Larry Pendry
Larry Pendry is a former candidate for at-large representative on the Wilkes County Schools Board of Education in North Carolina. The general election was held on March 15, 2016. Pendry lost the general election on March 15, 2016.
Pendry was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Wilkes County school board in North Carolina. He was defeated in the general election on May 6, 2014.
Biography
Pendry was born and raised in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He graduated from North Wilkes High School in 1968. He attended Wilkes Community College for two years before earning a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Appalachian State University in 1972. Pendry spent 30 years in the United States Army and North Carolina National Guard. He also worked for four years at the Homeland Security Branch of North Carolina Emergency Management. Pendry is a member of the Wilkes County Board of Social Services and is a member of the Wilkes County Local Emergency Preparedness Committee. He is married and has two children.[1]
Elections
2016
- See also: Wilkes County Schools elections (2016)
Three of the five seats on the Wilkes County Schools Board of Education were up for at-large general election on March 15, 2016. Incumbents Hardin Kennedy III and Darren Shumate faced four challengers on the ballot: Gary Blevins, Larry Pendry, Leslie Settle Barnes and T. Kirk Walker. Incumbent Rick Lankford did not file to seek re-election.[2] Only one of the incumbents—Darren Shumate—won re-election, and was joined in his victory by two newcomers: T. Kirk Walker and Leslie Settle Barnes.
Results
| Wilkes County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Darren Shumate Incumbent |
18.87% | 7,119 |
| T. Kirk Walker |
18.07% | 6,817 |
| Leslie Settle Barnes |
17.34% | 6,545 |
| Gary Blevins | 15.59% | 5,882 |
| Larry Pendry | 15.28% | 5,766 |
| Hardin Kennedy III Incumbent | 14.36% | 5,418 |
| Write-in votes | 0.5% | 188 |
| Total Votes (100) | 37,735 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official Primary Election Results - Wilkes," accessed June 15, 2016 | ||
Funding
School board candidates in North Carolina are required to file campaign finance reports to their county's board of elections unless the candidate:
(1) Does not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in contributions, and
(2) Does not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in loans, and
(3) Does not spend more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).[3]
The first quarter campaign finance deadline was on March 7, 2016.
2014
- See also: Wilkes County Schools elections (2014)
Larry Pendry challenged incumbents Sharron N. Huffman and Randall Holbrook as well as Matt Ledford for an at-large seat in the general election on May 6, 2014.
Results
Pendry was defeated by incumbents Sharron N. Huffman and Randall Holbrook.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Randall Holbrook Incumbent |
29.3% | 3,905 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharron N. Huffman Incumbent |
29.2% | 3,899 | |
| Nonpartisan | Larry Pendry | 22% | 2,931 | |
| Nonpartisan | Matt Ledford | 19% | 2,539 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria Barringer (Write-In) | 0.5% | 67 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 0% | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 13,341 | |||
| Source: North Carolina Board of Elections, "05/06/2014 OFFICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS - WILKES," accessed June 3, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Pendry did not report any campaign contributions or expenditures to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.[4]
Endorsements
Pendry did not receive any official endorsements for his campaign.
Campaign themes
2014
Pendry's campaign website listed his themes for 2014:
| “ | I’m running for Wilkes County Board of Education because I have major concerns about the current state of education in our county.
Top challenges facing the Wilkes County education system 1. Failure to represent students, teachers, and the larger community Members of our Board of Education are elected to represent the PUBLIC on issues affecting the education of our children. The recent history of our Board of Education has failed to represent all the public stakeholders in our educational system and its central role in shaping the future of Wilkes County. 2. Inadequate focus on public funding We are facing the critical reality that funding for our schools has been severely impacted by the state legislature’s failure to restore funds cut during the 2008-09 recession. Recently, the state enacted yet another series of tax cuts that will cost us more that $2.4 billion over the next five years. With this future facing us, it is essential that the Board of Education pay much more attention to the funds being spent on the education of our children. I believe that the Board of Education should be more transparent and share how public funds are being spent to ensure that we are investing appropriately in our future. Public investment in Wilkes County schools is currently $80 Million, $75M of which comes from taxpayer dollars:
Funding cuts have cost Wilkes County over 100 jobs including:
3. Lack of trust and respect for our teachers The decline of public funding for our schools have undercut the primary role of professional teachers in our classrooms. There is no better group to influence decisions than our teachers. I want professional teachers to be a part of the team, rather than making them feel as if they are simply employees. I want the Wilkes Board of Education to adopt a resolution opposing the law which forces school systems to encourage 25% of our teachers to give up tenure. (To see what other Boards have done on this issue, go here.) Tenure, such as it is, simply means that those who get beyond a four-year probationary period are guaranteed a hearing if facing dismissal. This plan is a bad deal for teachers. It is a "divide and conquer" approach by which rewarding only a selective few fails to recognize the contributions of all teachers. This policy creates a competitive climate that undermines a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility that is necessary for effective schools. It is not good for public education; it is in violation of the NC Constitution; and it is a bad plan for our children. [5] |
” |
| —Larry Pendry's campaign website, (2014) | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Larry Pendry' 'Wilkes County Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Wilkes County Schools, North Carolina
- Wilkes County Schools elections (2016)
- Wilkes County Schools elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Larry Pendry for Board of Education, "About Larry," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Wilkes County, North Carolina, "Election candidates," accessed January 21, 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, "NC Campaign Report Search By Entity," accessed April 7, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Larry Pendry for Board of Education, "Home," accessed April 7, 2014
| 2016 Wilkes County Schools Elections | |
| Election date: | March 15, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Hardin Kennedy III • Incumbent, Darren Shumate • Gary Blevins • Larry Pendry • Leslie Settle Barnes • T. Kirk Walker |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
