ST. LOUIS — Voters defeated conservative candidates across the St. Louis region Tuesday, soundly condemning right-wing efforts to take control of local school boards.
Of the 13 candidates endorsed by right-wing radio talk show host Mark Cox, only one won an election after campaigning against what he called the “woke agenda” in schools. There wasn’t even one.
Retired teacher Carolee Owens and Pastor Stephen Blair are campaigning for Frances Howell, whose conservative majority has been moving to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the St. Charles County district for the past three years. He won two vacant seats.
Owens and Blair defeated retired US Navy officer Sam Young and small business owner Adrianna Kuhn, marking the first loss for the conservative political action committee founded in 2021, the Francis Howell Families. became. The Francis Howell Forward PAC, which competes with local teachers’ unions, supported Mr. Owens and Mr. Blair. .
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When the final results were announced around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, a crowd of about 100 people at the Elks Lodge in O’Fallon, Missouri, jumped out of their seats and cheered during a watch party hosted by the Tri-County Labor Club. started to increase. They high-fived and hugged. Some people cried.
This victory marked a turning point for Francis Howell. After two elections that favored conservative candidates, those tired of the board’s partisan politics felt the district could now move forward.
“The people of St. Charles County support their public schools,” said Ted House, former Democratic state senator and co-founder of the Political Action Committee for St. Charles County Public Schools. “We know we represent the majority of people who like teachers and support schools.”
In the Lindbergh School District, the conservative St. Louis County Families PAC raised nearly $20,000 to support two unsuccessful candidates, David Kirshner and David Randleman. The winners were incumbent Megan Vedder and newcomer Rachel Braaf Koehler, backed by the Lindbergh Teachers Union.
A candidate who campaigned as a conservative also lost in Ft. Zumwalt, Melville, Parkway, Lockwood, St. Charles City, Wentzville.
Business manager Brad Welsh and teacher David Biesenthal won their second bid for a Wentzville board seat with donations and support from the Wentzville Teachers Union.
Incumbent legislators failed to retain their board seats in at least two school districts. Maplewood-Richmond Heights’ Rachel Goltsman and Julie Francois lost to newcomers Jenny Schmidt and Trent Colbert, who sought to improve morale and teacher retention in the district.
Write-in candidate Pamela Rhys Lerman won a seat on the Clayton City School Board but came under intense scrutiny in January after backing out of a $20.9 million deal to buy footwear company Caleres headquarters. . Leo Human won the other seat, defeating incumbent director Jason Wilson.
The district’s fundraising initiative passed easily in Lindbergh, Orchard Farm, Riverview Gardens, University City and Valley Park.
A look at life in St. Louis through the lens of a post-deployment photographer. Edited by Jenna Jones.
