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Regan Benson
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Regan Benson was a candidate for the District 5 seat on the Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado. She ran against incumbent Ken Witt in his recall election on November 3, 2015.[1] She lost the election.[2]
Witt and former board members Julie Williams and John Newkirk were targeted for recall by Jeffco United for Action. The group's recall ballot statement accused the three members of paying the district's new superintendent more than necessary, violating open meeting laws, bullying parents and students and pushing teachers out of the district due to the new merit pay system.
Biography
Benson founded the nonprofit Every Student Matters Project, which works to provide non-attorney advocacy for special education and truancy court issues. She is also a contributor to the JeffCo Education Reform Examiner and an advocacy partner with the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition. Benson and her husband have three sons, all of whom attended Jeffco Public Schools.[3]
Elections
2015
An effort to recall three members of the Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado was on the ballot on November 3, 2015.[4] Board members Julie Williams, John Newkirk, and Ken Witt from Districts 1, 2, and 5, respectively, were ousted from office with more than 60 percent of voters in each district casting ballots in favor of recall.[2]
A total of six candidates filed to replace the three incumbents up for recall. Brad Rupert ran for the seat held by Williams. Matt Dhieux and Susan Harmon campaigned for Newkirk's seat, and Regan Benson, Ron Mitchell, and Paula Noonan ran for Witt's seat. Rupert, Harmon, and Mitchell ran together as "The Clean Slate."[1][5] All three slate members were elected to replace Williams, Newkirk, and Witt.[2] They took office on November 19, 2015.[6]
The other two seats on the board—District 3 and District 4—were also on the ballot on November 3, 2015. They were up for general election. Neither incumbent filed to retain her seat in that election, meaning the district welcomed an entirely new board on November 19, 2015.[7]
Results
| Ken Witt, Area 5 Board Member, Jeffco Public Schools | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 115936 | 64.25% | ||
| Retain | 64497 | 35.75% | ||
| Election results via: Jefferson County, "Official County Results," November 20, 2015 | ||||
| Successor candidate, Area 5 Board Member, Jeffco Public Schools | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Ron Mitchell | 83571 | 69.64% | ||
 Paula Noonan | 23782 | 19.82% | ||
| Regan Benson | 12643 | 10.54% | ||
| Election results via: Jefferson County, "Official County Results," November 20, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Benson reported $517.16 in contributions and $300.00 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left her campaign with $217.16 on hand in the election.[8]
Campaign themes
2015
Benson highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:
| “ | Academic Excellence Student Engagement: Do kids have the environment first, followed by the tools they need to be successful? We need to be addressing the unique & individual needs of students that are above and below the bell curve. Parent and student engagement is not a test score. Parents: Parents need a support system without having to join a group, collective, or organization to feel heard, valued, and respected. Parents know what is best for their children. Parents want more than a test score. Teachers: There must be unwavering dedication to support great teachers and administrators. Teachers and administrators are more than a test score. School Choice School Safety & Security |
” |
| —Regan Benson's campaign website (2015)[10] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms ”Regan Benson” ”Jeffco Public Schools”. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado
- Jeffco Public Schools recall, Colorado (2015)
- Analysis of incumbency advantage in the 2014 school board elections
- Incumbency no guarantee of success in Nov. 3 school board elections (November 6, 2015)
- What happened in Nov.'s top board elections? (November 4, 2015)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chalkbeat Colorado, "6 candidates, including longtime critic, in running to replace Jeffco school board recall targets," September 28, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jefferson County, "Unofficial County Results," November 3, 2015
- ↑ Regan Benson for Jeffco School Board, "About," accessed October 14, 2015
- ↑ Chalkbeat Colorado, "Clerk: Jeffco school board recall will be on November ballot," September 3, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Independent, "Recall-backed Jeffco school board candidates skip conservative forum," September 1, 2015
- ↑ FOX 31 Denver, "Ousted Jefferson County school board members attend final meeting," November 5, 2015
- ↑ Jeffco Public Schools, "Board of Education Election 2015," accessed August 31, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER: Candidate Information - Election Year 2015: Benson, Regan," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Regan Benson for Jeffco School Board, "Issues," accessed October 14, 2015
| 2015 Jeffco Public Schools General Election and Recall Election | |
| Jefferson County, Colorado | |
| Election date: | November 3, 2015 |
| Candidates: | General Election Candidates District 3: • Kim Johnson • Ali Lasell District 4: • Tori Merritts • Amanda Stevens Recall Election Candidates District 1: • Incumbent, Julie Williams • Brad Rupert District 2: • Incumbent, John Newkirk • Matt Dhieux • Susan Harmon District 5: • Incumbent, Ken Witt • Regan Benson • Ron Mitchell • Paula Noonan |
| Important information: | Issues in the general election • Recall supporters • Recall opponents • Key general election deadlines • Recall path to the ballot |
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