Thelma Byers-Bailey
Thelma Byers-Bailey is a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education in North Carolina, representing District 2. She assumed office in 2013. Her current term ends in 2026.
Byers-Bailey ran for re-election to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education to represent District 2 in North Carolina. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
Byers-Bailey's professional experience includes running her own general practice law firm, working with the Legal Services of Southern California, and serving as a law clerk in the legal department of Anheuser-Busch Company, Inc. She has been the president of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Association and a member of the Democratic Party state Counsel of Review from the 12th Congressional District. Byers-Bailey earned her J.D. and master's degree in urban affairs from Saint Louis University and her bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from Fisk University.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina, elections (2022)
General election
General election for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education District 2
Incumbent Thelma Byers-Bailey defeated Monty Witherspoon and Juanrique Pallamente Hall in the general election for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education District 2 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Thelma Byers-Bailey (Nonpartisan) | 42.8 | 16,766 |
 | Monty Witherspoon (Nonpartisan) | 38.9 | 15,225 | |
| Juanrique Pallamente Hall (Nonpartisan) | 18.3 | 7,187 | ||
| Total votes: 39,178 | |||
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2017
Six of the nine seats on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education in North Carolina were up for by-district general election on November 7, 2017. A total of 20 candidates filed for the seats.
District 1 saw board member Rhonda Lennon defeat challengers Annette Albright, Amy Hallman, and Jess Miller. In District 2, incumbent Thelma Byers-Bailey filed for re-election and defeated newcomer Lenora Shipp. District 3 board member Ruby Jones defeated former candidate Janeen Bryant, Emmitt Butts, former candidate Levester Flowers, Blanche Penn, and Olivia Scott in the race for the seat. In District 4, Carol Sawyer defeated Queen Thompson and Stephanie Sneed in the race for the open spot on the board. District 5 saw Margaret Marshall defeat Jim Peterson and former candidate Jeremy Stephenson in the race for the open seat, and District 6 saw Sean Strain defeat Allen Smith in the race for the open seat.[2]
Results
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Thelma Byers-Bailey Incumbent |
57.34% | 9,793 |
| Lenora Shipp | 41.79% | 7,138 |
| Write-in votes | 0.87% | 148 |
| Total Votes | 17,079 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, "11/07/2017 Unofficial General Election Results - Mecklenburg," accessed November 7, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||
2013
Byers-Bailey ran for the District 2 seat on the school board on November 5, 2013, against incumbent Richard McElrath.
Results
Byers-Bailey won the general election on November 5, 2013.
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools General Election, District 2, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Thelma Byers-Bailey |
70.4% | 8,471 | |
| Nonpartisan | Richard McElrath Incumbent | 29.2% | 3,515 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 0.4% | 51 | |
| Total Votes | 12,037 | |||
| Source: Mecklenburg County, "Election Results," accessed December 14, 2013 | ||||
Funding
Byers-Bailey reported $11,090.82 in contributions and $9,814.63 in expenditures to the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, which left her campaign with $1,276.19 on hand as of December 23, 2013.[3]
Endorsements
Byers-Bailey did not receive any official endorsements for her campaign in this election.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Thelma Byers-Bailey did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2013
Byers-Bailey identified the following campaign themes on her website:[4]
Diversity
| “ | Our students are graduating and entering the most global workforce that has ever existed. Diversity within our school population is the key to preparing our students to function in this workforce. One way to achieve diversity is with a strong magnet school system. Our city has a historically racial housing pattern which is mirrored in the population of our neighborhood schools. No matter how excellent our neighborhood schools are, they cannot replace the value of providing our students daily contact with others who don’t look like themselves. Learning to respect others from different cultures also goes a long way toward promoting a safe environment, free of bullying and intimidation.[5] | ” |
Disciplinary Policy
| “ | Today we are flushing our children’s future down the drain with uneven enforcement of zero tolerance policies which funnel minority students out of the classroom and into the courtroom. Our out of school suspensions have turned into a reward for bad behavior as our children are being released to run the streets.[5] | ” |
School Board Purpose
| “ | TI have seen schools in my district as well as their surrounding neighborhoods decimated by insensitive decisions made by our School Board. While we are certainly grateful for the interventions that Project LIFT is making within that zone, I believe that all the children in CMS deserve the very best education they are capable of absorbing, whether their goal is a career or college. Students live up to or down to the expectations of their environment. I believe it is the job of our School Board to make sure that all of our students achieve to the very best of their abilities.[5] | ” |
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ "Thelma Byers Bailey for CMS School Board," "About Thelma," accessed September 12, 2013
- ↑ Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed July 24, 2017
- ↑ "Mecklenburg County Board of Elections," "Mecklenburg County Campaign Finance Reports," accessed December 23, 2013, 2013
- ↑ "Thelma Byers Bailey for CMS School Board," "About Thelma," accessed September 12, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education District 2 2013-Present |
Succeeded by - |
