- In a race where national politics surrounding LGBTQ rights has taken center stage, Linn-Mar district voters Tuesday rejected openly conservative candidates endorsed by Moms for Liberty and re-elected two incumbents to the school board.
Eight candidates vied for four open seats in the election.
According to unofficial results with all precincts reporting, voters re-elected incumbents Brittania Morey and Barry Buchholz and newcomers Justin Foss and Katie Lowe Lancaster. Each received roughly 13 percent to 14 percent of the vote, defeating Laura Steffeck, 64, a business owner, Kevin Slaman, 71, a wholesale representative at Aluminum Distributors, Tom Law, 65, who retired from Collins Aerospace, and Jodi Treharne, 48, with NextGen Healthcare.
Two incumbents whose terms are up — Clark Weaver and Sondra Nelson — chose not to seek re-election. The seven-member board serves about 7,700 students in the Linn-Mar Community School District, and board members are not paid.
Steffeck, Slaman and Law had been endorsed by Moms for Liberty, a conservative political organization that advocates against school curriculum discussing LGBTQ rights or race and ethnicity. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights watchdog, identified the nationwide nonprofit as an extremist group earlier this year.
Brittania Morey (Supplied photo)
“I think it sends a message our community wants to focus on education and not politics, and sent the message our community can come together for our students and our staff,” said Morey, 42.
She, Lancaster, Buchholz and Foss said their priorities include supporting the implementation of the district’s strategic plan to address budget challenges, staff retention and recruitment, student engagement and achievement and facilities.
All four also said they plan to work on improving community engagement and building trust and relationships between the school board and parents.
“Our community had a lot of opinions, but we have a lot more in common than our differences,” Morey said. “Coming together is something we need to do as a community, and I think we can.”
Lancaster, 60, pastor of First Lutheran Church, echoed Morey.
Katie Lowe Lancaster (Supplied photo)
“It starts with communication and being able to have an opportunity for people to speak … and get away from our monologues and how we can understand one another better,” she said.
Justin Foss (Supplied photo)
Foss, 43, senior strategic project manager at Alliant Energy, said the high voter turnout in the race shows “people are interested and want to understand what’s going on with their school district.”
He said the results also showed parents were willing to “fight for the continued strength of public schools and the ability to think for all kids, not just some.”
Barry Buchholz (Supplied photo)
Buchholz, 67, financial adviser at Buchholz Financial Services, has said he wants to see the district improve student academic achievement, keep Linn-Mar’s standing as a “destination” for students and staff and improve facilities, which are “critical for our learning environment.”
“The staff, the teachers and all the students won tonight,” he said, adding the results shows “Moms For Liberty is just not a viable organization to educate our children.”
“We’re here to educate all of the students in our district and that’s the bottom line,” Buchholz said.
The Linn-Mar School District in Marion made national headlines last year over a policy that allowed students to request a "gender support plan." The plan outlined a student’s preferred name and pronouns as well as which locker rooms or bathroom the student would use. The student could choose whether the parents were informed — in accordance with state policy guidance in effect at the time.
Iowa and national Republicans criticized the Linn-Mar policy, which prompted a lawsuit from a group of parents and fueled part of the debate over legislation, signed into law earlier this year by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, providing taxpayer-funded private school scholarships and measures that restrict teaching about LGBTQ topics and prohibit publications that depict sex acts.
Division over that policy has been a major issue in the campaigns.
www.thegazette.com
Eight candidates vied for four open seats in the election.
According to unofficial results with all precincts reporting, voters re-elected incumbents Brittania Morey and Barry Buchholz and newcomers Justin Foss and Katie Lowe Lancaster. Each received roughly 13 percent to 14 percent of the vote, defeating Laura Steffeck, 64, a business owner, Kevin Slaman, 71, a wholesale representative at Aluminum Distributors, Tom Law, 65, who retired from Collins Aerospace, and Jodi Treharne, 48, with NextGen Healthcare.
Two incumbents whose terms are up — Clark Weaver and Sondra Nelson — chose not to seek re-election. The seven-member board serves about 7,700 students in the Linn-Mar Community School District, and board members are not paid.
Steffeck, Slaman and Law had been endorsed by Moms for Liberty, a conservative political organization that advocates against school curriculum discussing LGBTQ rights or race and ethnicity. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights watchdog, identified the nationwide nonprofit as an extremist group earlier this year.
Brittania Morey (Supplied photo)
“I think it sends a message our community wants to focus on education and not politics, and sent the message our community can come together for our students and our staff,” said Morey, 42.
She, Lancaster, Buchholz and Foss said their priorities include supporting the implementation of the district’s strategic plan to address budget challenges, staff retention and recruitment, student engagement and achievement and facilities.
All four also said they plan to work on improving community engagement and building trust and relationships between the school board and parents.
“Our community had a lot of opinions, but we have a lot more in common than our differences,” Morey said. “Coming together is something we need to do as a community, and I think we can.”
Lancaster, 60, pastor of First Lutheran Church, echoed Morey.
Katie Lowe Lancaster (Supplied photo)
“It starts with communication and being able to have an opportunity for people to speak … and get away from our monologues and how we can understand one another better,” she said.
Justin Foss (Supplied photo)
Foss, 43, senior strategic project manager at Alliant Energy, said the high voter turnout in the race shows “people are interested and want to understand what’s going on with their school district.”
He said the results also showed parents were willing to “fight for the continued strength of public schools and the ability to think for all kids, not just some.”
Barry Buchholz (Supplied photo)
Buchholz, 67, financial adviser at Buchholz Financial Services, has said he wants to see the district improve student academic achievement, keep Linn-Mar’s standing as a “destination” for students and staff and improve facilities, which are “critical for our learning environment.”
“The staff, the teachers and all the students won tonight,” he said, adding the results shows “Moms For Liberty is just not a viable organization to educate our children.”
“We’re here to educate all of the students in our district and that’s the bottom line,” Buchholz said.
The Linn-Mar School District in Marion made national headlines last year over a policy that allowed students to request a "gender support plan." The plan outlined a student’s preferred name and pronouns as well as which locker rooms or bathroom the student would use. The student could choose whether the parents were informed — in accordance with state policy guidance in effect at the time.
Iowa and national Republicans criticized the Linn-Mar policy, which prompted a lawsuit from a group of parents and fueled part of the debate over legislation, signed into law earlier this year by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, providing taxpayer-funded private school scholarships and measures that restrict teaching about LGBTQ topics and prohibit publications that depict sex acts.
Division over that policy has been a major issue in the campaigns.
Linn-Mar voters reject hopefuls backed by Mom for Liberty
Two incumbents re-elected in races shaped by national politics.
www.thegazette.com
