ICYMI, Two National extremist groups attempted to take over the Bentonville School Board this election cycle. Fortunately, only one of the 1776 Project / Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates won. Thank goodness for common-sense voters.
This isn’t the first time extremist groups have tried to hijack Bentonville’s school board. Last year we told you about a candidate linked to a January 6th insurrectionist. Unsurprisingly, Moms for Liberty candidates — with the financial backing of the 1776 Project — returned in an effort to again overthrow the Bentonville Board of Ed. But the Bentonville community came together and rejected the majority of these extremist candidates. Shout out to Bentonville voters for prioritizing their community’s kids and for trusting their schools and teachers, not extremist rhetoric.
School Board Election Results
*Runoff Elections will be held on December 6th, 2022.
- Zone 1: Joel Dunning won with 53% against Erron Smith (Dunning is the only 1776 Project-endorsed candidate to win).
- Zone 2: Jennifer Faddis won with 58% against Gail Pianalto (Pianalto was 1776 Project-endorsed).
- Zone 3: Jeremy Farmer (38%) will face a runoff* with Blanca Maldonado (33%). Of note: Matthew Smith, the third candidate in the race, was 1776 Project-endorsed.
- Zone 4: Becky Guthrie won with 68% against Tim Rosenau (Rosenau was 1776 Project-endorsed).
- Zone 5: Tatum Aicklen (41%) will face a runoff* with Letisha Hinds (29.5%). Of note: Yoselin Bolivar, the third candidate in the race who was 1776 Project-endorsed, lost by four votes.
Why school board elections matter now more than ever
There’s an overwhelming movement from out-of-state extremist groups attempting to commandeer local school boards. The goal: control schools, teachers, policies and curriculum, even if it means putting our most vulnerable kids at risk. Is that what good, decent parents want for our schools and our kids? We don’t think so. Extremism has no place in our public school system.
When we allow outside groups to usurp local government, we cede our power. We are pleased, however, that Bentonville took a stand against extremism on November 8th. Voters ignored fear mongering and instead chose to protect their community and schools. Well done, Bentonville.
