While the contest for the three open seats on the Kent County Board of Education is ostensibly nonpartisan, we are disappointed to report that it has become overtly politicized by local Republicans, who early-on identified just two of the candidates as worthy of their support – two with extremist views which mirror the hard-right trap that party has fallen into. These two – Willy Gale and Tracy Cameransi – are pushing the agenda of the national group “Moms For Liberty,” which opposes LGBTQ rights of students, and any teaching about the history of racial oppression and discrimination in this country. A third Republican candidate, Frank Rhodes, while not appearing to endorse such extreme positions, has approached the campaign with an aggressive and demanding attitude which does not speak well for his ability to work with others. We need to do what we can to keep these three candidates off our School Board!
In past editions of our newsletter, we’ve identified two Democrats, newcomer Aretha Dorsey and incumbent Nivek Johnson, who deserve your vote. In the spirit of fairness, and of the non-partisan nature of this office, we are now also recommending that you consider voting for incumbent Trish McGee. Trish has done a wonderful job on our School Board, and she has a deep commitment to the students, parents, and schools of Kent County. You’ll have three votes — please vote for these three great candidates!