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Mesa County Valley School District 51 elections (2013)
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 School District 51 Elections |
Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional measures External links References |
Mesa County Valley School District 51 Mesa County, Colorado ballot measures Local ballot measures, Colorado |
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Three seats on the school board for Mesa County Valley School District 51 were up for general election on November 5, 2013. In District C, incumbent John Williams defeated challengers Patrick Kanda and Lonnie White. Tom Parrish triumphed over his opponent Michael Z. Lowenstein in District D and incumbent Greg Mikolai won re-election over John Sluder in District E.
About the district
Mesa County Valley School District 51 is located in Mesa County, Colorado. As of the 2010 Census, the county was home to 146,723 residents.[1]
Demographics
Mesa County underperformed in terms of its average household income, poverty rate and higher education achievement in 2010 compared to the state of Colorado. The median household income in Mesa County was $52,986 compared to $57,685 statewide. The poverty rate in Mesa County was 12.7% compared to 12.5% for the entire state. The U.S. Census also found that 26.1% of Mesa County residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 36.3% in Colorado as a whole.[1]
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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.
Method of board member selection
The Mesa County Valley School Board consists of five members, all of whom are elected by district to four-year terms. There was no primary election and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Three seats were on the ballot in 2013.[3]
Individuals interested in running for the board began circulating nominating petitions on August 7, 2013. The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the 2013 general election was August 30, and the filing deadline to serve as a write-in candidate was September 3.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
District C
- Patrick Kanda
- Graduate, Colorado Mesa University
- Accountant
- Lonnie White
- John Williams
- Incumbent, seeking second term
- Business attorney
District D
- Michael Z. Lowenstein
- Graduate, Oberlin College, Arizona State University
- Retired educator
- Tom Parrish
- Graduate, University of Northern Colorado, Western State College
- Educator
District E
- John Sluder
- Educator, Western Colorado Community College
- Greg Mikolai
- Incumbent and Board President
- Instructor/video producer for Colorado Mesa University
Election results
| Mesa County Valley School District 51, District C General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  John Williams Incumbent |
53.2% | 19,543 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patrick Kanda | 38.2% | 14,035 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lonnie White | 8.6% | 3,151 | |
| Total Votes | 36,729 | |||
| Source: Mesa County, Colorado, "2013 Coordinated Election," accessed December 16, 2013 | ||||
| Mesa County Valley School District 51, District D General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Tom Parrish |
59.1% | 21,628 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Z. Lowenstein | 40.9% | 14,966 | |
| Total Votes | 36,594 | |||
| Source: Mesa County, Colorado, "2013 Coordinated Election," accessed December 16, 2013 | ||||
| Mesa County Valley School District 51, District E General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Greg Mikolai Incumbent |
51.9% | 18,931 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Sluder | 48.1% | 17,569 | |
| Total Votes | 36,500 | |||
| Source: Mesa County, Colorado, "2013 Coordinated Election," accessed December 16, 2013 | ||||
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $58,551.61 and spent a total of $58,083.94 during the election, according to the Colorado Secretary of State.[5]
In the District C race, candidates received a total of $19,790.99 and spent a total of $19,790.99.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Kanda | $7,344.00 | $7,344.00 | $0.00 |
| Lonnie White | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| John Williams | $12,446.99 | $12,446.99 | $0.00 |
In the District D race, candidates received a total of $21,523.22 and spent a total of $21,532.22.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Z. Lowenstein | $9,155.23 | $9,155.23 | $0.00 |
| Tom Parrish | $12,367.99 | $12,367.99 | $0.00 |
In the District E race, candidates received a total of $17,237.40 and spent a total of $16,769.73.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Mikolai | $9,129.40 | $8,861.76 | $886.64 |
| John Sluder | $8,108.00 | $7,907.97 | $200.03 |
What was at stake?
Three seats on the Mesa County Valley School Board were up for election. Current District C seat holder John Williams and District E seat holder and Board President Greg Mikolai sought re-election to their seats, while District D seat holder Leslie Kiesler was term-limited.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Mesa County Valley School District 51 election in 2013:[4]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 7, 2013 | Last day for nominating petitions to be made available to candidates |
| August 30, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions |
| September 3, 2013 | Last day to file as a write-in candidate |
| October 15, 2013 | Candidates must file first Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures |
| November 1, 2013 | Candidates must file second Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures |
| November 5, 2013 | General election |
| December 5, 2013 | Candidates must file third Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures |
Additional elections on the ballot
This election shared the ballot with two statewide measures. Voters decided on a ballot measure dealing with excise taxes and sales taxes on marijuana sales in Colorado, which passed. They also voted to reject Amendment 66, which was an initiated constitutional amendment to raise the state's income tax in order to increase state funding for public school districts.
See also
- Colorado school board elections focus on Amendment 66, school reform
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- Colorado
- Mesa County Valley School District 51, Colorado
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Mesa County, Colorado ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Colorado
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Mesa County, Colorado," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Total Registered Voters By Party Affiliation and Status," accessed October 4, 2013
- ↑ Mesa County Valley School District 51, "Board of Education," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "2013 Election Calendar," accessed October 2, 2013
- ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Candidate and Candidate Committee Detail," accessed December 19, 2013
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