of the district he withdrew from the race. Newcomer Doug Knight replaced him as the Republican candidate on the ballot. Gallyon II defeated Knight. In District 6, incumbent Charles Sherrill Kelly (R) successfully defended his spot on the board against LaVerne Zachary (D).[1][2][3]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Iredell-Statesville Schools school board consists of seven member elected by district to four-year terms. Starting with the 2016 elections, the board became a partisan body. This also shifted the board elections from March generals to November generals with March primaries. Districts 2, 4 and 6 were up for election in 2016. A Republican primary for District 2 was held on March 15, 2016. No other primaries were necessary. The general election for all three seats was November 8, 2016.
Candidates began to file affidavits of candidacy on December 1, 2015. The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the general election was December 21, 2015.[4] Candidates had to pay a filing fee of $34.[5]
Candidates and results
District 2 general election
Results
| Iredell-Statesville Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  William Lee Howell |
76.58% | 6,725 | |
| Democrat | Nicole Renee Moon Mott | 23.42% | 2,057 | |
| Total Votes (100) | 8,782 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Iredell," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||||
Candidates
 Nickey Mott
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 Bill Howell 
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District 2 primary election
Results
| Iredell-Statesville Schools, District 2 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | William Lee Howell |
45.23% | 1,266 | |
| Republican | Steven Hatley | 35.23% | 986 | |
| Republican | John Miller | 19.54% | 547 | |
| Total Votes (100) | 2,799 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official Primary Election Results - Iredell," accessed September 6, 2016 | ||||
Candidates defeated in the primary
| Steven Hatley
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John Miller
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District 4
Results
| Iredell-Statesville Schools, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Charles Aubrey Gallyon II Incumbent |
50.51% | 3,847 | |
| Republican | Doug Knight | 49.49% | 3,769 | |
| Total Votes (100) | 7,616 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Iredell," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||||
Candidates
| Charles Aubrey Gallyon II
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Doug Knight
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District 6
Results
| Iredell-Statesville Schools, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Charles Sherrill Kelly Incumbent |
74.15% | 6,063 | |
| Democrat | LaVerne Zachary | 25.85% | 2,114 | |
| Total Votes (100) | 8,177 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Iredell," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||||
Candidates
| Charles Sherrill Kelly
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LaVerne Zachary
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: North Carolina elections, 2016
The following offices shared primary, general or both election dates with the school board elections in Iredell County:
- President
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House, 5th District
- U.S. House, 9th District
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- State Treasurer
- State Auditor
- State Superintendent of Schools
- Agriculture Commissioner
- Labor Commissioner
- Insurance Commissioner
- State Senate District 44
- State House of Representatives Districts 84 and 95
- County Commissioner
The North Carolina Connect NC Public Improvement Bond question was also on the March ballot statewide.
Note: The date for North Carolina's congressional primary was June 7, 2016. This primary was originally scheduled for March 15, 2016.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for North Carolina school board general elections held on November 8, 2016:[6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| December 1, 2015 | Candidate filing begins |
| December 21, 2015 | Candidate filing ends |
| March 7, 2016 | First quarter campaign finance deadline |
| March 15, 2016 | Primary Election Day, if necessary |
| November 8, 2016 | General Election Day |
Endorsements
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
The only candidate in this election who reported financial activity to the Iredell County Board of Elections was Doug Knight. He reported $3,476.00 in contributions and $3,276.00 in expenditures as of November 3, 2016.[7]
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).[8]
The third quarter campaign finance deadline was October 31, 2016, and the fourth quarter deadline was January 11, 2017.[9]
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Issues in the election
Legislative action creates partisan school board elections
| Iredell County State Legislators, 2015 | |
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| Clockwise from top left: State Sen. Andrew Brock (R-34), State Rep. John Fraley (R-95), State Sen. David Curtis (R-44) and State Rep. Rena W. Turner (R-84). | |
On May 26, 2015, the school boards of Clay County, Cherokee County Schools, Davie County, Iredell-Statesville and Rutherford County became partisan offices when House Bill 110 was ratified and became Session Law 2015-35. The move came with support from three of Irdell County's four state legislators.[10] The partisan change also required the school boards to begin holding primaries (if necessary) and to shift their general elections to the November general election date.[11] Prior to this law's passage, 17 school districts in the state had partisan school board elections. Following implementation of it, 22 of the state's 115 school districts had partisan boards.
HB 110 was introduced by State Rep. Roger West (R-120) on February 24, 2015. The initial form of the bill only sought to change the Cherokee County board. Through a series of committee substitutes, the list of districts to be changed grew from one to the final five. Iredell-Statesville and Davie County joined that list when State Sen. Andrew Brock (R-34), senator for Iredell County, added it in an amendment. The senator told local media that he had done so at the request of the Republican parties in both counties, saying, “They requested it and I said, well, moving an election to November you’re going to get more people to vote on it and I think it opens up the process to get more people involved in the election."[12][13]
The final version of the bill passed the Senate in a 32-13 vote on May 18, 2015, and the House in a 98-10 vote on May 21, 2015. Iredell County's state legislators, however, were not unanimous in supporting the bill. House member Rena W. Turner (R-84) voted in favor of the final version of the measure, along with Brock and David Curtis (R-44) in the Senate.[10]
State Rep. John Fraley (R-95), meanwhile, voted against the measure in its final form and was the only Republican member of the state House to do so.[10] Fraley told a local media outlet that he had spoken with approximately 40 local leaders, a majority of whom expressed a preference for a nonpartisan school board.[12] He further stated, "A few months ago, all the Iredell legislators were approached (by the local GOP) ... and asked if we would run a bill requiring all school board elections in Iredell to be partisan. I understood their job was to elect more Republicans, but thought the more important question was what was best for Iredell County's education of its students.”[13]
The push for partisan school boards was specifically included in the North Carolina Republican Party platform in 2015, which stated, "The party affiliation of judicial and school board candidates should appear on the ballot."[14] Less than a month after the introduction of HB 110, another bill to change all school boards in the state to partisan offices was introduced: HB 324. That bill was pulled from the House calendar on April 21, 2015, and referred to the Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee.[15]
Issues in the district
Transgender bathroom law
North Carolina passed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2) stating that individuals in government-operated facilities must use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender stated on their birth certificate on March 23, 2016. The law was passed by the legislature in a one-day specially-called session, and was signed into law that night by Governor Pat McCrory (R). The bill reversed an earlier ruling that allowed transgender individuals to use the restroom of their preference, and it offset local ordinances in the state that let transgender citizens do so.[16]
HB2's effect on NC school districts
Since HB2 was signed into law, many school districts in the state have struggled to formulate a response. Not only does Title IX prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, but the state law's validity is being disputed in court. North Carolina school districts are unsure of how to balance these two laws. In the Wake County Public School System, Wake County sheriff Donnie Harrison said he would consider pulling deputies out of schools if the district does not decide on a consistent transgender bathroom policy. Harrison said the district did not have a uniform policy on the use of bathrooms by transgender students, which was causing confusion and unease among parents.[17][18]
According to Lisa Luten, a Wake County Public School System spokesperson, transgender student issues with bathrooms and locker rooms are handled on a case-by-case basis. "No child has ever been at risk based on how we have handled this issue,” Luten said. “Because this issue is still being debated in federal courts, the school system is unable to create a formal policy.”[17] The district's superintendent James Merrill said that transgender bathroom questions ought to be addressed by administrators rather than student resource officers. According to Nathan Smith, the director of public policy for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, the consequence is that many schools decide their transgender bathroom policies on a case-by-case basis, leading to conflicting messages.[17][19]
Lawsuits filed
On May 9, 2016, Gov. McCrory and the Justice Department filed opposing lawsuits, the former in support of the law and the latter against it. On one side, the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights office said that the law is discriminatory and infringes on civil rights. “This action is about a great deal more than just bathrooms,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “This is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens and the laws that we, as a people and as a country, have enacted to protect them.” Gov. McCrory's lawsuit was against the Justice Department, charging the federal government with “baseless and blatant overreach.” McCrory defended the necessity of the law as a response to a nondiscrimination ordinance in Charlotte.[20]
The ACLU and the Justice Department asked a judge to hold off on HB2 while the lawsuit is being decided. According to federal documents, the trial could take place as early as October or November 2016. The Charlotte Observer stated that it would "not be unreasonable to expect Schroeder's ruling by the summer of 2017, perhaps before."[16]
Backlash
On July 21, 2016, the NBA announced it planned to move its All-Star Game from Charlotte, North Carolina, which was scheduled to be held there in 2017. According to the Charlotte Observer, this decision will cost the city approximately $100 million. On September 12, 2016, the NCAA ousted seven championships that were scheduled to be held in the state during the 2016-2017 school year. Two days later, the Atlantic Coast Conference made a similar decision, revealing it planned to move the men's football championship game scheduled for December 2016 from Charlotte.
Want to see how this election related to state and national trends on this topic? Ballotpedia tracked this issue in the 2016 election cycle so you can see the connections and impact on this race in context.
About the district
Iredell-Statesville Schools is located in Iredell County, North Carolina. Iredell County was home to 166,675 residents between 2010 and 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[21] The district was the 17th-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 20,858 students.[22]
Demographics
Iredell County underperformed in comparison to North Carolina as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2009 to 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 23.9 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 27.3 percent for the state. The median household income in the county was $50,329, compared to $46,334 for the state. The poverty rate in the county was 13.8 percent, compared to 17.5 percent for the entire state.[21]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Iredell-Statesville Schools' 'North Carolina'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Iredell-Statesville Schools | North Carolina | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Iredell County, "2016 Nov. 8 General Election Candidate List," accessed November 3, 2016
- ↑ Record & Landmark, "Pegarsch won't seek Iredell-Statesville school board seat," June 16, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial General Election Results-Iredell," accessed November 8, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Filing," accessed January 20, 2016
- ↑ Iredell County, North Carolina, "Offices To Be Elected in 2016 - With Incumbents Listed," accessed January 20, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedules," accessed November 1, 2016
- ↑ Iredell County, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed November 3, 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
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 General Assembly of North Carolina, "House Bill 110 / S.L. 2015-35," accessed January 20, 2016
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "Session Law 2015-35," accessed January 20, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Winston-Salem Journal, "Davie bill to make school board elections partisan," June 8, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Statesville Record & Landmark, "Partisan school board votes coming to Iredell," May 27, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina Republican Party, "2015 Report of the Platform Committee," accessed January 20, 2016
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "House Bill 324," accessed January 20, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Charlotte Observer, "Understanding HB2: North Carolina’s newest law solidifies state’s role in defining discrimination," March 26, 2016
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Daily Tarheel, "Wake County sheriff calls for consistent transgender bathroom policy," September 29, 2016
- ↑ CBS North Carolina, "Wake sheriff threatens to pull deputies over transgender bathroom policy," September 27, 2016
- ↑ The News & Observer, "Four things to remember about House Bill 2," September 13, 2016
- ↑ Washington Post, "North Carolina, Justice Dept. file dueling lawsuits over transgender rights," May 9, 2016
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 United States Census Bureau, "Iredell County, North Carolina," accessed February 29, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "NC Voter Statistics Results," accessed March 10, 2014
| 2016 Iredell-Statesville Schools Elections | |
| Iredell County, North Carolina. | |
| Election date: | Primary: March 15, 2016 General: November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | District 2: Steven Hatley (R) • Bill Howell (R) • John Miller (R) • Nickey Mott (D) District 4: Incumbent, Charles Aubrey Gallyon II (D) • Doug Knight (R) |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
