Polly Taylor-Gerken
Polly Taylor-Gerken is an at-large member of the Toledo Public Schools Board of Education in Ohio. She assumed office in 2013.
Taylor-Gerken ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Toledo Public Schools Board of Education in Ohio. She won in the general election on November 4, 2025.
Biography
Taylor-Gerken is a native of East Toledo, graduating from TPS. Her daughter also graduated from the district where she has a daughter currently enrolled. Additionally, Taylor-Gerken worked for 20 years for the district as a secretary. She has her Master's degree in counselor education from the University of Toledo and spent ten years as a school psychologist. Presently, she is a self-employed licensed school psychologist and psychoeducational consultant.[1]
Elections
2025
See also: Toledo Public Schools, Ohio, elections (2025)
General election
General election for Toledo Public Schools Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
Incumbent Bob Vasquez, incumbent Chris Varwig, and incumbent Polly Taylor-Gerken won election in the general election for Toledo Public Schools Board of Education At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bob Vasquez (Nonpartisan) | 36.7 | 16,748 |
| ✔ |  | Chris Varwig (Nonpartisan) | 31.8 | 14,509 |
| ✔ |  | Polly Taylor-Gerken (Nonpartisan) | 31.4 | 14,321 |
| Total votes: 45,578 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Gisele Johnson (Nonpartisan)
Endorsements
Taylor-Gerken received the following endorsements.
2021
See also: Toledo Public Schools, Ohio, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Toledo Public Schools Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
Incumbent Bob Vasquez, incumbent Chris Varwig, and incumbent Polly Taylor-Gerken defeated Jason Sobb in the general election for Toledo Public Schools Board of Education At-large on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Vasquez (Nonpartisan) | 30.7 | 16,762 |
| ✔ | | Chris Varwig (Nonpartisan) | 28.3 | 15,418 |
| ✔ | | Polly Taylor-Gerken (Nonpartisan) | 27.3 | 14,912 |
 | Jason Sobb (Nonpartisan) | 13.7 | 7,477 | |
| Total votes: 54,569 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
- See also: Toledo Public Schools elections (2017)
Three of five seats on the Toledo Public Schools Board of Education in Ohio were up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. All three incumbents filed for re-election. Incumbents Polly Taylor-Gerken, Chris Varwig, and Bob Vasquez defeated newcomer Ruth Leonard.[2][3]
| Toledo Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Bob Vasquez Incumbent |
30.10% | 22,854 |
| Polly Taylor-Gerken Incumbent |
26.49% | 20,113 |
| Chris Varwig Incumbent |
23.36% | 17,735 |
| Ruth Leonard | 20.06% | 15,231 |
| Total Votes | 75,933 | |
| Source: Lucas County Board of Elections, "Election Summary Report: Official Results," accessed November 27, 2017 | ||
2013
- See also: Toledo Public Schools elections (2013)
Results
| Toledo Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Bob Vasquez Incumbent |
19.3% | 16,715 | |
| Nonpartisan | Polly Taylor-Gerken |
18.5% | 15,947 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chris Varwig |
15.6% | 13,505 | |
| Nonpartisan | Perry Lefevre | 13.4% | 11,589 | |
| Nonpartisan | Randall Parker III | 10.8% | 9,333 | |
| Nonpartisan | Aji Green | 9.8% | 8,423 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tina Henold | 9.3% | 8,023 | |
| Nonpartisan | Darryl Fingers | 3.3% | 2,852 | |
| Total Votes | 86,387 | |||
| Source: Lucas County of Ohio, "Election Summary Report for General Election in Lucas County, Ohio," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
Endorsements
Taylor-Gerken was endorsed by the Lucas County Democratic Party, UAW, TAAP/UAW Local 5242, AFSCME Council 8, Teamsters Local 20, AFL-CIO, Carpenters Local 351, Ironworkers Local 55, UFCW, Laborers Local 500, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 50, Cement Masons Local 886, IBEW Local 8, Toledo Port Council and Sheet Metal Workers Local 33.[1]
Funding
Taylor-Gerken reported $9,997.30 in contributions but no expenditures to the Ohio Secretary of State, which left her campaign with $9,997.30 on hand.[4]
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Polly Taylor-Gerken did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
2021
Polly Taylor-Gerken did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2013
In an October 2013 interview with the Toledo Free Press, Taylor-Gerken stated the following when asked about her campaign priorities:[1]
| “ |
What are the three most crucial issues — in order of importance — facing TPS? What would you do as a board member to address the issues you identify? TPS currently has a renewal levy on the ballot that will raise approximately $16 million annually for five years or about the annual savings that can be obtained by implementing the performance audit recommendations. Why should the TPS renewal levy be approved by voters? Ohio statutes require that TPS teachers and principals have regular performance evaluations with student performance on standardized tests a component of the evaluation. Should teachers and principals be held directly accountable for student performance in their individual performance evaluations? Why or why not? Ohio is currently implementing national standards regarding the skills and knowledge all students need for success, referred to as the “Common Core.” Why do you support or oppose the adoption of these standards? |
” |
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kevin Moore Toledo Free Press, "School Board Candidate Profile: Polly Taylor-Gerken," published October 24, 2013
- ↑ Marielle Bricker, "Email communication with Dora Anderson," August 17, 2017
- ↑ Lucas County , "Unofficial election results," accessed November 8, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Elections & Voting: Campaign Finance," accessed December 26, 2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
