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Wael Abdelkader
Wael Abdelkader was a candidate for at-large representative on the South Washington County Schools school board in Minnesota. Abdelkader was defeated in the at-large special election on November 7, 2017.
Elections
2017
Five of the seven seats on the South Washington County Schools school board in Minnesota were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. Four seats were up for general election to regular four-year terms, and the fifth seat was up for special election to a two-year term due to a vacancy on the board.[1] In the race for the four-year terms, at-large incumbents Tracy Brunnette, Katie Schwartz, and Sharon H. Van Leer won re-election. Incumbent Katy McElwee-Stevens did not win re-election, as Patricia Driscoll won the fourth seat. Challengers Thor Halverson, Alexandra Hedberg, Douglas Hoffman, David Pyrz, and William Thurmes were defeated in that race. Heather Hirsch won the two-year term, defeating Wael Abdelkader, Sean Brown, Duane Girard, and Steve Lagoon.[2][3]
Results
| South Washington County Schools, At-large Special Election, 2-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Heather Hirsch |
25.33% | 2,489 |
| Steve Lagoon | 24.63% | 2,420 |
| Sean Brown | 22.41% | 2,202 |
| Wael Abdelkader | 17.22% | 1,692 |
| Duane Girard | 9.73% | 956 |
| Write-in votes | 0.67% | 66 |
| Total Votes | 9,825 | |
| Source: South Washington County Schools, "School Board Meeting Minutes November 16, 2017," accessed December 8, 2017 | ||
Funding
The South Washington County Schools does not publish and freely disclose school board candidate campaign finance reports. If you have any information regarding the campaign finance disclosures in this race, please contact the school board elections team at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign themes
2017
Abdelkader participated in the following survey conducted by the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. The survey questions appear bolded, and Abdelkader's responses follow below.
What qualifies you to hold this position?
| “ | As an IT consultant, I have solved issues in the classroom: infrastructure, security, accessibility, academic performance. I have provided data analysis to aid in strategic planning. Experienced in finance which is valuable when making budget decisions. As an entrepreneur, I know how to use resources wisely. I am a parent & the son of a teacher.[4] | ” |
| —Wael Abdelkader (2017)[5] | ||
What would your top priorities be if elected?
| “ | Review the budget for efficiency & effectiveness. Craft unique business opportunities & work with local officials to bring in additional funds Create strong partnerships to ensure everyone has the tools, resources & appropriate environment to grow. Work to close the achievement gap.[4] |
” |
| —Wael Abdelkader (2017)[5] | ||
What do you think is the primary role of government?
| “ | 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people' Lincoln. It’s role to construct an environment for its people to make educated decisions. We’re raising leaders who ‘ll implement policies causing business growth, jobs, and we can compete globally. Education’s the cornerstone of our country; an educated public keeps our democracy strong.[4] | ” |
| —Wael Abdelkader (2017)[5] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Wael Abdelkader South Washington County Schools school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ South Washington County Bulletin, "Candidacy Filing Notice," June 26, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Results for Selected Contests in School District No. 833 - SOUTH WASHINGTON COUNTY," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings: 2017 Municipal and School District Elections," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "Minnesota elections: South Washington County school board candidates," October 24, 2017
