On the heels of a victory in Kentucky last week, we’re celebrating that five of our school board candidates won their races in Ohio! Our candidates defeated opponents backed by Moms for Liberty, a national MAGA-aligned group that has built a platform attacking trans kids and banning teaching about racism in schools. SURJ National Members and leaders on the ground in Ohio contacted white suburban voters to rally their support for pro-trans, anti-racist, pro-teacher platforms.
✅ North Canton: SURJ member Lindsey Wyckoff
✅ Olentangy: SURJ member Lizett Schreiber
✅ Dublin: Amy Messick
✅ Westerville: Jennifer Aultman and Louise Valentine
This year, we took on school board races because defending public education is a key site for bringing white people in around their shared interest: we all win when our schools are well-funded, teach honest history, and are safe places for all students to learn. The MAGA right uses public schools as a place where they attempt to amass more power, relying on the disproportionate influence white voters have on these local elections. And so school board races are key pressure points for us to meet white people where they’re at and give them a better option than transphobia and racism.
Our program, All in for All Students, brought together SURJ members from across the country to run campaigns around issues and candidates at the local level. In Ohio, over 60 SURJ members made 33,000 calls in local races that can be determined by a dozen votes. And from Rhode Island to Florida, a cohort of SURJ chapters ran campaigns targeting their school boards on issues like fighting book bans and showing up for trans students.
While we won this week, our opponents– far right politicians and corporate interests that back them– are building a county-by-county, state-by-state movement against scapegoats like trans kids and “the woke agenda” in order to build political power. Going into 2024, they’re working overtime to win over white people.
We know our path to victory from governor’s races to local elections is forged by investing our time and resources into local, grassroots organizing that is proven to win.
Will you contribute to our movement in 2024?
On the heels of a victory in Kentucky last week, we’re celebrating that five of our school board candidates won their races in Ohio! Our candidates defeated opponents backed by Moms for Liberty, a national MAGA-aligned group that has built a platform attacking trans kids and banning teaching about racism in schools. SURJ National Members and leaders on the ground in Ohio contacted white suburban voters to rally their support for pro-trans, anti-racist, pro-teacher platforms. We’re celebrating wins in…
