Gone are simpler days when school board elections drew little attention. Now, so-called “nonpartisan” school board elections (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) are anything but. Linn County’s Linn-Mar School District gained national attention over a policy that supported transgender and nonbinary students. There, two opposing slates of candidates compete for four open seats. A look at the candidates’ social media posts shows that “nonpartisan” is in the eye of the beholder.
Tom Law and Laura Steffeck’s social posts boast Moms for Liberty endorsements. For those of you not keeping score at home, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) describes Moms for Liberty as “an antigovernment organization” that “opposes LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum and has advocated books [sic] bans.” Moms for Liberty, a Florida-based organization, grew into a national movement that’s taken a distinct interest in school board races.
US Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) hosted a campaign event for candidate Kevin Slaman. It’s Hinson’s right as a Linn-Mar parent to involve herself locally. But using her national political platform to villainize district policy crosses a line, as does hosting a campaign event for “nonpartisan” school board candidates.
While not pictured here, Slaman indicates in his post that candidate Laura Steffeck also benefited from this event.
Jodi Treharne rounds out the slate of conservative candidates, but she has not posted any specific endorsements on social media.
To counter this push from the right, local parents, grandparents, and business owners of all political views formed the Linn-Mar Coalition for Public Schools. The Coalition sought candidates to oppose those endorsed by Moms for Liberty and Hinson. Coalition-endorsed candidates are incumbents Barry Buchholz and Brittania Morey with new-comers Justin Foss and Katie Lowe Lancaster. The Coalition is a community-based group not funded by a national organization.
Be aware of your school board candidates! Vote for those who represent your views, or you may get a school board you don’t want! School board elections are November 7, 2023!