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Joe Fleckenstein
Joe Fleckenstein was a candidate for the District F seat on the Harford County Board of Education in Maryland. He lost election against incumbent Thomas Fitzpatrick and challenger Michael R. Hitchings in a primary election on June 24, 2014.
Biography
Fleckenstein earned an associate degree in business administration from Harford Community College. He later received a B.A. in business management from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Fleckenstein currently works as a defense contractor at Aberdeen Proving Ground.[1]
Elections
2014
The June 24, 2014, primary ballot included primaries for Districts B, C, D, E and F with the top two vote recipients in each primary advancing to the general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Robert "Bob" Frisch and challenger Laura Runyeon defeated Greg Johnson in District B. District C incumbent Alysson L. Krchnavy and challenger Joseph L. Voskuhl advanced to the general election by defeating John Anker. Nancy Reynolds faced challenger Mike Simon in her bid for another term in District D after defeating challengers Chris Scholz and Tishan D. Weerasooriya in the primary. The primary race for District E resulted in board member Arthur Kaff and newcomer Rachel Gauthier defeating Stephen Eric Macko and Barney Michel. Macko dropped out of the race after the withdrawal deadline which meant his name still appeared on the ballot. District F incumbent Thomas Fitzpatrick and Michael R. Hitchings squared off in the general election after defeating Joe Fleckenstein in the primary.
The District A race advanced to the general election without a primary as newcomers Frederick A. Mullis and Jansen M. Robinson were the only candidates to file for the seat.
In the general election Jansen M. Robinson won District A, incumbent Robert "Bob" Frisch was returned to District B, challenger Joseph L. Voskuhl defeated incumbent Alysson L. Krchnavy for District C, incumbent Nancy Reynolds won District D, newcomer Rachel Gauthier defeated incumbent Arthur Kaff for District E and incumbent Thomas Fitzpatrick won another term in District F.
This was the first time that county voters selected members for these seats on the Harford County Board of Education. Board members were appointed by the governor prior to a 2009 state law that turned six of the nine board seats into elected positions. There were board elections for two-year terms in Districts A, B and D in November 2010. Victorious candidates in the general election took office in July 2015 along with three newly appointed members.[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Thomas Fitzpatrick Incumbent |
39.9% | 1,881 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael R. Hitchings |
38.2% | 1,801 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joe Fleckenstein | 21.9% | 1,033 | |
| Total Votes | 4,715 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Harford County," July 17, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Fleckenstein reported $725.00 in contributions and $265.00 in expenditures to the Maryland State Board of Elections, leaving his campaign with $912.74 on hand prior to the primary. This total includes amounts remaining from previous filing periods.[3]
Endorsements
Fleckenstein received no official endorsements in this election.
Campaign themes
2014
Fleckenstein explained his themes for the 2014 race on his campaign website:
| “ |
Why do I want to represent you on the School Board for District F? That’s simple. I attended Harford County Public Schools from Kindergarten through 12th-Grade, and my experience was excellent. The curriculum was rigorous, there was daily physical education, you weren’t afraid of being attacked at school, the teachers were dedicated, and my parents really pushed me to succeed. I made many friends, participated in sports, and had very good attendance. Today, in many respects we still have some real positives in our school system. Yet I look around, and our students increasingly are becoming mandatory test-takers. Many students today are not being taught cursive writing. A large number of children cannot read a map. Physical exercise is not emphasized the same way it was when you and I were in school. I am really concerned that our kids aren’t being exposed to the principles that made our country great. What do they know about our first presidents? Are they being exposed to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights? Are our children being taught American History and asked to examine its impact on our lives? Do our children know what “Liberty” really means? Another policy that really disturbs me is Common Core, a set of standards currently being implemented in our school system. The federal government imposed a “one-size fits all” set of standards for our children! We should have local control of education, not federal control. Finally, there are many unfunded mandates that need to be addressed. Will the money be there to take care of these mandates? Where will the money come from? I am running to bring common sense back to Harford County Public Schools. We need to oppose Common Core in every instance. Parental rights are incredibly important. Our schools should be locally-controlled. I am supportive of school-choice and homeschooling, for those who so choose. Do I have all of the answers? No. Am I willing to attend every Board of Education meeting, go above and beyond to find the answers to questions, and find subject-matter experts to help make informed decisions? Yes! The Primary Election is Tuesday, June 24th. I humbly ask for your vote! If you want someone who will just “go along to get along,” then I am not your man. But if you want someone who is not afraid to take some heat for what he believes in, then I am your clear choice! I am not a career-politician. I am your servant. I will serve you extremely-well during my time on the Board. All that I have is my integrity. Nothing else matters.[4] |
” |
| —Joe Fleckenstein's campaign website, (2014) | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Joe + Fleckenstein + Harford + County + Public + Schools"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Joe Fleckenstein for Harford Board of Education, "Home," May 6, 2014
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Five Harford school board members run for election; four don't," February 26, 2014
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2014 Harford County Public Schools Elections | |
| Harford County, Maryland | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District A: • Frederick A. Mullis • Jansen M. Robinson District B: • Robert "Bob" Frisch • Greg Johnson • Laura Runyeon |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
