Wake County Public School System elections (2016)
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When state legislation created new school board district boundaries for the Wake County Public School System, a group of voters disputed the change in court. The plaintiffs called the redistricting unconstitutional and cited the Equal Protection Clause of both the U.S. and North Carolina constitutions. However, the district Judge James Dever ruled that the changes were actually constitutional. But on July 1, 2016, an appeals court ruled that Judge Dever had incorrectly disregarded the arguments of the county residents. The court blocked the redistricting in the county and put the decision back on to Judge Dever. He announced in early August 2016 that the district would use election maps from 2011 in the 2016 election. All nine school board seats were still on the ballot for by-district election on November 8, 2016, but candidates were only be elected to two-year terms.[1][2][3]
District 1 incumbent Tom Benton filed for re-election and faced challengers Donald Agee, Mary Beth Ainsworth, and Sheila Ellis. Agee was victorious in unseating the incumbent. In District 2, incumbent Monika Johnson-Hostler filed for an additional term on the board and successfully defended her seat against challenger Peter Hochstaetter. Mark Ivey initially filed in the race but withdrew his candidacy in September 2016. Because of the late withdrawal, his name still appeared on the ballot. Sole newcomer Roxie Cash filed for the District 3 seat and won. District 4 incumbent Keith Sutton filed for re-election and faced single challenger Heather Elliott. Sutton won another term on the board. In their bids for re-election, District 5, 6, and 7 incumbents Jim Martin, Christine Kushner, and Zora Felton were unopposed and won additional terms on the board. However, Felton passed away unexpectedly shortly after the general election, leaving the District 7 seat vacant. District 8 saw three newcomers file for the seat: Gary Lewis, Gil Pagan, and Lindsay Mahaffey, with Mahaffey emerging victorious. In District 9, incumbent Bill Fletcher won the race against challenger Michael Tanbusch. There was no primary.[4][5]
As part of the altered election in 2016, Judge Dever announced that the candidates who originally filed were disqualified and would have to file again during a new filing window that ran from August 11, 2016, to August 17, 2016. Three dropped out of the race and two newcomers filed. Former candidates Beverley Clark, James McLuckie, and Donald Mial did not appear on the revised candidate list. District 7 incumbent Zora Felton and District 9 challenger Michael Tanbusch entered the race after the new deadline was set.[4]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Wake County Public School System school board is composed of nine members elected from separate county districts. With the exception of the 2016 election in which candidates were elected to two-year terms, board members usually serve four-year terms. The original candidate filing deadline to get on the ballot was July 1, 2016, but a new candidate filing deadline was set for August 17, 2016, after Judge James Dever extended the window to accommodate a late change in the district's election maps.[6]
In July 2013, the North Carolina state legislature passed a measure to move school board elections from odd-numbered years to November of even-numbered years beginning in 2016. In order to accommodate this change, members elected in 2011 extended their terms from the normal four years to five years. Members elected in 2013 served a three-year term until 2016. Members elected in 2016 were elected to two-year terms.[7]
Candidates and results
District 1
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 1 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Donald Agee |
35.20% | 17,445 |
| Tom Benton Incumbent | 33.96% | 16,830 |
| Mary Beth Ainsworth | 16.64% | 8,244 |
| Sheila Ellis | 13.78% | 6,829 |
| Write-in votes | 0.41% | 205 |
| Total Votes (100) | 49,553 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Tom Benton | Donald Agee 
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| Mary Beth Ainsworth | Sheila Ellis | ||
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District 2
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 2 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Monika Johnson-Hostler Incumbent |
46.66% | 21,149 |
| Peter Hochstaetter | 37.02% | 16,780 |
| Mark Ivey | 15.86% | 7,191 |
| Write-in votes | 0.46% | 207 |
| Total Votes (100) | 45,327 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Monika Johnson-Hostler
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Peter Hochstaetter | Mark Ivey | |||
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District 3
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 3 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Roxie Cash (unopposed) |
96.37% | 28,916 |
| Write-in votes | 3.63% | 1,090 |
| Total Votes (100) | 30,006 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Roxie Cash
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District 4
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 4 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Keith Sutton Incumbent |
72.92% | 28,660 |
| Heather Elliott | 26.41% | 10,381 |
| Write-in votes | 0.66% | 261 |
| Total Votes (100) | 39,302 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Keith Sutton
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Heather Elliott | ||
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District 5
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 5 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jim Martin Incumbent (unopposed) |
97.44% | 30,268 |
| Write-in votes | 2.56% | 796 |
| Total Votes (100) | 31,064 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Jim Martin
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District 6
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 6 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Christine Kushner Incumbent (unopposed) |
97.71% | 35,926 |
| Write-in votes | 2.29% | 841 |
| Total Votes (100) | 36,767 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Christine Kushner
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District 7
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 7 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Zora Felton Incumbent (unopposed) |
97.77% | 34,625 |
| Write-in votes | 2.23% | 789 |
| Total Votes (100) | 35,414 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Zora Felton
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District 8
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 8 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Lindsay Mahaffey |
41.92% | 21,828 |
| Gil Pagan | 30.19% | 15,722 |
| Gary Lewis | 27.35% | 14,240 |
| Write-in votes | 0.55% | 285 |
| Total Votes (100) | 52,075 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Gary Lewis | Gil Pagan | Lindsay Mahaffey
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District 9
Results
| Wake County Public School System, District 9 General Election, 2-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Bill Fletcher Incumbent |
68.51% | 26,797 |
| Michael Tanbusch | 30.32% | 11,861 |
| Write-in votes | 1.17% | 458 |
| Total Votes (100) | 39,116 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Bill Fletcher
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Michael Tanbusch | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: North Carolina elections, 2016
The following offices shared the general election date with the school board elections in Wake County:
- President
- U.S. Senate
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- State Treasurer
- State Auditor
- State Superintendent of Schools
- Agriculture Commissioner
- Labor Commissioner
- Insurance Commissioner
- State Senate
- State House of Representatives
- North Carolina Court of Appeals
- Judicial District Court
- Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
Note: The date for North Carolina's congressional primary was June 7, 2016. This primary was originally scheduled for March 15, 2016.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Wake County Public School System election:[8]
| Deadline | Event |
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| February 29, 2016 | First quarter campaign finance deadline |
| July 1, 2016 | Original candidate filing deadline |
| July 12, 2016 | Second quarter campaign finance deadline |
| August 17, 2016 | Second candidate filing deadline |
| October 31, 2016 | Third quarter campaign finance deadline |
| November 8, 2016 | General Election Day |
| January 11, 2017 | Fourth quarter campaign finance deadline |
Endorsements
The Wake County Democratic Party endorsed Tom Benton in District 1, Monika Johnson-Hostler in District 2, Keith Sutton in District 4, Jim Martin in District 5, Christine Kushner in District 6, and Zora Felton in District 7.
The Wake County Republican Party endorsed Donald Agee in District 1, Peter Hochstaetter in District 2, and Gil Pagan in District 8.[9]
Campaign finance
School board candidates in this election raised a total of $95,591.22 and spent a total of $64,079.52 as of November 4, 2016, according to the Wake County Board of Elections.[10]
School board candidates in North Carolina were required to file campaign finance reports to their county's board of elections unless the candidate:
(1) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in contributions, and
(2) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in loans, and
(3) Did not spend more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).[11]
The third quarter campaign finance deadline was October 31, 2016, and the fourth quarter deadline was January 11, 2017.[12]
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Issues in the election
Partisan politics played a role in school board race
Although the Wake County school board race is officially nonpartisan, party politics played a significant role in the 2016 election. All six Democratic incumbents who filed for additional terms on the board were endorsed by Wake County's Democratic Party. These were Tom Benton in District 1, Monika Johnson-Hostler in District 2, Keith Sutton in District 4, Jim Martin in District 5, Christine Kushner in District 6, and Zora Felton in District 7. The Republican Party did not show the same loyalty to the one Republican incumbent, however, and declined to endorse Bill Fletcher in District 9.
With a majority of the board's incumbents Democratic, the stakes were high for the Republican challengers. In District 2, former GOP candidate Mark Ivey withdrew his campaign in September 2016 and endorsed his Republican opponent Peter Hochstaetter. Ivey stated that through his campaign's suspension, he hoped to ensure a Republican victory in the race. Since Districts 5, 6, and 7 were all uncontested races for the Democratic incumbents, the board was guaranteed at least three Democratic members join it. District 3 was an uncontested race for Republican newcomer Roxie Cash and District 9 only saw Republicans file, so two Republican members also joined the board for the next two years. GOP candidates filed for at least four other seats on the board, which means it could see a split in its party-affiliation after the general election.[9]
Judge Dever announces district will use 2011 election maps
Judge James Dever announced his decision in early August 2016 that Wake County would use the election maps from 2011 for the 2016 general election, after months of deliberation. The judge ruled that it would be too time-consuming to come up with new election maps before the absentee ballot mailing deadline of September 9, 2016.[3][13]
Once the judge's decision was made, a new candidate filing window was opened for school board and county commissioner candidates, which lasted from August 11, 2016, to August 17, 2016. The candidates who filed during the earlier filing window were automatically disqualified, and had to file with the Wake County Board of Elections under the 2011 districts. These districts do not include the "super districts" A and B, which were deemed unconstitutional. The Wake County school district already had school board member districts that complied with the 2011 maps, so the school board candidates filed accordingly.[3][13]
Redistricting called 'unconstitutional' by some residents
On July 1, 2016, an appeals court for the fourth circuit ruled 2-1 that the redistricting of Wake County for school board elections was unconstitutional. The court cited the Equal Protection Clause of both the U.S. and North Carolina constitutions, saying, "We see no reason why the November 2016 elections should proceed under the unconstitutional plans."[1]
In 2010, the county redrew its voting districts, taking into account the release of the 2010 census. According to the Daily Tarheel, the "then-predominantly Republican Board of Education was replaced with a Democratic majority in 2011." In 2013, the county was redistricted after the Republican-controlled General Assembly of North Carolina changed the school board from nine single-member districts to seven and added two "super districts." These new districts each represented half of the county, one being its rural areas and the other, its urban.
But a group of county voters objected to this decision, stating that the populations of voters in the two new districts were greatly varied, with the urban district containing about ten percent more voters than the rural one. Although Judge Dever approved the redistricting, an appeals court ruled that he had disregarded the testimony of the voters:
| “ | Rather than seeking proportional representation of the two main political parties, the evidence shows that the challenged plans under-populated Republican-leaning districts and over-populated Democratic-leaning districts in order to gerrymander Republican victories.[1] | ” |
Issues in the district
Wake County sheriff calls for transgender bathroom policy
Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said he would consider pulling deputies out of Wake County schools if the district did not decide on a consistent transgender bathroom policy. Harrison said that the district does not have a uniform policy on the use of bathrooms by transgender students, which was causing confusion and unease among parents.[15][16]
| “ | As the parent of an 11, 12, 13, 14-year-old female, I would want to know if a transgender student was dressing out (in the girls’ locker room). That way I could explain to my child what was going on and make a decision.[14] | ” |
| —Donnie Harrison (2016)[15] | ||
Harrison said that one of his deputies was informed by a parent that a transgender female student was using the girls' locker room, and due to the district's varying policies, the deputy did not know how to handle that situation. According to Lisa Luten, a Wake County Public School System spokesperson, transgender student issues with bathrooms and locker rooms are handled on a case-by-case basis. "No child has ever been at risk based on how we have handled this issue,” Luten said. “Because this issue is still being debated in federal courts, the school system is unable to create a formal policy.”[15] The district's superintendent James Merrill said that transgender bathroom questions ought to be addressed by administrators rather than student resource officers.
When House Bill 2, a law stating that individuals in government-operated facilities must use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender stated on their birth certificate, was signed into law in March 2016, many districts in the state struggled with how to respond. This was also due to the fact that Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. North Carolina school districts were conflicted about how to balance these two laws. According to Nathan Smith, the director of public policy for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, the consequence was that many schools decide their transgender bathroom policies on a case-by-case basis. This has led to conflicting policies among school districts in the state.[15][17]
On March 30, 2017, the North Carolina State Legislature approved and Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed a repeal of HB 2. HB 142 repealed HB 2 but created a three-year moratorium on local anti-discrimination ordinances and prohibited local ordinances related to bathroom access.[18] The state house approved HB 142 by a 70-48 vote and the state senate voted 32-16 to pass the measure.[19]
About the district
Wake County Public School System is located in Wake County, North Carolina. The county seat and state capital is Raleigh. Wake County was home to 1,024,198 residents between 2010 and 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[20] The district was the largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 153,534 students.[21]
Demographics
Wake County outperformed North Carolina as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 48.3 percent of Wake County residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 27.8 percent for North Carolina as a whole. The median household income in the county was $66,579, compared to $46,693 for the state as a whole. The county's poverty rate was 11.5 percent, compared to 17.2 percent for the entire state.[20]
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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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Wake County Public School System' 'North Carolina'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Wake County Public School System | North Carolina | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Daily Tarheel, "Wake County election maps unconstitutional," July 14, 2016
- ↑ The Republic, "Judge: Is special session needed on Wake County maps?" July 11, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Carolina Journal, "Judge: Wake County voters will use 2011 maps," August 10, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wake County Board of Elections, "Wake Board of Elections Candidate Detail List," August 17, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/08/2016 Unofficial General Election Results," accessed November 8, 2016
- ↑ Wake County Public School System, "Board of Education Policies" accessed October 1, 2013
- ↑ The Voter Update, "N.C. House approves changes to Wake school board elections," June 11, 2013
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedules," accessed November 1, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The News & Observer, "Political parties make Wake County school board endorsements," October 3, 2016
- ↑ Wake County, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed November 4, 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, "Reporting Schedules," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Carolina Journal, "Wake school board filing opens Thursday," August 10, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Daily Tarheel, "Wake County sheriff calls for consistent transgender bathroom policy," September 29, 2016
- ↑ CBS North Carolina, "Wake sheriff threatens to pull deputies over transgender bathroom policy," September 27, 2016
- ↑ The News & Observer, "Four things to remember about House Bill 2," September 13, 2016
- ↑ ABC 11, "GOV. COOPER SIGNS NORTH CAROLINA'S HB2 COMPROMISE BILL," March 30, 2017
- ↑ NBC News, "HB2 Repeal: North Carolina Legislature Votes to Overturn Controversial ‘Bathroom Bill’," March 30, 2017
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 United States Census Bureau, "Wake County Quick Facts," accessed July 15, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official Votes by Tabulation Voting Districts, accessed August 4, 2013
